Last year, the NFL started this flex scheduling thing, which allows them to alter the schedule late in the season so that the more meaningful games are broadcast on national television.While there are rules that the NFL follows for selecting these games, they do Week 17 a bit differently. No games are off limits for the switch to NBC, aside from picking teams that have reached televised limits. They also only have to give six days advance warning about the change, instead of the normal 12 days.
That means the NFL will place the game with the most riding on it as their season finale on NBC.
So which games look like they could be a possibility?
Broncos at Chargers
Why It Could Be Picked: It's not the greatest game to watch, but it would be the one that would have everything on the line without worrying about someone screwing it up earlier in the day. If the Chargers beat the Bucs today and Broncos lose to the Bills, their Week 17 meeting would be for the AFC West title and a playoff berth. If that scenario happens, I think this is the frontrunner. That doesn't even include the drama that this is the first meeting between the two teams since the Ed-Hochuli-assisted Denver win in Week 2.
Why It Won't: It all depends on what happens today. A betting man wouldn't throw too much on both the Chargers winning in Tampa and the Broncos losing at home to the floundering Bills.
Dolphins at Jets
Why It Could Be: The Phins and Jets could be tied with the Patriots atop the AFC East heading into the week. With all kinds of things going on, this game could be for the AFC East crown. How would pitting Brett Favre in a must-win game against a team that has been one of the league's best stories draw?
Why It Won't: The game is a risk. With Baltimore's surprising win in Dallas last night and the Colts wrapping up a wild card berth, it is unlikely that the AFC East will get two teams. Even if there is a chance, a Ravens win over the Jaguars during the day next week would make this game moot.
Cowboys at Eagles
Why It Could Be Picked: Of course NBC wants to show another Cowboys game. Of course they'd love to have that game in Philly where the locals would love nothing more than to make Terrell Owens cry. Not just that, but an Eagles win over the Redskins tonight (as well as some bad things happening to the Falcons and/or Buccaneers) and this could be a playoff game itself.
Why It Won't: If both Tampa and Atlanta win today, then NBC would run risk of this game being meaningless next week. If they schedule the game and neither the Bucs or Falcons lose another game, then the Cowboys and Eagles would both be eliminated before the game started.
Giants at Vikings
Why It Could Be Picked: The Giants may enter the game as the best team in the league and the Vikings, with a win today, would be NFC North champions. If Minnesota loses and Chicago wins today, then this game could be picked up with a division title on the line.
Why It Won't: If both the Giants and Vikings are locked in to their playoff spots, then this game has no risk value to it. Even if the NFC North is up in the air heading into Week 17, a Bears loss would give the Vikings the crown and make this game meaningless.
Other possibilities
Raiders at Buccaneers: A playoff spot for Tampa could be on the line, but why would NBC want the Raiders on air?
Jaguars at Ravens: A playoff spot for the Ravens could be on the line. Or maybe they'll have that clinched by gametime.
Patriots at Bills: The Jets-Dolphins game would be much bigger.
Panthers at Saints: Carolina could be playing for the NFC South title, but they have a postseason bid locked up so there isn't as much pressure.
Titans at Colts: The only game that matches up two teams that have locked up playoff spots right now. However, this game will mean nothing next week.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
12-21-2008 @ 4:31PM
Dreamisalive said...
Packers-Lions, baby!
All the games we could see, what better way to end this year of record losses than with the biggest record loss of all?
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12-21-2008 @ 5:42PM
Greg said...
Not the Titans, being that the officials already gave them homefield through-out the whole 60 minutes they'll last in the post-season, there's no need for them to be nationally over exposed as they are right now. That unsportsmanlike conduct call on the field goal attempt was totally bogus just like the roughing the kicker penalty in that wildcard game some time ago. You know damn well that no one ran into your kicker on that kick that he missed, the kicker even bragged about how good of an act he put on to get that call. You also know that the "pass" against Buffalo was an illegal forward pass, so therefore, you know that the call for unsportsmanlike conduct today, 12/21/08 was bogus.PASS INTERFERENCE?! Are you serious?!! What did he do, fart on the defensive back before the ball got there? Last week, I saw a defensive player put his hand on someone else's back the same way in a game, and nooooo flags!! You can't tell me that the officials didn't feel sorry that they HAD to not call pass interference on a tipped ball. Don't tell me that someone doesn't still feel sorry that Bill Cowher ACCIDENTLY broke Fisher's leg on a LEGAL tackle on a kick-off return. It seems that that was made up to Fisher many times over when the Steelers played them as a division rival. Also, how EXTREMELY unclassy of Keith Bullock to do what he did to show up the Steelers after the "interception return for a touchdown". When you score AND/OR win, you act like you've been there. I never see any Steelers' players taunting the cameras, players, or fans by desecrating another team's towel/shirt/..etc or even "dancing". That's what makes the Steelers the classiest team in the league. They don't need to taunt or show off after a score or a win. By the way, what kind of point spread and how much was the betting line on this game? Also, Vince Young will never be the quarterback you all think he will.
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12-21-2008 @ 5:55PM
Greg said...
Not the Tiatans, they're over-rated now. That unsportsmanlike conduct call was extremely bogus- players are allowed to yell snap counts or anything to try to throw the offense off, it's part of the game. OK, is it legal for players on a bench at a baseball game to yell, "NO BATTER< NO BATTER, SWING!!!!" Is THAT still legal? Just like the old days when your farce of a football team was in the Steeler's division, you only win because the officials still feel sorry about how Bill Cowher broke Fisher's leg on a LEGAL tackle. They also felt bad that they couldn't call defensive pass interference on a tipped ball. Then the offensive pass interference on Limas Sweed? Um, did he fart on the defensive back before the ball got there? Wow, whatever. He hardly even touched the guy. I was watching a game where a defensive player positioned his hand on a receiver the same way last week and there were no flags and an announcer even said it was OK for the defensive player to do that. Before I end this rant, Keith Bullock is one of the most unclassy NFL players-after a score/win, you don't taunt or show teams, cameras or fans up that way. Before that play, I told my roomate how nice Bullock was for visiting Tommy Maddox after he got injured, but I take that back. That's why the Steelers are the classiest team in the NFL, because they don't taunt after they score and/or win. I wanna see the Titans play the same kind of schedule the Steelers had to this year-it was rated the most difficult of all 32 tea,s-you guys played no one and the Steelers were a bit conservative so they can smack your Titans outta the post season if no one else does it first, which WILL happen if the officials do their job right.
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12-21-2008 @ 8:15PM
RICK SAXE said...
JETS DOLPHINS GAME IS BY FAR THE HUGEST
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12-21-2008 @ 8:26PM
shorty said...
No matter what happened today there was no way for the Dolphins-Jets game to become moot...the game was going to decide the AFC East one way or the other...NBC will definitely take the Chargers-Broncos game now, but your analysis of the Jets-Fish was way off...
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12-21-2008 @ 9:55PM
Michael said...
Denver @ San Diego - 8:15 ET on NBC. Just announced.
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12-25-2008 @ 11:33AM
Sportz Assassin said...
Shorty,
When I typed this, it was possible that the Phins-Jets game could have been moot by the time it was played.
If the Dolphins would have lost to the Chiefs last Sunday ... and the Pats and Ravens won their games this coming Sunday ... then the Miami-NY Jets game would have been meaningless.
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