The league that ate Christmas

Patrick Mahomes isn't wild about nonstop football during the holidays, and one suspects he's not just speaking for himself.

Patrick Mahomes

Patrick Mahomes is not Joel Embiid. You give him a schedule, he’ll honor it. And he’ll honor everything around him, too. This is a 3-time Super Bowl champ quarterback who spent an off night watching the son of Chiefs’ offensive coordinator Matt Nagy play a high school game. Last week he lavished his offensive linemen – including the ones who have spent the fall false-starting, holding and whiffing on blocks that should have been protecting Mahomes – with Rolexes, cowboy boots, Yeti coolers and Oakley shades for the holidays. Those who like to dabble in math estimate that Mahomes spent $100,000 on those particular stockings.

But it doesn’t mean that Mahomes likes what the NFL is doing this month in the pursuit of not just one almighty dollar but every available bill it can snarf. The Chiefs play Pittsburgh on Wednesday, Christmas Day, after they played Houston Saturday and went to Cleveland on the Sunday before that. That’s three games in 11 days’ time, in December weather. Those are also Games 15, 16 and 17, when the body tissue is beginning to resemble Kleenex.

“I’m excited to play on Christmas,” Mahomes said. “But you never want to play this many games in this short a period of time. It’s just not great for your body. But at the end of the day it’s your job.”

The Bears had a game against Minnesota last Monday, played Detroit on Sunday and will play Seattle next Thursday, so that’s three games in 10 days for them. Nine NFL teams will be squeezed in that fashion before the season ends.

The NFL’s invasion of Christmas is curious on several fronts. There are already five NBA games on Dec. 25, a fairly long tradition. The NFL will also barge into Netflix to show KC-Pittsburgh and Baltimore-Houston for the streaming generation on Christmas Day. There will be the New Orleans-Green Bay Monday nighter, then the Chicago-Seattle game Thursday and three more games Saturday.

We need a better reason for this overkill than “Because we can.” The NFL has even started “flexing,” the NFL-correct word for “rescheduling,” games from Sunday to Thursday. The Broncos and Chargers had to make that move last week. The fact that they had a month’s notice is not really comforting to the ligaments..

Mahomes also noted that the Chiefs had their bye on Oct. 14, when they were relatively healthy. You don’t need a bye on Oct. 14. You need it immediately before you’re being forced to make a Bob Hope USO Tour of the nation’s stadiums during the holidays.

Sure, the Chiefs will be off from Dec. 25 to Jan. 5, but what they’re playing for right now is a first-round bye. If they go 1-1 in these last two games and Buffalo goes 2-0, the Bills get that bye because they beat the Chiefs.

Meanwhile the NHL will be “dark” on Dec. 24, 25 and 26. Well, that’s not really the correct term. Their arenas will be dark because there will be no games. The living rooms of NHL players will be glowing, with active fireplaces and presents for the kids, all with Dad in attendance instead of in Winnipeg. That’s not a case of missing a business opportunity. That’s being human, and humane.

Mahomes and the Chiefs seemed spry enough on Saturday when they beat the Texans, 27-19. The Chiefs are finding more ways to involve rookie Xavier Worthy, the game’s fastest man, and Mahomes threw him 11 passes, eight of which Worthy caught, one for a touchdown. So maybe the Chiefs’ season-long tightrope act was merely a throat-clearing exercise, and the two-time Super Bowl champs will again be at their best when it means the most.

That will be harder for Houston, the AFC South champs who lost receiver Tank Dell for the season on Saturday. Without him, the opposition will focus harder in Nico Collins, whose seven catches only went 60 yards. C.J. Stroud threw two touchdowns but also two interceptions, and the Chiefs had nine tackles for loss. Cornerback Trent McDuffie had two of those along with an interception.

These are wealthy people who are treated like the elite professionals they are. No one is calling the Salvation Army to help the hassled NFL players, although Blue Cross might make more sense. As for us, we all have a choice to watch whatever we want, including nothing, on Dec. 25,, no matter what the NFL says. It just seems unnecessary to gorge ourselves on football when there’s so much turkey and ham to be had. The guy who wrote “God rest ye merry gentlemen” didn’t mean they should head to the blue tent.

Otherwise:

Washington 36, Philadelphia 33

– There once was a shot-blocking center named Marvin Webster who was known as the Human Eraser, and his football equivalent is Jayden Daniels. The rookie quarterback for Washington (10-5) had to make five team turnovers and only 23:42 of possession disappear, and with 10 seconds left he found Jameson Crowder for a 9-yard touchdown and an improbable comeback victory.

– The Eagles, who are 12-3 and lost a 10-game win streak, were in the process of running out the clock when Devonta Smith dropped a third down pass on the Commanders’ 22. Jake Elliott came in for a field goal that put the Eagles up 33-28 but put the ball back in the hands of Daniels, who passed for five touchdowns and led Washington with 81 rushing yards.

