Ladies and gentlemen, a flex is upon us.
The NFL announced Monday that it would be moving Week 16's Patriots-Ravens matchup to Sunday Night Football at 8:20 p.m., while the Bengals-Dolphins game originally in that slot will move to 1 p.m. ET on CBS, per NFL Network's Ian Rapoport.
Flex: The NFL has moved #Patriots vs #Ravens for Week 16 to Sunday Night Football on NBC while #Bengals-#Dolphins will be played Sunday at 1 p.m. ET on CBS.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) December 8, 2025
The full, adjusted slate: pic.twitter.com/KZRPzFqeXC
The Patriots and Ravens last played back in September 2022, when Baltimore won 37–26. Lamar Jackson was under center for the Flock, but the Pats were, at the time, rallying behind Mac Jones, now a backup in San Francisco.
This go around, things should be much different. The 6-7 Ravens, currently 2nd in the AFC North, are fighting to stay alive in the postseason after an injury-impacted start to the year. The Patriots, meanwhile, are cruising right along at the top of the AFC East, and will almost certainly be riding a Drake Maye-fueled high into the playoffs (their first appearance since the 2021 season).
Considering both the Dolphins and the Bengals are technically still playoff-viable but have virtually no shot at a berth, it makes sense to shift New England-Baltimore into the prime-time window, especially if Week 15 sees the Ravens win and the division-leading Steelers lose.
The action kicks off at 8:20 p.m. ET on Dec. 21—but first, Baltimore will play the Bengals and New England will play the Bills this Sunday.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as NFL Flexes Patriots-Ravens to Prime-Time Spot in Week 16.
