Detroit crumble and a Kelce farewell? - Christmas Day in the NFL

The Detroit Lions produced a unspeakable show arsenic they were dumped retired of play-off contention successful 1 of 3 eventful Christmas Day games successful nan NFL.

Festive fixtures are a large woody successful nan NFL these days, and contempt 4 of nan six teams successful action already being retired of nan play-offs each 3 games were full-blooded encounters.

Detroit faced a must-win successful Minnesota but crumbled against nan Vikings defence successful a statistically chaotic crippled - and a nonaccomplishment that handed a Christmas coming to nan Green Bay Packers arsenic they booked a play-off spot arsenic a result.

The Kansas City Chiefs fought difficult but came up short against nan Denver Broncos successful what could person been Travis Kelce's last location game, and nan Dallas Cowboys won a lively title pinch nan Washington Commanders.

Detroit had to triumph some their remaining games to guidelines a chance of making nan play-offs, but went retired pinch an alarming whimper successful a 23-10 conclusion successful Minnesota.

After starring nan NFL pinch conscionable 8 turnovers this season, Detroit gave nan shot distant six times, backmost Jared Goff being responsible for 5 of them to continuously termination disconnected immoderate momentum they mustered.

It was shambolic from some offences though, Vikings backmost Max Brosmer's first location commencement saw him sacked 7 times and walk for conscionable 51 yards yet still triumph - nary different backmost successful nan Super Bowl era has managed to triumph a crippled pinch those stats.

Minnesota's smothering defence was again capable to triumph nan crippled though, pinch Brian Flores' portion starring successful their four-game winning streak to extremity nan play successful affirmative fashion.

A 3rd conclusion successful a statement vanished disconnected Detroit's play-off hopes and though injuries person played a part, nan mode of those losses erstwhile nan unit was connected will beryllium a interest for caput coach Dan Campbell successful nan off-season.

The Denver Broncos eked retired a 20-13 triumph arsenic they pursuit nan AFC apical seed nan Chiefs person claimed truthful often successful nan past decade, but Travis Kelce was still nan header news successful what could person been his last crippled successful Kansas City.

The 36-year-old seemed to soak successful his pre-game preamble much than accustomed past lingered connected nan section afterwards pinch plentifulness of Broncos players coming complete to stock a fewer words and show their respect to nan three-time Super Bowl champion - pinch some his mother Donna and fiance Taylor Swift successful nan stands watching on.

Kelce and his Chiefs played difficult contempt being retired of nan play-offs and being two-touchdown underdogs without injured prima backmost Patrick Mahomes.

The location crowd and location defence made it reliable for a Denver squad looking to emulate Kansas City's caller success, but nan Broncos' ain prima backmost Bo Nix yet sewage them complete nan statement pinch a fourth-quarter touchdown.

Denver are surely emulating past season's Chiefs successful winning tight games, pinch this their 11th one-score triumph - 4 much than anyone other - while they're nan only squad successful NFL history to gain 12 comeback wins successful 1 season.

But caput coach Sean Payton will want a much explosive constituent to nan offence, which dominated possession but struggled to make large plays and people touchdowns, making it a overmuch person crippled than it really should person been against a severely depleted Chiefs side.

While nan Broncos are building location could beryllium immoderate upheaval successful Kansas City this summer, whether that includes losing Kelce astatine nan extremity of his 13th play remains to beryllium seen.

For Dallas, "it's astir rolling complete nan bully things for adjacent twelvemonth and conscionable taking that momentum" according to backmost Dak Prescott, aft nan Cowboys hit Washington 30-23.

The past six games person summed up nan play for nan Cowboys, winning 3 successful a statement including beating some of past season's Super Bowl sides successful a week earlier past losing 3 connected nan spin.

Prescott has been beautiful accordant though, and productive, arsenic he was successful Washington pinch 2 touchdowns including nan longest ever successful a Christmas Day crippled - an 86-yard explosive to speedster KaVontae Turpin.

Head coach Brian Schottenheimer was fierce arsenic he looks to decorativeness his first play successful complaint connected a precocious - nan Cowboys converted six 4th down plays, tied for nan astir successful a crippled since 1991.

Washington were a crippled distant from nan Super Bowl past year, but injuries person played a large portion successful them going from a 12-win squad past twelvemonth to losing 12 games this season.

Dan Quinn still has immoderate bully pieces location but they simply person to support backmost Jayden Daniels fit, arsenic they had 39-year-old Josh Johnson nether centre for this latest loss.