– Philadelphia lost Jalen Hurts to a concussion in the first quarter after a hit by Frankie Luvu. Ex-Steelers quarterback Kenny Pickett relieved him and finished the game but suffered a rib injury along the way. Saquon Barkley had a 68-yard touchdown run and gained 150 yards on the ground, but the Eagles were 3-for-16 on third down. Leading 24-14 and on Washington’s 11 yard line, Pickett was sacked by Donte Fowler, which forced another Elliott field goal. Daniels threw touchdown passes on his next two possessions. The loss probably dooms Philly’s hopes of getting the top seed in the NFC playoffs.

Baltimore 34, Pittsburgh 17

– With two games left the Ravens and Steelers have the same 10-5 record, just as they should. The habitual bullies of the NFC North were tied 17-17 when Chris Boswell’s kickoff went out of bounds and set Baltimore up on its own 40. Lamar Jackson either passed or ran for the remaining 60 yards and hit Mark Andrews with a 7-yard TD pass with 1:53 remaining in the third quarter. The Ravens stopped Pittsburgh on a fourth-and-six, but then Jackson threw an interception to Minkah Fitzpatrick. Two plays later Marlon Humphrey stepped in front of MyCole Pruitt, stole Russell Wilson’s pass and took it 36 yards for the break-it-open touchdown.

– Pittsburgh had only one sack of Lamar Jackson and no QB hits otherwise. Jackson was 15 for 23 for 207 yards, but his best moves were 24 handoffs to Derrick Henry, who rumbled 24 times for 162 yards, including a 44-yarder. Jackson also found Zay Flowers five times for 100 yards.

– The Steelers have had only four explosive plays in the past two weeks, and Philadelphia and Baltimore have outrushed them by 173 yards. They finish with Kansas City (on Christmas Day) and Cincinnati at home. Baltimore goes to Houston (also on Christmas Day) and finishes with the Browns at home.

Minnesota 27, Seattle 24

– The Seahawks had taken a 24-20 lead on Geno Smith’s 4-yard pass to A.J. Barner, and the Vikings’ Sam Darnold was sacked on a second-and-10 play, potentially endangering their drive. But Byron Murphy was cited for roughing the passer. On the next play Darnold somehow found Justin Jefferson for a 39-yard touchdown, and Seattle’s last bid was foiled by Theo Jackson’s interception.

– The Vikings stayed even with Detroit at 13-2 in the race for the NFC North and the No. 1 playoff seed in the conference. They end the season against each other. The Seahawks (8-7) fell a game behind the Rams in the NFC West, and they, too, play each other in the 17th game.

– Smith had a 314-yard day but hurt the Seahawks with two interceptions, and the Seahawks only got 59 yards rushing even with the return of Kenneth Walker. Darnold, continuing his fine play, hit 22 of 35 for 246 yards, three TDs and no picks. Jefferson caught 10 of the 13 passes that came his way for 144 yards and two scores.

Dallas 26, Tampa Bay 24

– Two astonishing defensive plays decided this one. Down 26-17, Baker Mayfield threw a deep one toward rookie Jalen McMillan. While coming down from the peak of his jump, Dallas’ Jordan Lewis wrestled the ball away from McMillan and held on, in the end zone. Then, down 26-24 and only needing a field goal, Mayfield squirmed to avoid a sack and got the ball to Rachaad White. Daron Bland separated White from the ball and recovered it, with 1:40 left, to save Dallas’ fourth win in five games.

– Tampa Bay dropped to 8-7 and forfeited its NFC South lead over Atlanta, since the Falcons, also 8-7, beat the Bucs twice. Mayfield was 9-for-9 in the drive that led to a touchdown pass to Ryan Miller, cutting the Cowboys’ lead to 26-24, and was 31 for 43 overall with two TDs. But Cooper Rush, filling in for Dak Prescott, was better, hitting 26 of 35 for 292 yards, no picks and a 108.3 passer rating.

– Brandon Aubrey continues to be a transcontinental weapon for the 7-8 Cowboys. He hit two 58-yard field goals and added a 53 and a 49. Aubrey is 14 for 16 from 50-plus yards and is 36 for 42 overall.

Detroit 34, Chicago 17

– Fumbles by Caleb Williams and Rome Odunze led to ten of Detroit’s first 13 points, and then Jared Goff and Jameson Williams connected on an 82-yard touchdown. The rest was pretty much of a formality, except for a fake fumble executed by Goff and Jahmyr Gibbs that quickly became a 21-yard TD pass to Sam LaPorta.

– Williams salvaged a good statistical day, with a 107.7 passer rating, 334 yards and no interceptions, and he wasn’t sacked. Keenan Allen caught nine of the 13 passes Williams sent his way for 141 yards, but the Bears (4–11) converted only two of 11 third downs.

