Patriots–Bills Game Will Remain in 1:00 PM ET Slot
The New England patriots’ crucial Week 17 matchup against the Buffalo Bills on December 21st will not be moved to a primetime slot, multiple reports confirmed Tuesday morning. Despite the game offering the Patriots a chance to clinch the AFC East title with a win, it will remain in its originally scheduled 1:00 p.m. ET window.
Reports from 98.5 The Sports Hub’s Scott Zolak and CBS’s Dan Roche indicated the decision was made despite speculation of a potential flex to Sunday or Monday Night Football. Roche noted the game will be televised “nationally,” perhaps featuring CBS’s ’A’ crew of Jim Nantz, tony Romo, and Tracy Wolfson. other CBS games that week include Ravens-Bengals, Chargers-Chiefs, Colts-Seahawks, and Packers-Broncos.
The NFL could have flexed the game into the Sunday or Monday night slots currently occupied by Vikings-Cowboys and Dolphins-Steelers, respectively.The late afternoon window on December 21st also features a competitive slate of games, including Colts-Seahawks, Packers-Broncos, and lions-Rams.
The possibility of the Patriots’ Week 18 game at the Baltimore Ravens being moved to primetime remains open. That game is currently scheduled for 1:00 p.m. ET.
The Sunday Night Football game for that week, currently featuring the Bengals visiting the Dolphins, is also a potential flex candidate. The NFL has begun announcing schedule updates for the week, assigning timeslots for the two games scheduled for that Saturday, as reported by Adam Schefter on Tuesday.
coverage of all Patriots games can be heard on 98.5 The Sports Hub and the Patriots Radio Network, with pregame coverage beginning three hours before the scheduled kickoff.
