For the first six weeks of the “flex” portion of the schedule, the games eligible for shifting to the 8:30 p.m. ET time slot are subject to the ability of CBS and FOX to protect one game each per week, with a maximum of five.
For Week 17, no games may be protected — and no game is designated in advance as the tentative choice for prime-time placement.
If the Colts beat the Jets on Sunday, Indy at Buffalo would be an obvious option for Sunday night on NBC, since the Colts would be going for a 16-0 regular season. But the game would have no impact on the playoff picture, and there’s no guarantee that the Colts will use their starters through the point at which the outcome no longer is in doubt (which could come as early as the midpoint of the second quarter).
Eagles at Cowboys is the most attractive game with playoff implications, depending on whether the Cowboys need a win in order to get into the postseason — and whether the Eagles need a win to nail down a bye. Both of those questions could depend on whether the Giants beat the Vikings earlier in the day.
And that’s one of the biggest problems with picking the right prime-time game in Week 17. A game that looks compelling when considering the 16-game Sunday schedule collectively could be meaningless when played after the other 15 games have finished.
The decision will come no later than Tuesday, December 29 — after the Week 16 games have finished. If the Colts beat the Jets, the simplest decision would be to give Indy a national audience for the last game of what could be the second perfect regular-season mark in three seasons. And absent a clear “win and you’re in, lose and you’re out” game involving a team from a large market and/or with a national following, Colts-Bills may be the only game guaranteed to attract significant interest.
No one wants to see Indy pound Buffalo. If it’s an elimination game for Dallas, let everyone watch Philly knock them out again.
They should air the Eagles game to provide the rest of the country with the experiencing of watching such a talented team.
Write it down: Steelers @ Dolphins will be for a playoff spot next week.
Steelers-Dolphins could have interesting playoff implications too. And as you’re so fond of pointing out, most people either root for or hate the Steelers so it would probably be a highly-watched game.
Who cares….
It’s so cold in Buffalo – that would be so cruel to make it the night game…
Everyone familiar with Florio hates the Squealers.
Nobody cares about a 16-0 season for Indy, especially after the Patriots run two years ago. The most highly rated game would be the Eagles @ Cowboys, especially after how last season ended in Philly against the cowboys and that this game could be for the division…hands down, Philly @ Dallas would be the choice for NBC.
Steelers-Dolphins!
There are not late games scheduled for week #17. The Giants/Vikings and Eagles/Cowboys are being played at the same time.
What am I missing here?
“If it’s an elimination game for Dallas, let everyone watch Philly knock them out again.”
Yes, so we can watch Philly go on to win another Super Bowl.
Oh…..wait……
phillyburdzfan, i guess you forgot that Dallas victory over Philly this year. Still clinging to last years win, because since Philly has never won a superbowl, you buzzard fans think a victory over Dallas is your superbowl.
Let America watch America’s Team. This time the Cowboys redeem themselves. Open the roof and let God watch his favorite team too.
Big hair, big ass, and big truck nation will cry like the lard ass cry babies they are, if the Steelers don’t get the primetime game. Pittsburgh will be in primetime. No bout adoubt it.
http://sportsyackontap.blogspot.com/
No team is America’s Team.
“This time the Cowboys redeem themselves. ”
If only I had a dime for every time someone uttered these words..
Once the Jaguars down the Patsies, I think NBC should swap it for the Jaguars-Browns game, so the entire nation can watch Ravens, Steelers, and Dolphins fans for a post season hope crushed!
i am so tired of the nfl nazis and thier flex scheduling and networks. i mean how insane is it. i remember back in the day both networks had 2 games each, now your lucky to see 1 game. i had the nfl ticket and that totally blows, paying that money for really your team. they should sell a season of your team only for like 8o bucks. plus on cable you get screwed watching meaningless games just because of yoru market. i get stuck watching the sucky ass bucs every week. they so blow, but god forbit they put on a national game of interest. the nfl will soon price everyone out of it and i would think soon most games will be on thier network. i have a found a site that people stream games from the tv through a webcam for free so at least i can see the eagles games now almost every week live on my pc.
colts backups playing at night in buffalo… sounds hilarious. dont pick this one folks…
eagles may be playing for a week off. cowboys may need to win to get in.
ditto for vikes/giants.
jax and miami will be playing just to get to .500.
The Eagles-Cowboys game is for more than just a playoff spot. As long as Dallas beats Washington this week, that game will be for the division title regardless if Philly wins or loses this week.
If you write an NFL blog for NBC, you can’t fail to mention that a division title is on the line week 17. Nobody gives a crap about the Indy game but Indy fans and they all live in Indianapolis. So they’ll get the game anyway.