– The Lions’ ravaged defense held Chicago to two rushing first downs and had six tackles for loss. Al-Quadin Muhammad, who was on the practice squad until Nov. 9, had a sack and two of the TFLs. Detroit is 13-2 and plays the 49ers before a season finale with the Vikings that could determine the No 1 seed in the NFC playoffs.

L.A.. Chargers 34, Denver 27

-– This will be known as the Free Kick Game. After Denver’s Tremon Smith interfered with a fair catch attempt at the end of the first half, Chargers’ coach Jim Harbaugh remembered that it was legal for Cameron Dicker to try a 57-yard field goal with no defender within 10 yards and no rush. It’s the first time it’s been successful since Chicago’s Mac Percival did it in 1966. But that only pulled the Chargers to within 21-13 at the half.

– Down by 11 late in the third quarter, Justin Herbert ran to convert a third-and-13 and then took a late hit from Denver’s Justin Strnad. Gus Edwards scored, and Derius Davis made a notable 19-yard touchdown catch to put the Chargers into the lead. Later in the quarter, Edwards had a 43-yard burst that led to Herbert’s 24-yard TD pass to Hassan Hankins, capping a 90-yard drive. The Chargers improved to 9-6 and reached the doorstep of the playoffs.

– Denver, also 9-6, had two field goals, three punts and only six first downs in the second half. Herbert, who was hit eight times, connected on 23 of his 31 passes for 284 yards. Bo Nix, who, like Herbert, played at Oregon, was 29 for 40 for 263 yards as he goes to the wire with Washington’s Jayden Daniels for the Offensive Rookie of the Year award. Denver can protect its playoff spot by winning at Cincinnati Saturday.

Buffalo 24, New England 21

– A week can be a long time in the NFL. Buffalo (12-3) had scored at least 40 in its past two games and at least 30 in its last eight, but quickly trailed New England 14-0 and needed big breaks to stay within a game of Kansas City in the AFC standings. When New England’s Drake Maye threw a lateral near his goal line that bounced off Rhamondre Stevenson, Buffalo’s Taryn Johnson jumped on it for a 24-14 lead. Maye threw a touchdown to Hunter Henry with 1:17 left, but Buffalo’s Ty Johnson ran for the first down that wrapped it up.

– Maye outplayed Josh Allen, who had a left hand injury and then lost feeling in his right hand when he banged his funnybone. The New England rookie supervised a 16-play, 91-yard drive that took nearly 10 minutes and ended in Stevenson’s 14-yard touchdown. James Cook, who had his third 100-yard game in his last four, got the Buffalo crowd back in the game with a 46-yard touchdown in the next series, cutting the lead to 14-7.

– Allen’s 67.3 passer rating was his second-lowest of the season, and his longest completion went 17 yards. New England’s Kayshon Boutte, yet another talented LSU receiver but a guy who dropped to Round 6 of the 2023 draft due to off-the-field issues, caught five passes for 95 yards and a touchdown as the Patriots fell to 3-12..

Atlanta 34, N.Y. Giants 7

– The Falcons (8-7) had two interceptions and turned them quickly into 14 points. Jessie Bates III and Matthew Judon both had pick-6s. The Giants (2–13) got a poor 58.7 passer rating out of Drew Lock, and their longest running play went six yards.

– Considering the defensive support, Kirk Cousins could well have won this game for the Falcons, but all eyes were on rookie Michael Penix. He went 18 for 27 and had three passes dropped. His longest pass went 22 yards, although he was appealing to pro teams because of his deep-throwing ability. Penix had only two completions on the 86-yard, 9-play drive that put the Falcons ahead 17-7.

– Atlanta goes to Washington next week in a meaningful Week 17 game, then closes out with Carolina. Its biggest weapon will be Bijan Robinson, who carried 22 times for the third consecutive week. Atlanta also had an active game from Arnold Ebiketie, who had a sack, a tackle for loss and a fumble recovery.

L.A. Rams 19, N.Y. Jets 9

– The Rams (9-6) have scored touchdowns in 13 games this season and Kyren Williams has scored at least one in 11 of them. Williams toted the rock 23 times for 122 yards on a blustery, 23-degree day in the Meadowlands, as the Rams won their fourth consecutive game and stayed one game ahead of Seattle in the NFC West.

– Tighe end Tyler Higbee, a fixture on the Super Bowl championship team of 2021, came back from ACL surgery and scored in his first game of 2024. That was an 11-yarder from Matthew Stafford after Kam Curl had sacked Aaron Rodgers and forced a fumble that Jared Verse recovered, and broke a 9-9 tie in the fourth quarter.

– The Jets (4-11) had a 14-play, 99-yard touchdown drive in the first quarter and had only 222 net yards otherwise. Rodgers was 28 for 42 with no interceptions, and Stafford was economical, going 14 for 19.

