Revise Your Christmas Plans if You’re a Vikings Fan
The Minnesota Vikings will reportedly play on Christmas in 2025 — Christmas night, actually.
More intel suggests the Vikings will play the Lions on Christmas night.
The purple team hasn’t played on Christmas Day since 2020, and it appears the drought will end five years later.
Minnesota is on track to host the Detroit Lions in primetime on December 25th.
Lions at Vikings on Christmas Night
Star Tribune‘s Ben Goessling tweeted Wednesday morning, “The Vikings are expected to host the Lions on Dec. 25, in a Christmas Day matchup of the two teams that battled for the NFC North title last year.”
Sources told VikingsTerritory on Tuesday that the Yuletide matchup was on the way, but instructed the website to “keep it quiet.” With the Star Tribune revelation, however, the news is public.
So, revise your Santa plans, and prepare for Vikings football on the eve of December 25th.
FOX Sports‘ Jordan Schultz confirmed the Star Tribune reporting minutes later: “Sources: The Vikings will host NFC North rival Lions on Christmas Day, December 25, in Week 17, in a game that will be on Netflix. 🎄🏈.”
A Huge Matchup in the NFC North
Aside from the holiday aspect, Minnesota-Detroit outwardly has the ingredients of a massive showdown. Detroit is expected to win the NFC North for a third consecutive year, although, like Minnesota, it faces a brutal schedule in 2025.
The Lions won 15 games in 2024 to the Vikings’ 14, making it reasonable to expect the December 25th matchup as a premier showdown.
The clubs met in Week 18 last year for all the marbles, with the winner on deck to take the NFC North and secure homefield advantage. Minnesota decided it wouldn’t really show up that January night at Ford Field, and Detroit won handily, 31-9, winning the NFC North and gaining homefield advantage.
Both clubs flopped in the playoffs soon after. The Los Angeles Rams crushed Minnesota one week later, and Detroit was no better with a postseason one-and-done, courtesy of the Washington Commanders.
Still, Lions at Vikings in Week 17 should be a doozy.
A Long Vikings Home Drought on Christmas
Minnesota hasn’t played at home on Christmas since 1989 — at the Metrodome against the Boomer Esiason-led Cincinnati Bengals. Current Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell was four years old at the time.
The purple team won 29-21, thanks to an impressive showing from quarterback Wade Wilson.
The 36-year home Christmas drought will end in 2025.
Brutal Saints Road Memories
Between the win over Cincinnati in 1989 and the upcoming Detroit matchup in 2025, Minnesota has played and lost twice on Christmas Day — once in 2005 at the Baltimore Ravens and most recently in 2020 at the New Orleans Saints.
The 2020 campaign did not go well for Mike Zimmer and friends, culminating in a beatdown by the Saints on Christmas Day, courtesy of 7 rushing touchdowns from New Orleans, 6 by running back Alvin Kamara.
The moment marked a turning point in Zimmer’s tenure as head coach, causing some fans to deem his tenure a bit stale.
The purple team has not played on Christmas Day since.
Full Star Tribune Tidbits on the Schedule
Star Tribune also added full context about the 2025 schedule: “The NFL will reveal its complete 2025 schedule on Wednesday night at 7 p.m. Central time on NFL Network, NFL.com, the NFL app and the NFL+ streaming service. Several games have already been announced, including the season opener between the Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles and NFC East rival Dallas Cowboys on Thursday, Sept. 4. The league also released the schedule for a record seven international games, with the Vikings becoming the first team to play back-to-back games in two foreign countries.”
“The Vikings will be the road team against the Pittsburgh Steelers for the NFL’s first regular-season game in Dublin on Sept. 28 at 8:30 a.m. Then they will return to London’s Tottenham Hotspur Stadium for the third time in four years to play the Cleveland Browns on Oct. 5 at 8:30 a.m.”
Oddsmakers expect Minnesota to win eight or nine games this year.
Goessling continued, “Here’s what else we know about the Vikings’ 2025 schedule: They will play the whole AFC North and NFC East and, as the 2024 runner-up in the NFC North, will face the second-place teams in the AFC West, NFC West and NFC South. Though they are playing two games abroad, the Vikings kept all eight of their home games at U.S. Bank Stadium, where they will face the Bears, Lions, Packers, Ravens, Bengals, Eagles, Commanders and Falcons.”
“Their seven remaining road games are against the Bears, Lions, Packers, Giants, Cowboys, Seahawks and Chargers. Seven of their 2025 opponents were in the playoffs last season: Detroit, Green Bay, Baltimore, L.A. Chargers, Pittsburgh, NFC runner-up Washington and defending champion Philadelphia.”
Minnesota’s social media team will release the full schedule on Wednesday evening.
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