Dolphins vs Steelers. Win and you’re in.
Did I miss something? ALL games are being played at 1:00 or 4:00. Are they adding an additional gametime?
And let’s not forget the Eagles-Cowboys game will very likely be for the NFC East and a home game, and it is very possible that they will meet again in the 1st round, and the winner of that game will get to host the playof game. That would be more than enough for NBC, because Eagles-Cowboys is guaranteed huge ratings, which is all that matters.
And, by the way, the Cowboys win earlier this year was nothing compared to the 44-6 demolition last year in the “win and in” game. If you actually think the win earlier this year is redemption for last year, then you are a total tool that should be ashamed of yourself.
And, one other thing, when was the last time the Cowboys won a playoff game?
If you move the Indy/Buffalo to prime-time…you’re talking about much colder weather. And you lessen the chances that the Colts starters will play more than a series or two. So you end up with a crap game.
KingHunal:
I agree it should be Browns vs. Jags.
Think about it: The last game ever coached in the NFL by Eric Mangini and the last game the Jags play before moving out of Jacksonville.
>>>There are not late games scheduled for week #17. The Giants/Vikings and Eagles/Cowboys are being played at the same time.
What am I missing here?
I’d say which ever AFC team is win and your in (in other words, not reliant on somebody beating somebody else earlier in the day) for a wild card spot would be the way to go
“”This time the Cowboys redeem themselves. ”
If only I had a dime for every time someone uttered these words..”
Second winningest team in NFL history, not to mention 5-time Super Bowl champion. You’ve heard it plenty, you’ve seen it as well.
Eagirls/Cowboys, because people outside of Philly need a reason to watch that sorry bunch of green chokers with one of the worst W/L records in NFL history.
Eagles fans are such losers. They act like beating Dallas last year won them something. You morons of life have not won anything ever. If you want to bring up the past let’s bring up how Troy and Emmitt banged u beeeaatches out for 5 years winning 3 super bowls. If only mcnabb could say the same. Than eagles fans could claim something more than a regular season win. Hahaha. And as for florio, if Dallas beats Washington they are playing for a NFC east title and a bye. And although you can say Dallas has not won a playoff game, you cannot say we have not won the nfc east and gotten a bye. So there you have it. With a win over the redskins, the cowboys who espn has labeled losers will have the chance to be the #2 seed and the only team to beat the #1 seed. We beat the eagles and saints. Who has anyone in the NFC beaten better than those 2 teams?
If the Jets beat the Colts, what about Cinci @ NYJ?
No one is talking about that game…
The Eagles beating Dallas last year might not have “won” them anything (other than that game) but it gave them the “chance” to win the big prize. The fact that they didn’t succeed in doing that is the one thing that’s holding that team back from greatness. No sense in mentioning how Troy and Emmitt won 3 Superbowls. That has absolutely nothing to do with anything that’s going on in the 2009 NFL season. The Eagles are capable of making it to the Super Bowl. Whether they can beat Indy or not is highly questionable, if not downright doubtful, but they certainly have as good or better of a chance as Dallas or any other team in the NFC does.
Oh, and Merry Christmas everyone.
Nationalcapital10 is just another Cowboy fan that thinks the amount of superbowls they’ve won in the past means anything in 2009/10. Cowboys fans tend to bring this up when their backs are against the wall. It makes them feel better in case they lose.
LAEagleFan, there’s no need to defend yourself or point this out. Only other Cowboys fans think winning a superbowl in the mid 90s is relevant week 16 of a season over a decade later. Fans of the other 30 teams in the NFL couldn’t give 2 logs about their superbowls either.
6-44*
Dolphins – Steelers is likely. Steelers fanbase is huge.
No one outside Philly likes the Eagles, but Dallas has a huge following to rival the Steelers.
Colts can play their starters for the first quarter and lock up a win, not really a good choice.
LA EAGLE FAN
Of course every team that gets in has a chance, and if Dallas wins out, which is not something crazy considering they have beat both teams left on the schedule, Philly and Washington, than they will have the nfc east and a chance for a bye. And just like Philly, Dallas has won nothing in the last 10 years, so were all in the same boat. I just despise when Eagles fans talk like they won something by eliminating Dallas, where the Giants eliminated us and won a superbowl, the Eagles are just as big as losers as any other team.
First of all, the Cowboys have to beat the Redskins, and coming off that win last week, it would be Cowboy-esque if they lost to them again (like they did when it was 7-0 and the Redskins scored 2 TD’s in the final 2 minutes a couple years ago).
