The Denver Broncos will open the 2025 season with a home game against the number one overall pick, Cam Ward, and the Tennessee Titans. As the schedule is released, NFL Analysis couldn’t help but notice the battle the Broncos will face during Christmas week.
The Denver Broncos have not beaten the Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium since 2015, and will now be tasked with doing so under strenuous circumstances in late December.
Denver Broncos facing brutal schedule in Christmas Week
Christmas Day 2025 falls on a Thursday, and the NFL has announced a three-game slate for the Netflix special. Those games are:
The Kansas City Chiefs played at home on Christmas Day in 2024, beating the Pittsburgh Steelers 29-10. The Steelers had faced the Baltimore Ravens at home just four days earlier, while the Chiefs had been on the road against the Houston Texans.
This year, it’ll be the Denver Broncos facing the road game at Arrowhead Stadium on Christmas Day. They are playing Trevor Lawrence and the Jacksonville Jaguars at Mile High Stadium on Sunday, 21st December, before heading to Kansas City, Missouri on a short week.
Playing the Kansas City Chiefs on the road presents a tremendous challenge. Playing them with only three days to prepare for and travel to the game makes it harder, and playing them late in December when the temperature reaches freezing makes it the toughest game on the Broncos schedule this season.
Bo Nix got his first taste of action at Arrowhead Stadium in 2024, when the Broncos visited their division rival on the 10th of November. Fans should be encouraged by his performance in that game, going 22-30 throwing the football for 215 yards and two touchdowns.
The Broncos were in that game too, with a halftime lead at 14-10. Unfortunately, they were shut out in the second half, and two Kansas City field goals were enough for the Chiefs to secure a 16-14 win.
While Denver didn’t win that game, they are well-positioned to challenge the Chiefs in the NFC West. Key additions to the defense, such as Talanoa Hufanga and Dre Greenlaw, plus rookie first-rounder Jahdae Barron, should help to make a great defense even better in 2025.
Denver Broncos Christmas Day record
The Denver Broncos are 2-2 on Christmas Day, but haven’t won one of their matchups since 2004, when they beat the Tennessee Titans 37-16.
Their last Christmas Day game came in 2022, when they lost 51-14 to the LA Rams. They played the Chiefs on December 25th back in 2016, losing that game 33-10 at Arrowhead Stadium.
Strangely, the Broncos have never had a home game on Christmas Day. All four matchups so far, and this year’s will make it five, have been on the road.
It’ll be a challenge for Denver to hold off the Jacksonville Jaguars and Travis Hunter on Sunday, before traveling to meet Patrick Mahomes just four days later.
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