With Christmas landing on a Friday, Santa is bringing NFL fans a special gift this year: four straight days of games.
Beginning with a Christmas Day matchup between the Vikings and Saints and wrapping with the Monday Night Football season finale between the Bills and the Patriots, the NFL will be in action all through the long holiday break. Here’s the full Week 16 schedule, along with a closer look at the NFL Network games Sling Blue subscribers can watch this weekend. To get the most NFL on Sling, sign up for Orange + Blue with Sports Extra using the link at the bottom of this page.
| Date | Time (ET) | Away Team | Home Team | Channel |
| 12/25 | 4:30 PM | (6-8) Minnesota Vikings | (10-4) New Orleans Saints | NFLN/ FOX |
| 12/26 | 1:00 PM | (9-5) Tampa Bay Buccaneers | (5-9) Detroit Lions | NLFN |
| 12/26 | 4:30 PM | (5-9) San Francisco 49ers | (8-6) Arizona Cardinals | Amazon* |
| 12/26 | 8:15 PM | (9-5) Miami Dolphins | (7-7) Las Vegas Raiders | NLFN |
| 12/27 | 1:00 PM | (10-4) Indianapolis Colts | (11-3) Pittsburgh Steelers | CBS* |
| 12/27 | 1:00 PM | (4-10) Atlanta Falcons | (13-1) Kansas City Chiefs | FOX^ |
| 12/27 | 1:00 PM | (7-7) Chicago Bears | (1-13) Jacksonville Jaguars | CBS* |
| 12/27 | 1:00 PM | (3-10-1) Cincinnati Bengals | (4-10) Houston Texans | FOX^ |
| 12/27 | 1:00 PM | (5-9) New York Giants | (9-5) Baltimore Ravens | FOX^ |
| 12/27 | 1:00 PM | (10-4) Cleveland Browns | (1-13) New York Jets | CBS* |
| 12/27 | 4:05 PM | (4-10) Carolina Panthers | (6-8) Washington | CBS* |
| 12/27 | 4:05 PM | (5-9) Denver Broncos | (5-9) LA Chargers | CBS* |
| 12/27 | 4:25 PM | (4-9-1) Philadelphia Eagles | (5-9) Dallas Cowboys | FOX^ |
| 12/27 | 4:25 PM | (9-5) Los Angeles Rams | (10-4) Seattle Seahawks | FOX^ |
| 12/27 | 8:20 PM | (10-4) Tennessee Titans | (11-3) Green Bay Packers | NBC^ |
| 12/28 | 8:15 PM | (11-3) Buffalo Bills | (6-8) New England Patriots | ESPN |
* Full game not available on Sling
^Games may be restricted based on market
Minnesota Vikings at New Orleans Saints
Fri, Dec. 25, 4:30pm ET, NFL Network
The Vikings and the Saints have played some unforgettable games over their history. It already feels like a lifetime ago, but their most recent matchup was a January Wild Card game in which the Vikings beat the Saints 26-20 on the road in overtime. Two years before that, we got the Minneapolis Miracle, which last year was named the ninth greatest play in the 100-year history (see the video above). But to Vikings fans, those two wins must have felt like revenge for the 2010 NFC Championship game, which Minnesota lost in overtime after Brett Favre threw a late-game pick while deep into Saints territory. We’ll see if they can deliver another classic on Christmas.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Detroit Lions
Sat, Dec. 26, 1:00pm ET, NFL Network
Tom Brady and Matthew Stafford have had very different careers, but Stafford could soon join Brady in leaving behind the team that drafted him for greener pastures. Ironically for Stafford, those pastures could be with Brady’s old team, the New England Patriots. Earlier this week on “Get Up,” Dominique Foxworth suggested that if the Lions release Stafford—a real possibility as they rebuild following the dismissal of both their head coach and general manager—he should sign with the Patriots. Stafford has long been one of the toughest players in the league and he’s been making ridiculous plays this season to solidify his position in or near the top tier of passthrowers. If Stafford plays well and makes a deep playoff run late in his career, he could end up less like Brady and more like Peyton Manning and Drew Brees: A Hall of Famer who won it all with his second team.
Miami Dolphins at Las Vegas Raiders
Sat, Dec. 26, 8:15pm ET, NFL Network
After Week 10, the Raiders were 6-3, and with wins over the Saints, Chiefs, and Browns, they looked like a legit playoff team. Since then, they’re a miracle win against one of the worst teams in the league from losing five straight games. Late season slumps have been a problem for the franchise since before John Gruden took over nearly three seasons ago, but given his salary and the talent on their roster, this season’s collapse is especially brutal. If they lose to Miami, Vegas’ season is finished. However, if they can get back-to-back wins and a bunch of help over the next two weeks, they could still end up claiming the playoff spot that looked like it was theirs five weeks ago.
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