The 2026 NFL schedule will be released on Thursday, May 14, so different outlets are putting together their predictions for the biggest games of the 2026 season.
Those prime-time headliners include the season opener featuring the Seattle Seahawks, Thanksgiving Eve, Day, Black Friday, and Christmas Day games. These are just predictions, so don’t get too excited, but it’s always fun to look at the what-ifs.
CBS Predicts Rams-Seahawks in Christmas Day Blockbuster
One of the most exciting potential primetime games CBS Sports’ John Breech predicted is the Seahawks taking on the Los Angeles Rams on Christmas.
There will be three NFL games played on Christmas this year, and the NFC West rivals could headline the final matchup of the night.
The other two matchups he predicted on Christmas were:
- Philadelphia Eagles at New York Giants
- Kansas City Chiefs at Los Angeles Chargers
Both the Rams and the Seahawks are Super Bowl contenders heading into the season and could very well be considered the two favorites in the NFC. On top of that, the Seahawks and Rams met three times last season (twice in the regular season and once in the playoffs), delivering some of the best games of the year.
The three matchups last season were decided by a combined six points, and only one of the previous nine games between the rivals has been decided by more than six points.
Seattle won two of the three games last season, which allowed them home-field advantage throughout the playoffs and the ability to make the Super Bowl.
The Rams took the first contest (at home) 21-19 before the Seahawks split the regular season series with a 38-37 overtime win at home a week before Christmas. Then, the Seahawks beat the Rams in Seattle, once again, in the NFC Championship Game, 31-27, on their way to winning the Super Bowl.
Now the defending champs have reloaded and are looking to make a run for back-to-back championships. However, the Rams have a sour taste in their mouths and are seen as one of the biggest threats to knock off the Seahawks.
This is just a prediction, but if this does become the Christmas night game, grab your popcorn. The two teams have met 58 times, and the Seahawks lead the series by a slim 2-game margin.
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The Rams and Seahawks have split the last eight games, but among those eight games is a three-game Los Angeles win streak from 2023-2024, during which the Rams swept the regular-season series.
According to PFSN’s Offense Impact Metric, the Rams had the best offense in the league last season, while the Seahawks ranked 9th. It will be interesting to see which team will have the better unit in the upcoming season.
