After a terrible performance in Germany that saw Mac Jones benched after a game-costing interception, will we see the New England Patriots again in prime time this season? Let’s examine the rest of the Patriots’ schedule and whether the NFL could flex them out of prime time.
Are the Patriots Scheduled in Prime Time Again in 2023?
The Patriots currently have three more prime-time games scheduled. All three fall between Weeks 14 and 16 with a Thursday Night Football, Monday Night Football, and Sunday Night Football game.
At least one of those three broadcasts must be discussed with the NFL whether they can flex the Patriots out of any of those spots.
The opponents for those three games are somewhat intriguing because of their historical relevance. The Pittsburgh Steelers, Kansas City Chiefs, and Denver Broncos have all been involved in fantastic rivalries with the Patriots over the years.
Is the nostalgia and the draw of the Steelers and Chiefs audience enough to convince those networks and the NFL to keep the Patriots in those three prime-time spots?
Could We See the Patriots’ Prime-Time Games Be Flexed?
The first prime-time game for the Patriots comes against the Steelers on TNF in Week 14. The NFL can flex as many as two Thursday Night Football games between Weeks 13 and 17 and must give 28 days’ notice.
The game is scheduled for Dec. 7, so the window to move that Week 14 Thursday game has already closed. Therefore, we know that the game is now locked in.
The second prime-time game is a Monday Night Football contest between the Patriots and Chiefs. The NFL’s flex scheduling rules allow them to move MNF games out between Weeks 12 and 17 with 12 days’ notice. Therefore, they still have time to move that game.
In that week, two games stand out as potential options to be flexed into Monday Night Football. The Dallas Cowboys face the Buffalo Bills, and the Philadelphia Eagles face the Seattle Seahawks at 4:25 p.m. ET on Sunday, Dec. 17. Current rules allow FOX to protect one game a week from being flexed, so the NFL could decide to take the other, and move it to MNF in Week 15.
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However, that won’t be an easy decision for ESPN. The Chiefs are a big draw ratings-wise and should still pull in decent numbers against a poor Patriots team. Additionally, there is the potential that we are still discussing whether Bill Belichick will be fired. ESPN may want to show one final game of Belichick’s time in New England just in case the team moves on.
Additionally, by the time we reach early December, those two matchups could have a different slant to them. The Bills are struggling and could be a fading force by Week 13, when the decision needs to be made. That could limit ESPN’s options, although they likely wouldn’t pass up a chance at the Cowboys’ audience if they have a shot.
The Patriots’ final prime-time game comes in Week 16 on SNF against the Broncos in Denver. The Sunday Night Football flex procedures allow for changes to be made with six days’ notice after Week 14. That means we may not find out until that week whether the game will remain on NBC.
That spot is also on Christmas Eve, so the NFL may be hesitant to mess people around on that day. Then again, NBC will want to capitalize on the Christmas Eve audience and may want to see the game moved.
The ultimate game there would be for the matchup between the Cowboys and Miami Dolphins to be flexed into Sunday Night Football. However, there’s next to no chance that FOX lets that game be moved with their other 4:25 p.m. ET kickoff being between the Arizona Cardinals and Chicago Bears.
Outside of that, the options are somewhat limited. The game between the Houston Texans and Cleveland Browns could have AFC playoff implications, as could the matchup between the Detroit Lions and Minnesota Vikings. Are either of those games big enough draws to be put into that Christmas Eve spot over a chance to show what could potentially be Belichick’s final SNF appearance?
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We know for sure the Patriots will have at least one more prime-time game, and they could easily still have all three. With how badly Sunday morning went, ESPN, NBC, and the NFL have some tough decisions to make in the coming weeks.
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