Christmas: The Time of the Underdog; Ravens, Raiders, Patriots, Jets All Get Unlikely Dubs

Santa Claus had gifts in his sack and delivered them to those who needed them the most. Leading up to the Christmas weekend games, there was much excitement, and it was repaid in full and then some. Some teams had a much more special time than others. All underdog teams for the Christmas weekend had successful outings.

Christmas truly is a time of miracles. And it was highly evident in football as well. The best part about these underdog winning stories is that apart from everyone getting happy, none of the losing teams lost that much. So, let’s have a jolly good recap of the Christmas weekend games.

The NFL had a blast on Christmas!

Though Week 16 was cluttered with games and each of the teams was trying to get ahead in their playoff races, we will put our lens on four special games. The games where the underdogs turned the script on its head and achieved victory.

The San Francisco 49ers vs the Baltimore Ravens

Though it is tough to be the underdogs when you’re the Baltimore Ravens, that is the situation they found themselves in for this away clash. Both teams have booked the top playoff spot in their respective divisions, so it was a clash of the Titans. And in this clash, the analysts picked the 49ers to come out on top.

But the Ravens’ offensive line, including Lamar Jackson, wreaked havoc while the defense stood tall in the later quarters. Ultimately, the Ravens achieved a comfortable win by 33-19.

The Kansas City Chiefs vs the Las Vegas Raiders

This game had drama written all over it. Two bitter divisional rivals clashing on Christmas Day. The defending champions the Kansas City Chiefs were poised to win at their home against an unreliable Las Vegas Raiders.

And this game did provide enough drama as Patrick Mahomes and Co. were kept quiet by a stringent Raiders defense. A true underdog aka Raiders wins in this story by 20-14 increasing their playoff probability to 11%. However, the Chiefs still have a 95% chance to make the playoffs.

The Denver Broncos vs the New England Patriots

The Denver Broncos desperately needed this win to make it through playoffs. And the underperformers, the New England Patriots, were already eliminated. Bill Belichick’s men were playing for pride.

And they won proudly 26-23 on the road. The Broncos’ playoff road got a lot harder after this Christmas miracle win for the Patriots.

The New York Jets vs the Washington Commanders

The New York Jets ended up being slight favorites by the start of the game. After last week’s horrific shutout performance, there were doubts about the Jets. The Washington Commanders haven’t had a fruitful season, but between the teams that have been eliminated from the playoffs, it was a tough enough affair.

The game went down to the wire, but the Jets managed to pull out the victory 30-28. Truly a miraculous game.

READ MORE: Sean Payton Gets Brutally Honest About Broncos’ Margin for Error as Pressure Mounts on Former SB Winner

Which underdog victory from Christmas week games did you enjoy the most? Let us know in the comments.

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