THE NFL has revealed big changes to their Week 17 schedule which will include a primetime game swap.
On Tuesday, the league announced the six teams that will be playing on Saturday, December 28.
Washington Commanders star Jayden Daniels celebrates after beating the New Orleans Saints 20-19 in Week 15[/caption]
When the NFL schedule was revealed in May, the league announced that there would be three games played on the Saturday of Week 17, and listed a total of five contests to choose from that could be flexed to that day.
So this week, the NFL announced that there will be three games played on Saturday, December 27: the Los Angeles Chargers taking on the New England Patriots at 1:00 pm Eastern, the Denver Broncos facing the Cincinnati Bengals at 4:30 pm Eastern, and the Arizona Cardinals at the Los Angeles Rams at 8:15 pm Eastern.
If the Broncos beat the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 16, Denver would clinch a playoff spot.
If that scenario were to happen, at least two of those Saturday contests would have playoff implications.
Each of the games will air on NFL Network.
The other two contests that didn’t get selected for Saturday will now be played on Sunday, December 29.
Those two games will be the Indianapolis Colts versus the New York Giants and Atlanta Falcons at the Washington Commanders.
The Colts-Giants matchup has been changed to Sunday at 1:00 pm Eastern while the latter game will be a primetime showdown.
The Commanders game will now be a Sunday Night Football game on NBC in Week 17, and the Miami Dolphins-Cleveland Browns matchup will be moved from the spot.
The Miami-Cleveland contest will be at 4:05 pm Eastern.
Miami is currently 6-8 and has just a four percent chance of making the playoffs, per the New York Times, while the Browns are currently 3-11.
The Commanders and Falcons will have plenty to play for in Week 17.
Jayden Daniels and the Washington squad are currently 9-5 and if the Falcons beat the Giants this week and the Commanders lose to the Philadelphia Eagles, then Atlanta would be just one game in back of Washington in the NFC wild-card standings ahead of Week 17.
Week 17 will have its first and only Saturday tripleheader of the season.
The NFL will have an unusual schedule heading into the Saturday games.
There will be two Wednesday games as the league will have a doubleheader on Christmas Day.
The two games will involve the Kansas City Chiefs at the Pittsburgh Steelers followed by the Baltimore Ravens on the road versus the Houston Texans.
All four times have clinched playoff berths in the AFC.
The Chiefs need to win two of their final three games to clinch the No. 1 seed in the conference.
The Steelers and Ravens will face each other this week as Pittsburgh can win the AFC North title with a win.
The Texans clinched the AFC West title over the weekend.
Atlanta Falcons rookie signal-caller Michael Penix Jr. walks off the field following the team’s 15-9 win on Monday Night Football[/caption]
