CNN
 — 

The vacation season has arrived and for soccer followers, it truly is essentially the most fantastic time of the yr.

On Monday, a blockbuster Christmas Day triple-header options the No. 1 seeds in every convention. And with the playoffs simply across the nook, the stakes are increased than ever.

Here’s what it’s good to know earlier than tuning in:

The vacation festivities kick off with an AFC West grudge match between the Kansas City Chiefs and Las Vegas Raiders.

The defending Super Bowl champions have already punched a ticket to the postseason, however now have their sights set on incomes their eighth consecutive divisional crown. Meanwhile, the Raiders are preventing to maintain their playoff goals alive because the season nears its shut.

The Chiefs’ dominance over the previous decade is apparent. But over the previous few weeks, Patrick Mahomes and Co. haven’t regarded just like the commanding drive of latest reminiscence. Prior to final week’s underwhelming win over the New England Patriots, Kansas City misplaced back-to-back video games in opposition to the Buffalo Bills and Green Bay Packers.

Earlier this week, Mahomes expressed his eagerness to get the staff again to their successful methods.

“You always want to be playing your best football going into the playoffs,” Mahomes instructed reporters.

“Let’s put that complete game together. I think if we can do that and start getting better and better these last few games, we can get to the playoffs and be playing our best football, then I think the AFC is wide open and we’ll be able to go out there and try to find a way to get to the Super Bowl.”

Las Vegas, in the meantime, enters this week’s matchup contemporary off their most emphatic victory of the season. They handed a 63-21 drubbing to the Los Angeles Chargers, setting a franchise document for many factors scored in a single recreation.

They’ll look to hold that momentum into their ultimate three video games, all in opposition to groups forward of them within the AFC standings (the Chiefs, Colts, and Broncos).

As it stands, the Raiders’ chances of making the postseason are just 2%, and would drop to lower than 1% in the event that they lose on Monday. With their season on the road, followers can anticipate a hard-fought, aggressive battle.

“We need to play our best football,” Interim head coach Anthony Pierce said.

“Against this team, you can kick as many field goals as you want, but you have to know Patrick Mahomes is going to get multiple touchdowns. It doesn’t matter who he goes to.”

The late afternoon slate options an NFC East showdown between the Tommy DeVito-led New York Giants and the struggling Philadelphia Eagles. The Eagles will look to get again within the win column after three consecutive losses, whereas the Giants will try and inch one win nearer to a Wild Card bid.

After a 10-1 begin to the season, the Eagles have hit a big tough patch. They enter this week’s matchup contemporary off a three-point loss to the Seattle Seahawks. In the 2 weeks prior, they dropped back-to-back 20-plus level losses to the Dallas Cowboys and San Francisco 49ers.

Despite the latest struggles, head coach Nick Sirianni stays optimistic.

“I know a lot of our guys have been through a lot of crap and been through some tough times,” Sirianni said. “That’s what life is, and people moments are in life.

“You draw back on those moments and know you have overcome, and you are better off because of it, and that’s been a consistent message there through some of these difficult times that we’re going through right now.”

The Eagles have already punched their ticket to the postseason, however the division crown and the NFC’s No. 1 general seed are nonetheless on the desk. Philadelphia should win their ultimate three common season video games to edge out the Dallas Cowboys on the prime of the NFC East.

To win the convention, they can even want the 49ers to lose at the very least two of their ultimate three video games. If San Francisco wins their ultimate three, they’ll take management of the convention.

Elsewhere within the NFC East, the Giants are within the midst of a late-season renaissance. After a lower than best begin to the season, New York’s playoff hopes had been all however misplaced.

Then got here Tommy DeVito, the Giants’ third-string, undrafted, rookie quarterback. The Italian American New Jersey native injected new life into an insipid Giants squad, successful his first three video games as a starter.

Monday’s matchup at Lincoln Financial Field would be the rookie’s first in opposition to Philadelphia and in entrance of their traditionally rambunctious fanbase. He actually gained’t obtain a heat welcome, however each DeVito and his teammates are assured that he can deal with the ambiance.

“I heard it’s a pretty hostile environment,” DeVito said. “I’m looking forward to it. I like to thrive in those environments.”

“He’s got that confidence. He’s going to show up and play well,” offensive lineman Justin Pugh said. “It’s going to be an important atmosphere. It’s thrilling for him.

“This is one of the first times going down to Philadelphia, you go play your rivals, you get to go to Dallas, get to go to Philly. All those are intense games.”

At 5-9, the Giants’ possibilities of truly making the postseason are slim (less than 1%, according to NFL.com). But the dream will keep alive in the event that they beat the Eagles. And if the final three weeks are any indicator of how Monday’s recreation will go, DeVito couldn’t have confronted his rivals at a greater time.

While the Eagles of at this time seem to be a extra favorable opponent than the Eagles of earlier this season, working again Saquon Barkley warned {that a} staff from Philly ought to by no means be underestimated.

“We’re not getting caught up in the losing streak that they are in,” Barkley said. “They’re still Philly. They’re still last year’s (NFC) champions, and still great players all around, so we know it’s going to be a tough matchup and we’ve got to play our best ball if we want to come out of there with a win.”

The Christmas Day motion concludes with a battle between two of the league’s prime contenders: the Baltimore Ravens and San Francisco 49ers.

The pair will face off at Levi’s Stadium for what may very well be a possible preview of Super Bowl LVIII.

“You can’t ignore it,” Ravens security Kyle Hamilton told reporters. “It’s two great teams going at it. We’re on Christmas Day; it’s kind of as big as it gets.”

Entering the matchup, each groups lead their respective conferences and are tied for one of the best document within the NFL. While each groups are already painted into the postseason image, there’s extra to be earned within the ultimate three weeks of the common season.

Both the NFC’s and AFC’s No. 1 general seeds are nonetheless up for grabs. The No. 1 general seed in every convention will obtain a first-round bye and residential subject benefit.

San Francisco has already clinched the NFC West and would earn the NFC’s prime seed with wins in two of their ultimate three matchups. The Ravens can clinch the AFC North with a win on Monday and a Cleveland Browns loss.

In addition, they’ll seemingly must beat the Miami Dolphins subsequent week to earn the AFC’s No.1 general seed.

While the playoff implications are apparent, Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson prefers to concentrate on the duty at hand.

“(The) Super Bowl is in February,” Jackson instructed reporters. “We’re in December right now. We have to focus on Monday night. I’m not worried about what people are saying.”

San Francisco enters the matchup using a six-game successful streak. They’ve dominated a handful of formidable opponents, beating each the Cowboys and Eagles by greater than 20 factors earlier this season.

San Francisco head coach Kyle Shanahan sees one other formidable opponent in Baltimore, particularly citing the strengths of the protection.

“The numbers are usually the first thing you see and you see how great their numbers are,” Shanahan said. “Then you activate the tape and it seems to be identical to their numbers.

“They’re really good against the run, really good against the pass, extremely sound coverages. They know how to get after it with pressures. They know how to get after it with front four.”

The Ravens enter the matchup boasting an an identical document to San Francisco and using a four-game successful streak. However, their schedule has been a bit lighter, making them the underdogs on this week’s matchup.

Monday’s recreation will probably be simply the second time this season they enter a matchup because the underdogs.

“We feel a little disrespected by that,” Hamilton said. “I feel like we are the best team in the league, and we have an opportunity in front of the country to show it.”

Jackson, nevertheless, isn’t phased by the title.

“I don’t want them to pick us,” the MVP-candidate said. “I like being the underdog. I believe we play better when we’re doubted and [when] people aren’t choosing us to win the game. I feel like we play better all the time, so just do it all the way to February. That’s all I ask.”

Monday 

Las Vegas Raiders @ Kansas City Chiefs, 1:00 p.m. ET

New York Giants @ Philadelphia Eagles, 4:30 p.m. ET

Baltimore Ravens @ San Francisco 49ers, 8:15 p.m. ET

Here’s the right way to catch these groups in motion, from wherever you’re.

Australia: NFL+, ESPN, 7Plus

Brazil: NFL+, ESPN

Canada: NFL+, CTV, TSN, RDS

Germany: NFL+, ProSieben MAXX, DAZN

Mexico: NFL+, TUDN, ESPN, Fox Sports, Sky Sports

UK: NFL+, Sky Sports, ITV, Channel 5

US: NFL+, CBS, NBC, FOX, ESPN, Amazon Prime