If you like Monday night doubleheaders, then you are going to love what the NFL has planned for Christmas this season.
With the holiday falling on a Monday this year, the league decided to give every NFLfan a free present by adding an extra Monday night game. That’s right, there’s going to be two games played on Monday, Dec. 25.
Forty-nine years after Santa Claus got booed out of an Eagles game, fans in Philadelphia are going to have a chance to make amends with St. Nick, as the Eagles will be hosting the Raiders in a game that will kick off at 8:30 p.m. ET on ESPN.
Speaking of booing, the Raiders might boo the league office for this game because it means they’ll have to fly cross-country to get home after the game, and then turn around and play another road game (against the Chargers) in Week 17.
In the other Christmas game, the Texans will host the Steelers in a Week 16 showdown that will kick off at 4:30 p.m. ET on NBC. That game will also be televised by NFL Network and streamed live on Amazon.
This season marks the second year in a row that the NFL decided to hold two regular-season games on Christmas Day. The league also held a Christmas Day doubleheader in 2016. Before that, there hadn’t been a Christmas doubleheader since 2006.
Although Christmas games aren’t that common, three of the four teams playing on Dec. 25 this year have some holiday experience. The Raiders, Eagles and Steelers will all be playing their second Christmas Day game in franchise history.
The Eagles beat the Cowboys in 2006, while the Raiders lost to the Chiefs in 2004.
For Steelers fans, watching their team play on Christmas is slowly starting to turn into an annual holiday tradition. The Steelers also played on Dec. 25 in 2016 when they beat the Ravens 31-27.
For the Texans, this will be their first Christmas game, although they did play the one and only primetime game on Christmas Eve last season.
To see the entire NFL schedule for all 32 teams, be sure to head over to this link .
The 2017 NFL season kicks off on Sept. 7 with the Patriots hosting the Chiefs on NBC.
[Source:-nfl]