Cowboys-Commanders, Lions-Vikings Set for Netflix Christmas Games on 2025 NFL Schedule

Ahead of the NFL's full 2025 schedule release Wednesday night, Netflix announced its Christmas Day slate of games.

The Dallas Cowboys will play the Washington Commanders at 1 p.m. ET, followed by the Detroit Lions vs. the Minnesota Vikings at 4:30 p.m. ET.

Prime Video already announced the prime-time game on Christmas. The Denver Broncos will hit the road to play the Kansas City Chiefs, with kickoff scheduled for 8:15 p.m. ET.

The stakes for the two Netflix matchups could be huge, as all four teams harbor playoff aspirations in 2025. Christmas Day falls in the penultimate week of the regular season, so there could be postseason berths or division titles at stake.

Dallas prevailed in its first meeting with the Commanders last season but came up short in the rematch. Washington backup quarterback Marcus Mariota engineered a game-winning drive in the fourth quarter, hitting Terry McLaurin in the end zone with three seconds on the clock.

For Washington, the bar for success this year might not be getting back to the NFC title game, but anything short of returning to the playoffs will be deemed a disappointment. The franchise is aiming high after adding wideout Deebo Samuel and offensive tackle Laremy Tunsil to support franchise quarterback Jayden Daniels.

The expectations are likely to be more tempered in Dallas, at least within the fanbase. Promoting offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer to head coach was uninspiring, and the Cowboys once again didn't bring in a ton of outside talent. Acquiring receiver George Pickens is a gamble that may or may not pay off.

Over in the NFC North, the Vikings will look to avenge their pair of losses to the Lions, the second of which crowned Detroit the division champion.

Minnesota's season will rest firmly on the right arm of second-year quarterback J.J. McCarthy. Especially given how he fared in the team's last two games, letting Sam Darnold leave in free agency and sign a $100 million contract with the Seattle Seahawks was an understandable call. Even if Darnold doesn't live up to that price tag, it will be irrelevant for the Vikings should McCarthy struggle as the starter.

In terms of on-field personnel, the Lions aren't that much different than they were in 2024. Their biggest losses came on the sideline, as offensive coordinator Ben Johnson and defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn left to become head coaches with the Chicago Bears and New York Jets, respectively.

Head coach Dan Campbell has justly earned a lot of praise for the franchise's turnaround. Fans will soon see whether he can maintain that in the wake of some important coaching turnover.