CNN
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The holiday season is here and it’s the most wonderful time of the year for soccer fans.
Monday will feature a blockbuster Christmas tripleheader featuring the No. 1 seeds from each conference. And with the playoffs just around the corner, the stakes are higher than ever.
Here’s what you need to know before adjusting.
The holiday festivities begin with an AFC West grudge match between the Kansas City Chiefs and Las Vegas Raiders.
The defending Super Bowl champions have already clinched their ticket to the postseason, but now they’re aiming for their eighth consecutive district championship. Meanwhile, the Raiders are fighting to keep their playoff dreams alive as the season draws to a close.
The Chiefs’ dominance over the past decade is clear. But over the past few weeks, Patrick Mahomes and co have not looked like the leaders they have in recent memory. Before last week’s blowout win over the New England Patriots, Kansas City had lost back-to-back games against the Buffalo Bills and Green Bay Packers.
Earlier this week, Mahomes expressed his eagerness to get the team back to winning ways.
“You always want to play your best football heading into the playoffs,” Mahomes told reporters.
“Let’s put that complete game together. If we can do that and start getting better and better over the last few games, I think we can make the playoffs and play our best football, and then the AFC is open and there. I think we can go to the Super Bowl and find a way to go to the Super Bowl.”
Stephen R. Silvany //USA TODAY Sports/Reuters
Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Aidan O’Connell (4) throws an underball pass during the game against the Los Angeles Chargers.
Las Vegas, on the other hand, enters this week’s matchup fresh off its most impressive win of the season. They set a franchise record for most points scored in a single game with a 63-21 drubbing victory over the Los Angeles Chargers.
They will look to carry that momentum into their final three games, all against teams higher in the AFC standings (Chiefs, Colts, and Broncos).
As it stands, the Raiders only have a 2% chance of making the postseason, and a loss on Monday would drop that to less than 1%. The season is approaching and fans can expect some fiercely competitive battles.
“We need to play our best football,” interim head coach Anthony Pierce said.
“You can kick as many field goals as you want against this team, but you have to know that Patrick Mahomes is going to score multiple touchdowns. It doesn’t matter who he goes to. do not have.”
The late afternoon show will feature the NFC East showdown between Tommy DeVito’s New York Giants and the struggling Philadelphia Eagles. The Eagles will be looking to get back into the win column after losing three straight, while the Giants will be looking to move one win closer to clinching a wild card spot.
After starting the season 10-1, the Eagles faced a major challenge. They enter this week’s matchup fresh off a three-point loss to the Seattle Seahawks. The previous two weeks saw consecutive losses of 20 points or more to the Dallas Cowboys and San Francisco 49ers.
Despite the recent struggles, head coach Nick Sirianni remains optimistic.
“I know a lot of our players have been through a lot and have been through tough times,” Sirianni said. “That’s life, and there are moments like that in life.
“When I think back to that moment, I know that I made it through and I am living a better life because of it. That continues through the difficult times we are going through right now. It’s a message.”
Steph Chambers/Getty Images
The Philadelphia Eagles are already in the postseason.
The Eagles have already clinched a ticket to the postseason, but the division crown and the NFC’s No. 1 overall seed are still on the table. Philadelphia must win its final three games of the regular season to beat the Dallas Cowboys for first place in the NFC East.
To win the conference, the 49ers must lose at least two of their final three games. If San Francisco wins its final three games, it will take control of the conference.
Elsewhere in the NFC East, the Giants are in the midst of a late-season resurgence. A less-than-ideal start to the season nearly ended New York’s playoff hopes.
Then came Tommy DeVito, the Giants’ third-string, undrafted rookie quarterback. The Italian-American from New Jersey breathed fresh air into a dull Giants team, winning his first three games as a starting pitcher.
Monday’s matchup at Lincoln Financial Field will be the rookie’s first matchup with Philadelphia, and it will be in front of a historically rowdy fan base. He’s not sure he’ll receive a warm welcome, but both DeVito and his teammates are confident he can handle the atmosphere.
“I hear it’s a pretty tough environment,” DeVito said. “I’m looking forward to it. I like growing up in that kind of environment.”
“He has that confidence. He’s going to come out and play well,” offensive lineman Justin Pugh said. “It’s going to be a great environment. It’s exciting for him.
