The Cincinnati Bengals will no longer play on "Thursday Night Football" against the Cleveland Browns next month.
Per ESPN's Adam Schefter, the NFL has officially flexed Bengals vs Browns in Week 16 out of the Thursday night slot. The Denver Broncos vs Los Angeles Chargers game will take its place on December 19, while the Bengals and Browns will play on Sunday, December 22 at 1:00 p.m.
The first Thursday night flex: The Week 16 Denver Broncos at Los Angeles Chargers game will move to Thursday Night Football on Prime Video while the Cleveland Browns at Cincinnati Bengals matchup will be played Sunday at 1 p.m. ET on FOX.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) November 22, 2024
This is the second time a Bengals game has been flexed this season. Their last game against the Chargers was flexed into "Sunday Night Football" earlier this month. This was back when the Bengals were 4-5 and in a much better position to sneak into the playoffs. They're now 4-7 with a sub-20% chance of making it to the postseason. The Browns are 3-8 with even worse odds at the moment despite winning on TNF last night against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Clearly the NFL didn't want a primetime game featuring two teams out of the playoff race, so it decided to do something it has never done before.
This is the first time a "Thursday Night Football" game has been flexed
NFL owners approved of a proposal last year that would allow for Thursday night games between Weeks 13-17 to be flexed out a full 28 days in advance. The 2023 TNF schedule remained unchanged last season, which makes this the first time the league has flexed out a Thursday night game.
Yesterday was originally the deadline for the league to make a move, but with the Browns playing the Steelers on the same day, the decision was announced the morning afterwards.
This is absolutely the right move for the league. The Bengals and Browns may be historic rivals, but the intrigue of the game from a nationwide standpoint won't be there if neither team is in contention for the playoffs. The Broncos and Chargers are both in the AFC Playoff Picture as of now, making that the more attractive matchup for viewership.
The Bengals will also benefit from the move for a reason specific to them. Had the game stayed on the 19th, they would've played three games in a span of 11 days. They'll face the Dallas Cowboys on "Monday Night Football" on December 9 and the Tennessee Titans on December 15, both on the road before hosting the Browns. Now means they'll have just one shortened week of rest instead of two.
Why the league opted for the original schedule, I don't know, but it never seemed fair for Cincinnati. This is an equitable solution.
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