Now, due to the Lions’ growing popularity, their schedule for this season may change.
Upcoming Lions Game Against the Bills Could Be Flexed
The Detroit Lions and Buffalo Bills are both performing well this season, as expected, and the two teams are scheduled to face off at 4:25 p.m. Eastern time on Sunday, December 15, on CBS to maximize viewership. However, both clubs are performing even better than projected. The Bills defeated the undefeated Kansas City Chiefs in Week 11, and the Lions are 9-1 with only a loss to the Bucs.
Now, there’s a chance that game will be moved to the evening.
On Friday, November 22, NFL analyst and expert Justin Rogers of the Detroit Football Network posted a message on X in response to a question on if the Lions-Bills game could be moved to prime time. His response was quite good.
“It’s not protected yet. There is a window for this process, but it is expected to be completed,” he stated.
The Lions Could Be Flexed From Sunday afternoon until Monday night.
A doubleheader is currently set for Monday, December 16, to wrap out Week 15. The Minnesota Vikings and Chicago Bears are set to face off at 8 p.m. ET, while the Atlanta Falcons and Las Vegas Raiders will play at 8:30 p.m.
According to Brad Berreman of SideLion Report, the Lions and Bills have an opportunity to take that slot. Needless to say, most of those teams are unlikely to generate much interest right now.
“It feels like one of those games is ripe to be taken out of its primetime slot, and if possible both could be,” he wrote in a November 22 piece.
Berreman also points out that if the NFL moves a Sunday game to Monday night, they must do so at least 12 days in advance. it, if the Lions and Bills game is flexed, it must be disclosed by December 3, giving the NFL plenty of time to do it.
“When the original schedule came out in May, it’s a virtual certainty CBS protected Lions-Bills from being taken from them and scheduled in a primetime slot,” Berreman pointed out. “They can protect the game again if it’s wanted to be flexed to that Monday night, and if there’s not a good alternative the network will surely do so.”
With that in mind, Berreman writes, “the easy ‘expectation’ is that Lions-Bills at Ford Field will be moved to Monday night in Week 15.” He goes on to say that it is not a guarantee, “even if the league office wants it badly.”
Flexing games can be inconvenient for fans who have arrangements, particularly those travelling to those places for the game. Hotel dates and transportation must be modified. However, it is a common practice in the NFL, and if the audience is there, the NFL will likely seize the opportunity to have a dramatic prime-time game and effect change.
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