I'm seeing more and more, "Let's get this kid in primetime!" sentiment, and rightly so. So I thought I'd take a look at how viable it is that the NFL flexes the Texans into Sunday, Monday or (ugh) Thursday Night Football. The NFL can, essentially, flex freely for Sunday Night Football (NBC), effective this week. Monday Night Football flexing starts *next* week (week 12). Thursday Night Football flexing starts week 13. The NFL must give teams 12 days notice. Looking at the upcoming TNF?SNF/MNF match-ups: WEEK 12 (JAX @ HOU) SNF: BAL @ LAC (won't be flexed) MNF: CHI @ MIN (will 100% be flexed) The Texans/Jags are going to be in the mix for that MNF slot, unfortunately, it's a week of good match-ups: PIT @ CIN; KC @ LV; BUF @ PHI. WEEK 13 (DEV @ HOU) TNF: SEA @ DAL (won't be flexed) SNF: KC @ GB (unlikely to be flexed; they'll be reluctant to move Mahomes out of prime time); MNF: CIN @ JAX (probably won't be flexed) No flex likely, anyway - but Texans/Broncos is a dog match-up so it wouldn't have a chance. WEEK 14 (HOU @ NYJ) TNF: NE @ PIT (Steelers are a big draw so this is a maybe...) SNF: PHI @ DAL (won't be flexed) MNF: TEN @ MIA + GB @ NYG (neither match-up great - though MIA may not be flexed) JAX @ CLE is a possibility, as is SEA @ SF, to take T/MNF slots. I think both of those match-ups would get priority over HOU @ NYJ - unless... that game marks Aaron Rodgers' return, in which case, it will absolutely be flexed into MNF. But even w/o Rodgers, HOU @ NYJ might be in play for TNF as Stroud in NY would be a big kick. WEEK 15 (HOU @ TEN) TNF: LAC @ LV (won't be flexed) SNF: BAL @ JAX (DAL @ BUF on table - but Fox may balk at losing that game; I don't think this game gets flexed) MNF: KC @ NE (Hmmm... Again, I think they'll be reluctant to move Mahomes out of prime time - but it's a dog match-up.) The Titans are not being flexed into primetime. WEEK 16 (CLE @ HOU !!!) TNF: NO @ LAR (will 100% be flexed) SNF: NE @ DEN (will 100% be flexed) MNF: LV @ KC (won't be flexed); NYG @ PHI (unlikely to be flexed); BAL @ SF (won't be flexed) This is the big one. The Texans are 100% getting flexed into TNF or SNF. The only other viable match-ups are DET @ MIN (CLE/HOU better) and DAL @ MIA (unless Fox has a block left, I would guess this is getting SNF) WEEK 17 (TEN @ HOU) TNF: NYJ @ CLE (unlikely to be flexed) SNF: GB @ MIN (very likely to get flexed because there are better match-ups) (No MNF - Jan 1) Again, they're not flexing Tennessee into prime time, and there are some great match-ups this week (MIA @ BAL; PIT @ SEA; CIN @ KC) ================ TL;DR I think there are three viable flex weeks for the Texans: week 12 (JAX); week 14 (@ NYJ); week 16 (CLE). And I would bet big money on week 16 being flexed.
I think the Browns game will get flexed if Miami vs Dallas stays on Fox. Like it or not that is the sexier game. But I’m ok with our noon games tbh.
Week 16 is Christmas weekend, does the flexing work the same for SNF? There are nationally televised games Sat, Sun and Monday that week. NBC has a Sat 3:30 game that week (CIN/PIT) and the Sunday night game is on NFL Network (Christmas Eve - NE/DEN). Seems unlikely that they would flex and NFL network game but the TNF (Saints/Rams) might be on the table.
Man they can keep the dog and pony show for now. 12 on Sunday works perfectly fine for me. Thursday games suck for players and I would hate waiting for a Monday night game. That stupid European game is around the corner also.
Ugh. I did not catch that that was Christmas weekend! I don't know if the rules are different for Christmas Eve/night? That Thursday match-up, I would think, is fair game. And if so, I think CLE/HOU is going to take it. Both NBC games on Saturday are good match-ups. Given Christmas Eve viewership is probably low, they may not flex any good games into that slot. And I don't think they'll disrupt Christmas day/night, as a) those are all fairly good match-ups; b) I would assume those get locked so teams can prepare accordingly.
I'm a dawg. I like my routines. I need my routines. Don't need primetime. 12 pm is perfect just give us a top two broadcasting crew.
Not true. They can flex Thursday Night Football weeks 13-17. I believe Amazon is restricted to two - but it can absolutely be done.
I guess that changed when Amazon paid big bucks for Thursday night games plus they gave them two flex options.
CBS and Fox still have a huge say in allowing which games they could release to get flexed. The Texans have played plenty of SNF, MNF and TNF national games in their history... they've only played ONE 4:15pm national marquee game in their existence, and that was back in 2012 vs. the Broncos (where every Broncos game seemingly got the #1 national crew, much like almost every Chiefs game now gets that). I think it would be a much bigger accomplishment to get one of those games vs another SNF/MNF/or TNF game. In many weeks, the 4:15 game is the true "best game of the week".
