The league hasn’t played many games on Christmas. But when they have, they’ve tended to be more memorable, with some big efforts by notable players over the years. A rundown of my favorite individual performances of players in games played on Christmas Day:
Alvin Kamara, Saints (2020). Kamara ran for 155 yards and scored 6 touchdowns in 52-33 demolition of Minnesota. Kamara was fined by the league for wearing one red shoe and one green shoe on that night, but whatever the amount was, it was worth it – it was memorable and cool.
Aaron Rodgers, Packers (2011). Rodgers passed for 283 yards and 5 TDs, helping Green Bay to a 35-21 win over Chicago. It was Rodgers’ final regular-season appearance that year, with him sitting out the final game (watching Matt Flynn toss 6 TDs against the Lions). That Packers team went 15-1 but crashed out of the playoffs, falling flat in their playoff opener against the Giants.
Ed Podolak, Kansas City (1971). Podolak ran for 85 yards and a touchdown and also caught 8 passes for 110 yards and a touchdown in an epic playoff struggle against Miami. Garo Yepremian finally won it with a 37-yard field goal, ending what’s still the longest game in league history.
Olandis Gary, Broncos (1999). Barry Sanders and Terrell Davis ran for over 2,000 yards in the 1997 and 1998 seasons, which explains the thinking when scheduling this game, but neither was playing at that point. Gary was, running for 185 yards and a touchdown to lead Denver to a 17-7 win at the Silverdome (which hosted games on both Thanksgiving and Christmas that year).
Kevin Williams, Cowboys (1995). Better late than never. In the 1995 season, the Cowboys were looking to replace Alvin Harper (who had signed with Tampa Bay). Williams was in the starting lineup all year but with essentially no impact – 29 catches and no touchdowns. He got things fixed in a big way in the final game of the season, catching 9 passes for 203 yards and 2 TDs in a 37-13 win at Arizona.
Travis Kelce, Kansas City (2016). Kelce caught 11 passes for 160 yards, including an 80-yard touchdown, to help dismantle Denver 33-10. Also in this game, Tyreek Hill was a rookie at the time, and they were still figuring out how to use him. Hill didn’t catch any passes but carried 6 times for 95 yards, with a 70-yard touchdown.
Tony Gonzalez, Kansas City (2004). Kansas City’s other all-time tight end caught 11 passes for 124 yards and 2 TDs to lift them to a 31-30 shootout win over the Raiders at Arrowhead.
Rich Karlis, Vikings (1989). Karlis kicked 5 field goals, scoring 17 points, to help lift Minnesota past Cincinnati. This was a Monday night game – the last game of the 1989 season – and the performance in my league helped lift Bruce Taylor’s Spokane Pandas franchise to improbable comeback win in Krohn Bowl IV. Karlis had three other games, with 4, 5 and 7 field goals late that year, helping him enter the 1990 season as the top-rated kicker in the fourth edition of our magazine.
Chris Johnson, Titans (2009). Johnson ran for 142 yards and a touchdown, as he continued the march that took him over 2,000 rushing yards in his final game the next week. Despite Johnson’s production, Tennessee lost this game 42-17, with the Chargers having two running backs (LaDainian Tomlinson, Darren Sproles) who both scored more touchdowns.
Davante Adams, Packers (2021). Adams catches 10 passes for 114 yards to help Green Bay beat Cleveland. We didn’t realize at the time that Adams would play in only one more regular-season game at Lambeau.
Reuben Droughns, Broncos (2004). Droughns ran for 92 yards and 2 TDs and caught 2 passes for 30 yards, with another touchdown, to lift Denver to a 37-16 win at Tennessee.
Bernie Parmalee, Dolphins (1994). I think the league was hoping for a shootout between Dan Marino and Barry Sanders, but neither was involved in a touchdown. Sanders ran for only 52 yards. Parmalee ran for only 39 himself but punched in 3 touchdowns to lift Miami to a comfortable win over the visiting Lions.
—Ian Allan