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NFL gifts to fans on Christmas Day, with two high-profile meetings between the AFC’s contenders with plenty of playoff implications.
The Kansas City Chiefs and the Pittsburgh Steelers play at 1:00 PM ET, and the Baltimore Ravens and Houston Texans play at 4:30 PM ET, with both games streaming exclusively on Netflix.
After many experienced streaming issues during the Jake Paul vs Mike Tyson fight in November, Netflix is under a lot of pressure to ensure their viewers have no problems watching the matches.
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Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes is introduced before the game against the Houston Texans at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. (Denny Medley-Imagn Pictures)
Even one Netflix subscriber filed a lawsuit against Netflix for “breach of contract” due to constant errors during the fight, according to TMZ.
This will be the first time an NFL game will be broadcast exclusively on Netflix, and regardless of the viewing experience for fans on Wednesday, it won’t be the last game they see on the streaming service.
The NFL and Netflix announced in May that they had agreed to a three-year deal that would see the streaming service air at least one Christmas game over the course of the deal.
Brandon Riegg, Netflix’s vice president of nonfiction and sports, said the company learned from what went wrong in the Tyson-Paul fight.
“The sheer amount of people that came to watch was incredible. And for all the testing that the engineering team had done before that, and I think they’re the best in the business, the only way to test something of that magnitude is to have something of that magnitude,” Riegg said. .
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Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Russell Wilson takes the field against the Cleveland Browns at Acrisure Stadium. (Images by Charles LeClaire-Imagno)
“We never want to have technical issues or a disappointing experience for our members. There was a subset of people watching who struggled with it and we acknowledge that. The good news is that they’ve stress tested the system to the point that there are a lot of these fixes and improvements that they realized they could make, and they’re implementing all of those things.”
Netflix’s first test will be the clash of the Chiefs (14-1) and the Steelers (10-5).
The Chiefs have already secured their ninth straight AFC West title and are now playing for the top seed in the AFC, which would give them a crucial bye week.
If the Chiefs win Wednesday, they would have the No. 1 seed locked up before Week 18, giving head coach Andy Reid a chance to rest his starters during the final week of the regular season.
The Chiefs are coming off a 27-19 win over the Texans on Saturday, where the quarterback Patrick Mahomes played well. The star quarterback threw for 260 yards and a touchdown while rushing for 33 yards and a touchdown despite playing with a sprained ankle.
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Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver George Pickens breaks through the Bengals defense for a touchdown reception at Paycor Stadium in Cincinnati on December 1, 2024. (IMAGIN)
The Steelers, on the other hand, are coming off a tough 34-17 loss against their own the Ravens’ biggest rival on Saturday.
It looked like the Steelers would have a chance to come back after the safety Minkah Fitzpatrick interception by Lamar Jackson that cut the deficit to 24-17 in the fourth quarter.
However, the Ravens cornerback Marlon Humphrey thwarted any chance of a Steelers comeback with a Pick Six from Russell Wilson on the next drive, putting the Ravens up 31-17 and effectively sealing the victory.
The Steelers defense struggled against the run Derrick Henrywho ran the ball 24 times for 162 yards in the win for Baltimore.
For the Steelers, their game against the Chiefs is key to winning the AFC North. Pittsburgh has already clinched a playoff spot, but their loss Saturday was a huge blow to their chances of winning the division, as the Ravens are also 10-5.
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Baltimore Ravens cornerback Marlon Humphrey returns an interception for a touchdown against the Pittsburgh Steelers at M&T Bank Stadium. (Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Pictures)
Some good news for the Steelers is that wide receiver George Pickens has a “real opportunity” to play against the Chiefs, coach Mike Tomlin said Sunday.
Pickens missed the last three games and was sorely missed. In three games without Pickens, the Steelers are averaging just 248.3 yards per game, nearly 77 yards shy of their season average of 324.9.
As big a blow as the loss was for the Steelers on Saturday, the Ravens’ win over Pittsburgh was just as big a boost for them.
The Ravens played well on Saturday, outgaining the Steelers 418-315 in terms of yards, 220 of which came on the ground.
Jackson threw three touchdowns in the win, and will have a chance to become the MVP case the world will be watching on Wednesday.
The Ravens quarterback is having another fantastic year, as Jackson and Bills running back Josh Allen are considered the two favorites for the award.
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Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson throws against the Pittsburgh Steelers at M&T Bank Stadium. (Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Pictures)
A win for the Ravens on Christmas Day would go a long way in their race against the Steelers for the AFC North crown.
The Ravens (10-5) start Texans (9-6) in the second leg of the NFL’s Christmas doubleheader on Netflix.
They are up against a Texas team that just lost to the Chiefs. In addition to the loss, the Texans also lost second-year wide receiver Tank Dell for the season after he suffered a gruesome leg injury while making a touchdown catch in the loss.
The Texans also lost a wide receiver Stefon Diggs for the season after the star receiver tore his ACL, leaving what was once a very wide receiving body now thin.
A win over the Ravens on Christmas Day for the Texans would not only secure a playoff spot, but also the AFC South title and a home game in the playoffs.
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Houston Texans quarterback CJ Stroud tackles Kansas City Chiefs running back Drue Tranquill at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. (Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images)
The Texans-Ravens game will also feature a special halftime performance by Beyoncé.
All four teams playing on Wednesday are playing their third game in 11 days.
With so many playoff implications and a big halftime showdown, Netflix will be under a lot of pressure from NFL fans and the “BeyHive” to make sure things go smoothly.
Jackson Thompson of Fox News and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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