NFL’s Flex Schedule Begins, Buffalo Bills to Host New England Patriots in Prime Time
November 5, 2007 by David Kindervater
Filed under Buffalo Bills, New England Patriots
Blogging the National Football League, Blogging the NFL
I predicted it yesterday and was excited to hear the official news today as the NFL’s Flex Scheduling plan has moved the November 18 New England Patriots at Buffalo Bills game into the prime time slot as part of NBC’s Sunday Night Football. This is the perfect game to start a new season of flex scheduling. Originally, the Chicago Bears and Seattle Seahawks were set to play on SNF, but with the Bills’ emergence (winners of three straight) and the Patriots undefeated season still in effect, it was a great choice. The only other game I felt was worthy was the Redskins/Cowboys matchup. But, when you look at the Bills’ last prime time game just a month ago against Dallas, it was a no-brainer. Although the Bills lost that game by one point on the final play, it was the most exciting football experience I have ever been a part of. The atmosphere was so electric it gave me chills. As I said earlier, I haven’t been that emotionally involved in a game in ten years. I don’t know if it’s fair to expect the same kind of evening, but it’s sure worth a try.
You heard me talking about flex scheduling last week. Here’s how it works. The NFL will utilize this “flexible scheduling” on Sundays in Weeks 11-17. Flexible scheduling will ensure quality matchups in all NFL Sunday time slots in those weeks and give teams a chance to play their way onto prime time and into the late-afternoon 4:15 PM ET time slot on CBS and FOX. For each of the flexible scheduling weeks with the exception of Week 17, the NFL will announce the start times of games on Sundays no later than 12 days prior to that weekend. To ensure a Sunday night game and doubleheader games with playoff implications in Week 17, the flexible scheduling decision for that Sunday may be made on six days notice.
The Patriots will get a week of rest to prepare while the Bills travel to Miami, but here’s an interesting factoid on this game: the Bills are 9-0 all-time at home on Sunday nights.
Flex schedule sucks! this is the begining of the end folks. If the NFL thinks this is a good Idea, it just proves how disconnected they are with the history & fans of the NFL. Good teams, bad teams, who cares!the whole Idea of a schedule is so the team and the fans can prepare for game time.To start muck’in with game times in mid season is a nothing more than greed, to squeeze out few more Ad $’s(like they need it!)Just think what MLB, NBA fans would think if all the good time slots were the Yankee’s(yuk!)or the Lakers(hell no!)Hey NFL! the whole idea of Sunday night & Monday night football is so that the team & fans, good,bad or horrible have just a little of the limelight and excitment of those great venues(anything can happen to).If all NFL fans just cared about a good matchup week to week everyone would be only watching the same eight or so teams play(Yawn!) Im not pissed, I’m just sad that The NFL is now involved in cherry picking teams.THIS IS A BAD IDEA NFL!
The Flex schedule “SUCKS”
i life 3hrs from the Giants stadum with a 10 yr old son, who’s birthday falls on the washington game and a school nighr and now i have to tell him that because of $$$ and TV ratings he will have to miss it!!!!!!!
Just F the fans
The Sunday night game and Monday as well was just part of the teams year experiance!!
We waited all season watched every game, and now he wants a new team!!!
I sad it is not the player, but the owners, we will be writing a letter.
I beleive in my heart that it was a close Vote to do this, and our owners (the Giants) voted against it??
But when ESPN WOn the MNF the owner where in a bind and thought this would help!
BTW, IMO three game on Sunday is too much anyway.
how many couch potatoes need 12 hours of football on TV
better to be outside with your family and haveing some FUN!!!!
totally disgusted,
Life long FAN??????????
john p lycke