The first time the NFL ever scheduled games on Christmas Day, the Kansas City Chiefs played the Miami Dolphins in an AFC divisional round playoff game, and the result forced the league to abandon games on Dec. 25 for the next 17 seasons.
The game went into triple overtime before the Dolphins came out with a 27-24 victory. The 82-minute, 40-second game remains the longest in NFL history, and it caused an uproar among fans, mostly housewives who were waiting to serve their Christmas dinners.
The NFL listened and did not play another Christmas Day game until 1989. Since then, it’s been a steady stream of Christmas games for the league as it capitalizes on the TV ratings and revenue holiday games generate.
The Steelers and Chiefs will play the 31st NFL game on the holiday at 1 p.m. at Acrisure Stadium. If the Steelers win, they keep their hopes for an AFC North division championship.
This is the third time in nine years the Steelers are playing on Christmas Day. They played on consecutive Christmases in 2016 and 2017. In ’16, the Steelers played on Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day, prompting linebacker James Harrison to opine on Instagram shortly after the schedule was released: “Retirement sounds better than ever when you find out you have to work on Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s.”
Here’s a look at some memorable games the Steelers have played on Christmas and Christmas Eve. If you’re looking for a good omen against the Chiefs, the Steelers have won more on Christmas than on Christmas Eve over the years.
Christmas Day, 2016
Antonio Brown’s “Immaculate Extension” with nine seconds remaining gave the Steelers a 31-27 victory over the Ravens. Brown caught a short pass from Ben Roethlisberger short of the goal line and fought through Ravens defenders C.J. Mosley and Eric Weddle before reaching the ball across for the touchdown. Roethlisberger threw for 279 yards and three touchdowns, while Brown had 96 receiving yards. The victory clinched the AFC North division title for the Steelers and extended their winning streak to six games. The streak would extend to nine before the Steelers fell to the Patriots in the AFC championship game.
Christmas Day, 2017
The Steelers beat the Texans 34-3 in Houston and clinched a first-round bye in the playoffs. This game is memorable for several reasons, not the least of which was the Steelers releasing James Harrison before the game after he became a distraction due to his decreased playing time behind a rookie named T.J. Watt. The Steelers didn’t allow Harrison’s departure to bother them. They raced out to a 20-0 halftime lead and cruised to the win. This game happened one week after the infamous Jesse James game against the Patriots, when his touchdown was overturned by NFL replay, paving the way for the Patriots to earn the top seed in the AFC over the Steelers. The Steelers never did get the rematch with the Patriots in the playoffs. As the No. 2 seed, they played host to Jacksonville in a divisional round game and lost 45-42.
Christmas Eve, 1977
Terry Bradshaw threw three interceptions against the famous “Orange Crush” defense, and the Steelers fell to the Broncos 34-21 in an AFC divisional round game at Mile High Stadium. Broncos quarterback Craig Morton completed only 11 passes for 164 yards, but he did not commit any turnovers. The score was tied at 21 early in the fourth quarter after Bradshaw threw a touchdown pass to Larry Brown, but the Broncos scored the final 13 points on two Jim Turner field goals and a Jack Dolbin 34-yard touchdown catch. The Broncos would go on to beat the Raiders in the AFC championship game before falling to the Cowboys in Super Bowl XII.
Christmas Eve, 1995
Steelers receiver Yancey Thigpen dropped a fourth-down pass in the end zone with 11 seconds remaining, which dropped the Steelers’ final regular season record to 11-5. For hardcore Steelers fans, it ruined their holiday, but Thigpen was laughing about the gaffe in the locker room after the game. Why? It was the regular season finale, and the game meant nothing to the Steelers, who had already clinched the No. 2 seed in the AFC. But for the Packers, the game meant everything. The 24-19 victory gave them their first NFC Central division championship since 1972. The Steelers were hardly bothered by the last-second defeat. They beat the Bills in a divisional-round game at Three Rivers Stadium and got to play at home in the AFC championship game when the No. 1 seed Chiefs were upset by the Colts. The Steelers then beat the Colts and advanced to Super Bowl XXX in Arizona, where they fell to the Cowboys 27-17.
Christmas Eve, 1994
It was another meaningless regular season finale for the Steelers in San Diego, and the Steelers treated it as such. With the No. 1 seed in the AFC wrapped up, starting quarterback Neil O’Donnell only played a little early in the game before giving way to backup Mike Tomczak, who threw for 248 yards and two touchdowns. While the game didn’t mean anything to the Steelers, they might have inadvertently given some confidence to the Chargers, who were the No. 2 seed in the AFC. A few weeks later, the Chargers waltzed into Three Rivers Stadium and beat the Steelers 17-13 in the AFC championship game. It remains one of the most disappointing playoff losses in franchise history.
First Published: December 24, 2024, 4:58 p.m.
Updated: December 25, 2024, 2:49 a.m.
