Christmas weekend delivered plenty of games with meaningful playoff implications, and several star players authored the kinds of performances that may come to define their MVP chances.
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The Miami Dolphins and Baltimore Ravens both pulled off the kind of victories that should have both fan bases having visions of Lombardi Trophies dancing in their heads, while the weekend served as a major wake-up call for teams such as the Cincinnati Bengals and Jacksonville Jaguars.
Here's a look at the biggest winners and losers from a thrilling, and consequential, Christmas weekend across the NFL:
Winners
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Baltimore Ravens
Baltimore went into Santa Clara to take on the high-flying San Francisco 49ers and make a statement. They wound up making a very definitive statement on Christmas night.
The Ravens bullied the 49ers around at their own game and in their own building. They intercepted Brock Purdy four times; and, after Purdy was benched, they intercepted Sam Darnold once just for good measure. Ravens signal-caller Lamar Jackson looks every bit the part of an MVP front-runner, and the Ravens appear to be the team to beat across the NFL following a blowout victory in what might prove to be an eventual Super Bowl preview.
Tyreek Hill's MVP candidacy
The Miami Dolphins finally beat a team with a winning record, knocking off the Dallas Cowboys with a game-winning field goal as time expired. It was a signature victory made possible in large part by Tyreek Hill's late-game heroics.
Hill finished Miami's Christmas Eve victory over the Cowboys with nine catches for 99 yards. However, two of Hill's receptions came in the fourth quarter, including a pivotal reception to set up Jason Sanders' game-winning boot. The MVP has become a de facto quarterback award, but Hill's strong finish against Dallas could boost his chances of stealing the award.
Antonio Pierce
Raiders owner Mark Davis may have learned something from the debacle of firing successful interim head coach Rich Bisaccia in favor of Josh McDaniels, only to fire McDaniels a year and a half later. Davis now will remove the interim tag from interim head coach Antonio Pierce and hire him as Las Vegas' next full-time head coach.
Pierce took his Raiders into the pressure-cooker that is Arrowhead Stadium on Christmas afternoon and ensured that Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs won't have home field advantage throughout the AFC Playoffs for the first time in Mahomes' career. The Raiders have very clearly bought into Pierce, are playing hard, and are 4-3 since McDaniels' firing. Davis might do some due diligence in terms of potential candidates this offseason, but the smart move appears to be sticking with what's working.
Detroit Lions
By going into a hostile environment against the division rival Minnesota Vikings and winning without quarterback Jared Goff playing his best game, the Lions earned some real legitimacy as the postseason looms.
Goff was held to 257 yards with a touchdown during an inconsistent performance. But it was the Lions' defense and electrifying backfield duo that paved the way to an NFC North championship-clinching victory. Dynamic rookie Jahmyr Gibbs rushed for 80 yards with a pair of touchdowns, while stalwart veteran David Montgomery added 55 yards and another score. If the Lions can pound the running game and play some stingy defense — as they did against the Vikings — Detroit is going to be a tough out, regardless of venue in the playoffs.
Pittsburgh Steelers
It didn't matter that Mason Rudolph was behind center for Pittsburgh or that the Bengals desperately needed a win to keep pace in the AFC wild card race. Coach Mike Tomlin and the Steelers delivered an early Christmas present, which might become the gift that keeps giving to the Iron City.
The Steelers still need to win out — and get just a little bit of help — but at 8-7, Pittsburgh has the same record as the Indianapolis Colts, who are currently the No. 7 seed. Pittsburgh's victory over the Bengals gives the Steelers a very real chance to make the playoffs. And with games against the Seahawks and what might prove to be a meaningless game for the Ravens to close things out, Tomlin has an even better chance to avoid his first sub-.500 season.
Losers
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Kansas City Chiefs
Kansas City's continued issues at wide receiver finally came home to roost in a very tangible away, with the cumulative effect of a frustrating season seeming to unravel Patrick Mahomes against the Raiders.
Mahomes threw a critical pick-six in a 20-14 loss to Las Vegas, the first in the last six matchups between division rivals. Monday afternoon's clunker dashes any hope of the Chiefs securing the No. 1 seed in the AFC, meaning that it is likely Kansas City will need to win at least one playoff game on the road for the first time in Mahomes' career. Thanks to mediocre wide receiver play, Kansas City is as vulnerable as it ever has been in the Mahomes-Andy Reid era.
Dak Prescott's MVP candidacy
Whatever chance quarterback Dak Prescott had of winning MVP took a significant hit in South Beach on Christmas Eve.
While Prescott wasn't the sole reason the Cowboys found lumps of coal in their stockings against the Dolphins, he didn't do enough to secure a victory that would have propelled Dallas closer to the top seed in the NFC. Meanwhile, both quarterback Tua Tagovailoa and wide receiver Tyreek Hill had the kinds of performances that looked and felt like something an MVP would deliver.
Tommy DeVito
Perhaps quarterback Tommy DeVito's 15 minutes of fame in the Garden State might be coming to an end.
The local hero who helped power the Giants past the Packers, Patriots and Commanders has now played a key role in consecutive losses to the Saints and division rival Eagles. In Philadelphia on Christmas night, DeVito was benched after passing for just 55 yards in the first half.
Jacksonville Jaguars
Suddenly, the Jaguars appear to be in free-fall.
After getting blown out by the Buccaneers 30-12, Jacksonville has now lost four consecutive games, and quarterback Trevor Lawrence could be shelved after suffering a shoulder injury. The Jaguars still lead the AFC South, but Sunday's loss in Tampa Bay exposes a lot of flaws and raises serious concern about whether Jacksonville can turn things around in a meaningful way over the final two weeks.
Jake Browning
Like many backup quarterbacks, Cincinnati's Jake Browning is careening back toward or through the average, even as the games have become more meaningful.
Browning tossed three interceptions in the Bengals' ugly loss to the Steelers. Cincinnati is now squarely behind the eight ball in its chances to qualify for the AFC Playoffs, tumbling to the No. 10 seed.
