82 minutes and 40 seconds!! No, we aren’t talking about your favorite Christmas holiday marathon. Instead, we are talking about the longest game in the NFL history. This was the NFL’s longest Christmas game, with an ultimate showdown between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Miami Dolphins. The showdown became, what we call today as one of the most drama-filled games of the NFL to this date, not just for one but many reasons. 

Cut to today and we firmly believe that Santa should have a Netflix subscription because he might need it to catch up with the NFL. This is the fifth consecutive season that the league will play on Christmas and we are beginning to think that the NFL might want to sneak in on some of the holiday special viewership that the NBA enjoys. The first Christmas game took place in the 1971-72 playoffs; set between the Minnesota Vikings vs the Dallas Cowboys and the Chiefs vs the Dolphins. 

A clash for the ages with the Kansas City Chiefs enjoying the front row show!

December 25, 1971, marked the first time the Chiefs hosted the Dolphins in the AFC divisional playoffs at Municipal Stadium. As both teams featured a roster full of future HoFers and championship aspirations, this matchup promised an intense battle, and boy did they deliver beyond expectations. The Kansas City Chiefs effortlessly jumped to an early 10-0 lead, all thanks to an efficient execution and Ed Podolak’s calculated catch of a short pass for the game’s first TD. The guy might not have been a star performer but he shone bright in that moment.

With an early 7-yard TD pass from Len Dawson to Podolak, the Kansas City Chiefs ignited the home crowd and were set on a path to win. The RB performed nothing short of extraordinary and scored 350 all-purpose yards, a record that remains untouched in NFL history to this date. So, when did the ‘oh boy’ moment happen and how did the tide shift in the Dolphins’ favor?

Kansas City Chiefs couldn’t hold the lead for too long

Despite the Chiefs’ early dominance, things turned around when the Dolphins made a comeback in the second quarter. The game was now in control of their then-QB Bob Griese and Larry Csonka. With their resilience and determination to turn the game in their favor, the duo tied the score at 10-10. What happened next? Well, a fumble from none other than the Chief’s star Podolak around halftime helped Miami set up the field goal. With 2 more TDs in the 3rd quarter, the 4th quarter witnessed the Chief’s RB make a comeback and break the tie after bowling over Dick Anderson (safety) and scored on a short run. Fast forward a bit and the 46,000 fans at the stadium witnessed the game tied at 24-24 with just 1:25 remaining.

After a historic double overtime, and just 7:40 left on the clock, Garo Yepremian sealed the Dolphins’ victory (27-24) with a 37-yard field goal, ending any hopes that the Chiefs had. This win propelled Miami to its very first Super Bowl appearance with back-to-back wins and an undefeated 1972 season. But what happened to the Chiefs? This loss marked the end of an era and the beginning of a downward spiral. As the team didn’t make it to any playoffs until 1986. 

What did this game mean for the fans, though? Was it entertaining? Yes. But! The game was so long that the league received several complaints from fans. It messed up their Christmas dinner and plans. Even the late HoFer Nick Buoniconti once recalled the game saying, “Everyone I knew in Miami told me they had to shut off their ovens to avoid ruining their Christmas turkeys.” 

It seems this criticism was taken quite seriously because the NFL didn’t host any games on Christmas until 1989. However, when they decided to hop back on to the holiday with their games, it resulted in 33 million viewers watching the 9 pm kick-off in 1989. With this success, they decided to change their strategy and have games on Christmas Day but with a caveat: Only if it fell on a weekend. The NFL doesn’t follow it today, though. Since 2020, they decided to make some changes and schedule games on the holiday even if it isn’t a weekend. So far, the NFL has witnessed 30 games on Christmas Day. With many more to come in the future!