And I agree: Who wants to see the Colts and their backups? Ooh, there’s excitement!
It would have to be Dolphins/Steelers, if the stars align to make that happen. Houston has never lost to Miami (4-0) and the Steelers got about as fortunate as you can last week to even be in this conversation (and this is a Steeler fan saying this).
Baltimore’s going to be one of your wild card teams. It’s anyone’s guess who will be the other one. Or what, you don’t think the Ravens can beat CHARLIE FRYE?
There is no prime-time listed on the schedule as of yet becaues it is TBA…
The NBC Sunday Night Football game at 8:30 ET on Jan. 3rd won’t be announced until after this weekend’s games are completed to try and get the best matchup.
SOIA 311
WHAT HAVE THE EAGLES WON EVER????
They are the biggest losers of this decade, unable to win the big one. The cowboys have also won nothing, except that they have a history of winning which the eagles do not. So the only thing philly is famous for is pelting people with snowballs, great accomplishment losers! I guess if I lived in that dump of a city, i would be angry too.
Please dont let it be NFC east teams. TV already crams that division down America’s throat enough.
nationscapital10..really…? dallas blows and why would any support a loser team, they have no chance for a bye or the division. 1 win in december does not a team make. the eagles will roll them like they did last year. i guess we need to embarrass the girls once again to prove a point. don’t you love how girls fans love to live in the past time after time after time. keep looking back that will keep the focus on the future… o h yeah i forgot you still have romo so what future can you really have. cowboys are LOSERS, espn has you labled correctly. LOSERS…. led by the crypt keeper jerry amd his puppet wade. hows that roy williams thing working out….well worht all those picks….LOSERS.
Bills are in danger of not selling this game out. That would be a strange decision, to have this game on national TV with potentially 5000 empty seats.
Plus, do you want to stand outside in Buffalo in January AT NIGHT? If so, I have three great seats I will sell you. 50 yd line! Come and get them.
Eagles fans are such losers. They act like beating Dallas last year won them something. You morons of life have not won anything ever. If you want to bring up the past let’s bring up how Troy and Emmitt banged u beeeaatches out for 5 years winning 3 super bowls. If only mcnabb could say the same. Than eagles fans could claim something more than a regular season win. Hahaha. And as for florio, if Dallas beats Washington they are playing for a NFC east title and a bye. And although you can say Dallas has not won a playoff game, you cannot say we have not won the nfc east and gotten a bye. So there you have it. With a win over the redskins, the cowboys who espn has labeled losers will have the chance to be the #2 seed and the only team to beat the #1 seed. We beat the eagles and saints. Who has anyone in the NFC beaten better than those 2 teams?
it will be eagles-cowboys for the division, to put colts-bills on, unless you’re a colts fan, WHO CARES? we saw this play out 2 years ago, 16-0 doesn’t mean crap, unless you go 19-0
The Cowboys/Eagles game could be for a first-round bye for the winner…
http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/playoffscenario?algorithm=custom&15=11001041&16=55155505
Speaking as a Colts fans without the NFL Network package and as a football fan, I would love to see the undefeated Colts play the Bills.
Why not just show Heidi!!!!!!!!
Jets vs. Cincinnati would be great if the Jets beat indy this week. That would be a likely win and in scenario for the Jets in the final game ever played in that building while the Bengals could either be playing to win the division or miss the playoffs depending on this week.
If the Eagles beat Dallas and knock them out of the playoffs, nationalcapital10 will disappear for the offseason.
I know what the Cowboys have won in the past. I know the Eagles have no superbowls, but none of that matters this Sunday. Why do Cowboys fans bring this up constantly as if they’re the first one to point it out?
I’ve been watching football for years. I’m aware. As for the last decade, I’d rather be an Eagle fan. The Cowboys, a team with a history of winning was knocked out of a playoff spot by the Eagles last year, a team that has won nothing. Sucks for nationalcapital10.
Philly-Dallas. It’s a done deal.
And the eagles have won so much. I would rather be a fan of the lions than the eagles. To think back and see my team always lose the big one because they overachieve during regular season and than bite it when it counts. No thanks. As for the last 10 years. Dallas has been not so great. But the last 4, we have done every bit as good as the eagles. Neither team has done anything. So I brought up super bowls because another Philly fan brought up not winning a playoff game. My reply was if u would rather have playoff wins these last 10 years, I would rather have super bowls 15 years ago and no playoff wins in the last 10. Eagles suck. Always have, always will. Go throw snowballs at fans. Thats the best thing u have going for u