The NFL is flexing its newfound muscle … to flex into better prime-time matchups outside of Sunday.
Friday, for the first time, the league utilized its recently implemented ability to make changes to its Thursday night broadcast lineup – which has been a staple throughout the regular-season docket since 2012. Now, that will mean further exposure for the Los Angeles Chargers.
The Bolts, who are currently in a stretch of three night games in four weeks – including this Monday’s ‘Harbaugh Bowl’ matching coach Jim Harbaugh’s Chargers and John Harbaugh’s Baltimore Ravens – will now also appear on Prime Video’s Thursday package on Dec. 19. They will host the AFC West-rival Denver Broncos in that Week 16 contest.
Both the Chargers (7-3) and Broncos (6-5) – each led by former University of Oregon quarterbacks Justin Herbert and rookie Bo Nix, respectively – are currently projected to be wild-card teams, though each has a chance to run down the division-leading Kansas City Chiefs (9-1).
The Chargers won 23-16 in Denver on Oct. 13, though the game wasn’t especially close in reality, given LA led 23-0 in the fourth quarter. Yet Nix has played much better since then, committing just one turnover in his past five appearances while working his way into the Offensive Rookie of the Year debate with the Washington Commanders’ Jayden Daniels.
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The corresponding scheduling move will push the originally slotted ‘TNF’ game – the Cleveland Browns at Cincinnati Bengals – to 1 p.m. ET on Dec. 22. That pairing of two clubs likely to miss the playoffs will be carried by Fox.
The NFL adopted a scheduling resolution last year allowing for games beyond those on Sundays to be flexed. Per the league’s modified rule, ‘Thursday games can only be flexed between Weeks 13 and 17, with a four-week notice required. Only two Thursday night games can be flexed per year.’
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