“This is one of the first times we’re going to Philadelphia, we’re going to play a rival, we’re going to Dallas, we’re going to Philadelphia. It’s all competitive games.”
At 5-9, the chances of the Giants actually making it to the postseason are slim (less than 1%, according to NFL.com). But if they win against the Eagles, the dream will continue. And if the past three weeks are any indication of how Monday’s game will go, DeVito couldn’t have faced his rivals at a better time.
Chris Gracen/Getty Images
Tommy DeVito has been a revelation for the New York Giants.
The Eagles look like a better opponent today than they were earlier this season, but running back Saquon Barkley warned never to underestimate the Philadelphia team.
“We’re not on a losing streak like they are,” Barkley said. “They’re still Philadelphia. They’re still last year’s (NFC) champions and they still have great players, so we know it’s going to be a tough matchup and we’re going to have to play our best to get the win.” You have to do it.”
The Christmas event concludes with a battle between two of the league’s top contenders: the Baltimore Ravens and the San Francisco 49ers.
The two teams are scheduled to face off at Levi’s Stadium in what could be a prelude to Super Bowl V.
“You can’t ignore it,” Ravens safety Kyle Hamilton told reporters. “Two great teams working on it. We’re on Christmas Day. It’s as big as it can be.”
Heading into the matchup, both teams lead their respective conferences and are tied for the best records in the NFL. Both teams are already on the cusp of making the postseason, but there’s more to gain in the final three weeks of the regular season.
The No. 1 overall seeds in both the NFC and AFC are still up for grabs. The No. 1 overall seed in each conference receives a first-round bye and home-field advantage.
San Francisco has already clinched the NFC West title and will clinch the NFC’s top seed if they win two of their final three games. The Ravens can clinch the AFC North title with a win on Monday and a loss to the Cleveland Browns.
Additionally, they will need to beat the Miami Dolphins next week to claim the No. 1 overall seed in the AFC.
The playoff implications are clear, but Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson prefers to focus on the job at hand.
Mike Carlson/Getty Images
Lamar Jackson hasn’t been phased by the Baltimore Ravens’ underdog tag.
“The Super Bowl is in February,” Jackson told reporters. “Now we’re in December. We have to focus on Monday night. We don’t care what people say.”
San Francisco enters this game on a six-game winning streak. They dominated a handful of tough opponents, defeating both the Cowboys and Eagles by more than 20 points earlier this season.
San Francisco head coach Kyle Shanahan believes he has another formidable opponent in Baltimore, and specifically cites their defensive strengths.
“The numbers are usually the first thing you see and you realize how big they are,” Shanahan said. “And when you turn on the tape, it looks exactly like their number.
“They’re very good against the run, they’re very good against the pass, they’re very good in coverage. They know how to get through pressure. They know how to keep up with their front four. .”
The Ravens have the same record as San Francisco and come into this matchup riding a four-game winning streak. However, their schedule is a bit light and they are the underdogs in this week’s matchup.
Monday’s game will be the second time this season they will play as underdogs.
“We feel a little bit disrespected by that,” Hamilton said. “We feel like we’re the best team in the league and we have a chance to show it in front of the country.”
But Jackson isn’t fooled by the title.
“I don’t want them to pick us,” the MVP candidate said. “I like being the underdog. I believe I play better when I’m under suspicion.” [when] People aren’t picking us to win games. I feel like I’m playing better than usual, so please do your best until February. That’s all I ask. ”
Monday
Las Vegas Raiders @ Kansas City Chiefs, 1:00 p.m. ET
New York Giants @ Philadelphia Eagles, 4:30pm ET
Baltimore Ravens @ San Francisco 49ers, 8:15pm ET
Here’s how to catch up on these teams in action, wherever you are.
Australia: NFL+, ESPN, 7Plus
Brazil: NFL+, ESPN
Canada: NFL+, CTV, TSN, RDS
Germany: NFL+, ProSieben MAXX, DAZN
Mexico: NFL+, TUDN, ESPN, Fox Sports, Sky Sports
UK: NFL+, Sky Sports, ITV, Channel 5
US: NFL+, CBS, NBC, FOX, ESPN, Amazon Prime