3 Takeaways From the NFL's Christmas Tripleheader

Christmas has become a football holiday, even if the games this year weren't the best the league has to offer.

Only one of the six teams that played on Christmas will make the playoffs, but we still saw all four games within one possession in the fourth quarter. The Cowboys beat the Commanders, the Vikings ended the Lions' season, and the Broncos narrowly beat the Chiefs in the nightcap.

Here are the takeaways from all three games on Christmas:

For the Cowboys offense, Week 17 was yet another display of its potent potential and a reminder of what could’ve been if the team had gelled sooner. Quarterback Dak Prescott topped 300 yards passing for the sixth time in Dallas’ seventh 30-plus-point effort.

However, given the close score against Washington’s third-string quarterback, the game also reiterated the need for the defense to keep improving. It has been well-documented how much the Cowboys' defense has struggled in 2025, but the unit has looked better since making a few noteworthy trade-deadline moves, which included trading a 2026 second-round pick and a first-rounder in 2027.

With an offseason of work and recovery, Dallas’ defense could show vast improvements in 2026 with defensive tackle Quinnen Williams anchoring the front seven, and cornerback DaRon Bland, linebacker DeMarvion Overshown, cornerback Shavon Revel Jr. and (possibly) CB Trevon Diggs leading the secondary.

Jake Ferguson opened the scoring for a Cowboys offense that started hot against the Commanders. (Scott Taetsch/Getty Images)

Detroit came into the season facing naysayers about whether head coach Dan Campbell could get by with significant changes to his coaching staff. Offensive coordinator Ben Johnson and defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn got