CNN —
When the Pittsburgh Steelers host the LA Raiders on Saturday, it will be one of those rare moments in sports where the result doesn’t matter.
Instead, thoughts will be with Steelers legend Franco Harris, who died earlier this week at the age of 72.
Harris’ death came just days before the 50th anniversary of the “Immaculate Reception,” a game-winning touchdown catch by Harris that led the Steelers to a famous victory over the Oakland Raiders.
The Steelers will continue to celebrate the anniversary but will also honor Harris’ life by retiring his #32 jersey at halftime in the game.
“We’re all heartbroken, but we look forward to honoring him and his legacy this weekend,” Pittsburgh coach Mike Tomlin said, per ESPN.
“And obviously our attention needs to be on the preparation that it takes to put together the kind of performance that befits a great man like Franco.”
On the field, the Steelers will be hoping to keep their slim playoff chances alive with another win — the franchise has impressed with three of its last four wins lately.
Similarly with other teams in the NFL, this promises to be an exciting weekend of action during the holiday season.
Christmas will come a day early for Chase Young as the 23-year-old is expected to make his long-awaited season debut for the Commanders on Saturday.
Young hasn’t played since suffering a serious knee injury in November last year, but coach Ron Rivera says he’s excited to finally be back against the 49ers.
“He practiced with confidence,” Rivera said, per NFL.com, discussing Young’s progress.
“He showed us a willingness to stick that leg in the ground and roll away, plant it and cut it down. He’s had a good week so we’re really happy about that.”
The defensive end had returned to training last week but has slowly increased his activity after an already lengthy rehabilitation process.
The Commanders are hoping for an immediate impact from the second draft pick of 2020 as they try to keep their playoff hopes alive after a disappointing loss to the New York Giants on Sunday night.
There’s not much room for another loss as the regular season nears the end of business.
The Eagles (13-1) and Cowboys (10-4) face off Saturday. The stakes are high for these division rivals as post-season positioning is at stake.
The Eagles have an opportunity to win the NFC East and the NFC overall, earning them a first-round bye and home field advantage in the playoffs.
It would be a much bigger challenge for Dallas to win the NFC East. They won the playoffs last week despite losing to the Jacksonville Jaguars. But to win the division, not only would they need to win Saturday, they would need to win the rest of the season and see the Eagles lose their remaining games. It’s a tall order, but not impossible.
The last time these teams met, the Cowboys played without quarterback Dak Prescott. This time the Eagles are without starting quarterback Jalen Hurts.
Hurts suffered a sprained shoulder in the win against the Bears last week. The injury is not considered long-term and he is expected to return for the postseason. In his absence, Gardner Minshew takes over as signal caller.
This game is a great opportunity for the Cowboys to get their feet firmly on the ground between having home advantage and having the advantage of going up against a backup quarterback. They need this win a lot more than the Eagles, especially after last week’s loss; They need all the momentum they can get in the final weeks of the regular season to get into the playoffs.
Tune in to the NFC East Showdown at 4:25 p.m. ET on Saturday.
It’ll be an exciting Christmas Day spectacle with both teams trying to keep their razor-thin postseason hopes alive.
The Dolphins can secure a place in the playoffs by winning all three remaining games, but go into the game on Sunday with three straight losses.
The Packers, meanwhile, have back-to-back victories, but their playoff fate is not yet in their hands.
They must win all three remaining games and hope that either the New York Giants or the Washington Commanders make a mistake.
“The most important thing is that we still have a meaningful football game this Christmas and we have a chance to have a lot of things ahead of us,” Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers told reporters.
“We have to go down and win and I said a couple of weeks ago we just get one, then another and things look a little bit different going into that game. And we get this one, the next one will be a little different.”
The Bears (3-11) will welcome the Bills (11-3) to Chicago.
The forecast predicts freezing temperatures, gusty winds and harsh winter weather that could play a major factor in the outcome of this game. While both teams are used to unfavorable conditions, their game plans will need to be adjusted to the elements.
This game features two quarterbacks that can produce in both the run game and passing game. However, they are most efficient in the opposite way.
Bears quarterback Justin Fields is more effective at rushing while Bills quarterback Josh Allen has the edge. With the opposition clearly lacking in weapons, the Bears will try to run the ball as far as possible. Your game on the ground will not be affected as much by the strong winds and winter weather.
The Bills, on the other hand, won’t be able to rely so much on their superior passing game; Allen must adjust to how the winds affect his accuracy. For these reasons, the bears have a slightly higher chance of giving the bills the surprise.
Kickoff is scheduled for Saturday at 1:00 p.m. ET.
Finally, the Bengals (10-4) have a shot at earning a playoff berth against the Patriots (7-7).
They’ll secure their spot in the postseason if they win or tie or if the Jets lose or tie. The Patriots stand outside of the playoff picture, looking inside. They would need a win on Saturday to keep their hopes alive.
The Pats will host the Bengals in a freezing Gillette Stadium. They enter this game fresh from an embarrassing last-second loss to the Raiders in Week 15. They’ve struggled this season, in large part due to inexperienced leadership and questionable coaching decisions.
Cincinnati is in the midst of the hottest part of the season with wins in the last six competitions. Quarterback Joe Burrow made his move in the most important part of the regular season and is preparing to weather the postseason.
To win this game, the Bengals need to come out strong and take an early lead; they must outperform New England. The Patriots will be playing without three starters, which means they’re already at a disadvantage. When the Bengals come out of the gate and score points early, it becomes difficult for the Pats to crawl from behind.
To see who comes out on top, tune in on Saturday at 1:00 p.m. ET.
Here’s how to catch these teams and others from across the league in action, no matter where you are.
Australia: NFL Game Pass, ESPN, 7Plus
Brazil: NFL Game Pass, ESPN
Canada: CTV, TSN, RDS, NFL Game Pass on DAZN
Germany: NFL Game Pass, ProSieben MAXX, DAZN
Mexico: NFL Game Pass, TUDN, ESPN, Fox Sports, Sky Sports
UK: NFL Game Pass, Sky Sports, ITV, Channel 5
US: NFL Game Pass, CBS Sports, Fox Sports, ESPN, Amazon Prime