Carolina 36, Arizona 30 (OT)

– Down 20-3 in the second quarter, the Cardinals scrambled back and got into overtime with Chad Ryland’s 58-yard field goal at the buzzer. They needed the game for any postseason hope. Carolina was playing for game tape and tomorrow. But D.J. Wonnum sacked Kyler Murray on Arizona’s first OT possession and forced a punt. Chuba Hubbard, who had already carried the ball 23 times, looked like the freshest guy in town as he ran for 23 and 21 yards, scoring the game-winner for the Panthers (4–11).

– Murray hit 20 of 32 passes and also ran for 63 yards, but his fumble allowed Carolina to score on a 30-yard touchdown drive, and the defense gave up 243 rushing yards and seven explosive plays.. The Cardinals fell to 7-8 with four losses in their last five games.

– Bryce Young had another promising game for the Panthers (4–11), with a 23-yard rushing touchdown and a 17-for-26 passing day with no interceptions. Hubbard has 1,195 rushing yards for the season on 250 carries. He grew up near Edmonton, played at Oklahoma State and was a fourth-round pick of the Panthers in 2021.

Cincinnati 24, Cleveland 6

– The Browns’ day peaked on the first play, when Jerome Ford dashed 66 yards. That drive died when D’onta Foreman fumbled on the way into the end zone and Vonn Bell recovered for the Bengals on the one-yard-line. Joe Burrow then took the Bengals 99 yards, with Chase Brown contributing 22 and 21 yard runs. Burrow finished the drive with a two-yard TD to Tee Higgins.

– Rookie Kris Jenkins had two of Cincinnati’s five sacks of Cleveland’s Dorian Thompson-Robinson, subbing for Jameis Winston. DTR was hit 10 times. The Browns punted four consecutive times after the fumble, and began the fourth quarter with two interceptions.

– Burrow had another brilliant day, hitting 23 of 30 for 252 yards and three scores, and Ja’Marr Chase ran his receiving-yards total to 1,501, setting a franchise record. The Bengals are 7-8 and still alive, with difficult games against Denver at home and Pittsburgh away, and even if they win both, they’ll need some heavy dominos to fall.

Indianapolis 38, Tennessee 30

– Jonathan Taylor knows how to atone. He let go of the ball one yard short of the goal line on what should have been a touchdown last week. Here, he sprinted for a 65-yard touchdown, ran through the end zone and into the Lucas Oil Stadium tunnel, and even refused to give the ball up to teammates when he returned. He added a 70-yard score later and wound up with 218 yards on 29 carries, as the Colts marched for 335 on the ground and only let Anthony Richardson throw 11 passes.

– Still, there was more anxiety that you should have to endure when you lead 38-7. The Titans scored 23 points on three consecutive drives and cut the lead to eight points with 2:53 left. That’s when Richardson converted a third-and-eight to Michael Pittman and ran nine yards on a second-and-eight. Tennessee QB Mason Rudolph didn’t get the ball back until :03 remained.

– The Colts are 7-8 with the Giants (away) and Jacksonville (home) remaining, so they will be in a position to steal the final AFC playoff spot if Denver stumbles.

Miami 29, San Francisco 17

– The Dolphins (7–8), still faintly alive for the playoffs, had a season-high six explosive plays, including a 50-yard TD run by De’Von Achane that wrapped it up. Achane ran for 120 yards on 17 carries and also caught six balls for 70. Tua Tagovailoa spread the ball around and hit 22 of 34 passes.

– It was yet another microcosm game for the 49ers (6-9). Jake Moody missed a 41-yard field goal when they could have cut the lead to three points. Brock Purdy did hit Eric Saubert with a 2-yard touchdown to cut it to 19-17, but Deommodore Lenoir and Kane Davis committed penalties to set up Miami on the San Francisco 44. The Dolphins got a field goal for a 22-17 lead and Kader Kohou intercepted Purdy to set up Achane’s touchdown.

– The Niners’ trail of injury and mistakes finally leads them out of the playoff picture. Miami closes with games at the Jets and Cleveland and need to win them both and pray for help.

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Las Vegas 19, Jacksonville 14

The Jaguars got a 12-yard run on Travis Etienne on fourth-and-one and thought they were in business on the Jacksonville 36 with 1:03 left. But a holding penalty on Cole Van Lanen canceled that, and Matt Jones’ final completion fell three yards short. For the first time this year the Raiders did not trail by two touchdowns in this game, and they also avoided a turnover for the first time. Aidan O’Connell returned at quarterback and hit Brock Bowers 11 times for 99 yards, but the best rookie receiver was the Jaguars’ Brian Thomas Jr., who snagged a 62-yard TD and caught nine for 132 yards. Thomas has 27 catches in his past three games. Both teams are 3-12.