Regardless of whether you’re a Christmas morning present-opener, or a Christmas Eve present-opener – or maybe a couple on Christmas Eve and the main event on Christmas morning – the National Football League has a couple of Christmas presents for all of its fans today.
The Kansas City Chiefs, 14-1 and in hot pursuit of the top seed and home field advantage in the AFC, visit the Pittsburgh Steelers on Christmas Day, at 1 p.m. Eastern / noon Central. And that’ll be closely followed by the Baltimore Ravens heading south to face the Houston Texans at NRG Stadium, a 4:30 / 3:30 p.m. kick.
Both games are, in fact, on Netflix, and if that makes you as a fan nervous, after the debacle that was the Tyson-Paul fight, think how nervous the NFL brass and the Netflix powers-that-be are?
So, since Netflix is not an NFL broadcast regular, and we’re all used to people like Jim Nance and Tony Romo, Joe Buck and Troy Aikman, Al Michaels and Cris Collinsworth, etc., who will be on the call for these games?
Here’s your answer.
Ian Eagle will do the play-by-play on Chiefs / Steelers, joined in the booth by CBS analysts Nate Burleson and J.J. Watt. CBS sideline reporter Melanie Collins and Stacey Dales of the NFL Network will handle reporting.
For the Ravens / Texans game, it’ll be Noah Eagle of NBC Sports – and Ian’s son – doing play-by-play, with Fox Sports’ Greg Olsen as the analyst. On the sidelines: Jamie Erdahl and Steve Wyche, both of the NFL Network.
Prior to the games, ESPN’s Laura Rutledge will host a pregame show in Pittsburgh, joined by brothers Devin McCourty and Jason McCourty – Devin from NBC, Jason from CBS. A studio show based in Los Angeles will have a panel, including Kay Adams, late of the NFL Network and now from Up & Adams; Mina Kimes, from ESPN’s “NFL Live;” former player Manti Te’o, now of the NFL Network; as well as Drew Brees and Robert Griffin III. Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network will also be on hand.
Beyonce will perform at halftime of Ravens-Texans.
Now – the games.
One major factor in Chiefs-Steelers could be the return of Pittsburgh receiver George Pickens, who missed the last three games – and the Steelers, without him, have lost their last two.
Pickens has 55 catches for 850 yards and three touchdowns this season.
In addition to Pickens’ return, also expected to play are corner Donte Jackson, safety DeShon Elliott and defensive lineman Larry Ogunjobi. Pittsburgh (10-5) did lose corner Joey Porter to a knee injury last Saturday, and also wideout Ben Skowronek in the same game to a hip injury.
It’ll be an eventful day for the AFC North, with Pittsburgh and Baltimore tied at 10-5 with two games left. This is the penultimate weekend of NFL play, which means next week are the regular season finales.
Pittsburgh will host Cincinnati next week – and the Bengals are fighting for a wild-card spot. Baltimore will host Cleveland, and the Browns are nowhere NEAR a wild-card spot, having already been eliminated from playoff contention.
It’s far more simple for Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs, who will clinch the top seed in the AFC with a win or a tie in Pittsburgh. That also would give Kansas City the AFC’s first-round bye.
A loss in Pittsburgh could open the door for the Buffalo Bills, who host the New York Jets on Sunday, and then close the season on the road at New England next week.
KC is 6-1 in road games this season and 9-1 in AFC play – the Chiefs have won five straight since dropping their only game of the year, at Buffalo.
In 15 games this season, Mahomes has completed 67 percent of his passes for 3,608 yards, 23 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions.
He’s also been sacked 36 times, and is facing a defense with two of the NFL’s best sack artists, if you will: T.J. Watt, who has 11 ½ this season, and Cam Heyward, who has eight of ‘em.
The Steelers are also +17 in takeaways, second in the league behind only Buffalo.
Now, when the Ravens arrive in Houston, they’ll see a familiar face.
The Texans, who lost Tank Dell to an horrific knee injury last week in Kansas City, signed Diontae Johnson off waivers on Monday.
You know – THAT Diontae Johnson, who most recently played for Baltimore.
The Ravens waived him Friday after suspending him a game for refusing to play against Philadelphia a few weeks ago.
Johnson only played 39 snaps for Baltimore, and had one catch for 6 yards.
Baltimore returned the favor by claiming a Houston cast-off on waivers Monday, too: former Texans receiver Steven Sims, whom coach Demeco Ryans’ team used for kick returns and punt returns.
Houston (9-6) has already clinched the – well – non-challenging AFC South, that also includes Indianapolis, Jacksonville and Tennessee, three teams all under .500, and the Jaguars and Titans only have three wins each.
Right now, even with the AFC South in their pockets, the Texans are fourth in the AFC playoff picture.
