The NFL’s flex scheduling rules throw a curveball in what fans expect to see on the Sunday slate. However, it also creates an opportunity for more highly-touted matchups to be played in primetime. Unfortunately, this won’t be the case for the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 11.
After facing the Washington Commanders on the road this week, the Steelers will host the Baltimore Ravens. This will be a battle between two of the top teams in the AFC and one that has divisional title implications on the line.
But despite its importance, a funky NFL rule will prevent this game from being played in primetime, sources tell Alan Saunders of Steelers Now.
When the NFL attempted to build the best possible TV schedule for each network, one of the clauses was that CBS was guaranteed to have at least one of every divisional matchup and FOX was guaranteed to have at least one of every NFC divisional matchup.
Because the Steelers vs. Ravens game on December 21 will be played on FOX, the NFL cannot legally take the Steelers-Ravens Week 11 game away from CBS and put it on NBC’s Sunday Night Football for the world to see.
NFL botches an opportunity for another Steelers primetime game
This week’s SNF game was originally set to feature the Indianapolis Colts and the New York Jets — two teams that combine for a 7-11 record at the halfway point of the 2024 season. Unless you’re intrigued by a battle of aging, struggling quarterbacks (Joe Flacco vs. Aaron Rodgers), there wouldn’t have been much incentive for casual fans to tune in.
The NFL recently flexed this game out for a stronger matchup between the LA Chargers and Cincinnati Bengals. This will be a better primetime game for football fans to watch… but it’s not the Steelers vs. Ravens.
Pittsburgh vs. Baltimore would have drawn a massive audience — not only because of its implications on the AFC North race but because these are two rival franchises with a bitter history against each other.
Just like the NFL’s new kickoff rule didn’t work out as planned, the league needs to go back to the drawing board after this season and figure out a solution around the flex schedule dilemma with network rights.
The Steelers vs. Ravens game deserves to be flexed to primetime, but the bizarre NFL rules with broadcasting networks won’t allow it. What a shame. Now the Chargers-Bengals game flexed to SNF is the only thing sparing us from watching the Colts vs. Jets in primetime.
