The holiday season is being consumed by football, but one player’s NFL cleats will steal the show on Christmas. The Minnesota Vikings will play Thursday as the NFC North team looks to finish the season strong against two divisional opponents.

Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell announced Tuesday that J.J. McCarthy suffered a small hairline fracture in his throwing hand and will miss Thursday’s game against the Lions. The QB could play the Week 18 finale.

Vikings rule out quarterback J.J. McCarthy for Week 17 Christmas Day game against Lions with hand fracture injury

Detroit's relying on the Packers losing out and beating the Vikings in Week 17 to try and keep their playoff hopes alive.

Somehow — some way — the Minnesota Vikings are knocking on the door of NFL history with a key defensive stat. In the last six games, defensive coordinator Brian Flores ‘ group has surrendered zero touchdown passes, a streak that has flown under the radar because Minnesota has been eliminated from postseason contention.

The NFL record streak without allowing a pass touchdown, since the 1970 merger, is seven games. The Vikings can tie that record on Thursday against the Lions, but they'll have to snap Jared Goff's 21-game streak with a touchdown pass in order to do so.

Though the Vikings didn’t actually practice on Monday afternoon at TCO Performance Center, they are required by the NFL to release an estimated injury report. They listed McCarthy as a non participant with a right hand injury, which, in turn, raises questions about his availability moving forward.