The Kansas City Chiefs are already scheduled to play in five prime-time games during the 2020 NFL season, but could they be due for more or fewer games as the season progresses?
The NFL’s policy on flexible scheduling allows networks to move two games to prime time during weeks 5-10 of the NFL season. During Week 11-16, every Sunday game is eligible to be scheduled at a different time slot unless they’ve been protected by the network. Networks are allowed to protect just one game during that span, which is usually announced in mid-October. Only games originally scheduled for 3:25 p.m. CT are allowed to be moved to “Sunday Night Football.” During Week 17, there is no game scheduled for Sunday night as the NFL always flexes a game with playoff implications to that slot.
Below you’ll find all of the games eligible for flexible scheduling and my thoughts on their likelihood to be moved from their original time slots.
Week 7: at Broncos – 3:25 p.m. on CBS
Likelihood: High
This game is actually one of the most likely games for flexible scheduling for the Chiefs. CBS has three afternoon Chiefs games and they’re only allowed to protect one from being bumped to NBC for “Sunday Night Football”. I anticipate that they’ll be protecting the Buccaneers game in Week 12 or the Saints game in Week 15. That’d leave this pivotal AFC West matchup with the ability to be moved to Sunday night over a matchup between the Raiders and Buccaneers in Las Vegas.
Week 8: vs. Jets – Noon on CBS
Likelihood: Low
Looking to the Week 8 game slate, I don’t anticipate this game drawing the number of eyes that would warrant a move to an afternoon slot over one of the other matchups. Right now, there’s not even a foreseeable storyline that could generate interest around this game. The NFL also tends to do more flexible scheduling, moving games from the early to afternoon slate, in the latter half of the season.
Week 9: vs. Panthers – Noon on FOX
Likelihood: Low
Again, looking at the slate of afternoon games, it’s hard to imagine that FOX or the NFL would be interested in flexing this game from its original spot. There’s definitely some intrigue with a first-year head coach facing the Super Bowl champions, but this doesn’t have the makings of a marquee matchup.
Week 11: at Raiders – 7:20 p.m. on NBC
Likelihood: Low
The Chiefs’ first trip to Allegiant Stadium is something that I have a feeling NBC will want to keep on the air in Week 11. There aren’t any games during the afternoon slots that are eligible for flexible scheduling and standout as immediate upgrades over this game. The AFC West rivalry between these two teams alone is enough to draw eyes on a Sunday night.
Week 12: at Buccaneers – 3:25 p.m. on CBS
Likelihood: High
As likely as this game is to be flexed, it’s also the most likely to be protected by CBS. They can only protect one of their games from flexible scheduling and they have three Chiefs games during the afternoon slot that all make sense. The Week 14 game between Kansas City (Patrick Mahomes) and New England (Tom Brady) in 2019, which was also an afternoon game, drew 28.1 million viewers. With Brady now in Tampa Bay, it’s safe to say that this matchup will draw similar intrigue. From a viewership standpoint, this is a game that CBS will want to keep away from NBC and “Sunday Night Football.”
Week 13: vs. Broncos – 7:20 p.m. on NBC
Likelihood: Medium
Could the Chiefs actually be flexed out of a prime-time game? It’s certainly possible, especially if NBC opts to supplant a previous prime-time game with a matchup between these same two teams. This would be a bummer for Chiefs fans as it’d takeaway one of only two home prime time games, but that’s something networks seldom consider when making these decisions. Kansas City would have just have been on primetime against the Raiders two weeks ago. Eagles-Packers, Giants-Seahawks and Patriots-Chargers would all be suitable replacement options
Week 14: at Dolphins – 12:00 p.m. on CBS
Likelihood: Medium
If Dolphins rookie QB Tua Tagavailoa gets off to a good start in the NFL, I could see this game getting bumped to the afternoon slot. It’s not eligible to be played on Sunday night because it’s not an afternoon game, but this is definitely one that could be on the move from noon to afternoon. We should have a better idea about this game as the 2020 NFL season progresses.
Week 15: at Saints – 3:25 p.m. on CBS
Likelihood: High
If CBS opts to protect the Chiefs’ game against the Buccaneers, this game will become the most likely candidate for flexible scheduling over any other game. You have a matchup between one of the greatest QBs of all-time in Drew Brees and one of the new stars of the NFL in Patrick Mahomes. The big problem with this game is that it would have to supplant what on paper looks to be a really good matchup between the Cowboys and the 49ers, which is already scheduled for “Sunday Night Football.”
Week 16: vs. Falcons – 12:00 p.m. on FOX
Likelihood: Low
A non-conference game that happens late in the season has little appeal for flexible scheduling. If I had to choose a single game in this list that is a lock to stay at its original slot, this would be the game. The only afternoon game scheduled for Sunday in Week 16 is one that could well determine the NFC East, with the Cowboys and Eagles facing off. There’s little to no chance this game gets bumped to the afternoon slot over that one.
Week 17: vs. Chargers – 12:00 p.m. on CBS
Likelihood: Medium
In Week 17, the NFL doesn’t schedule a “Sunday Night Football” game at all. This is because the league always plans to flex a game with playoff implications to the Sunday night slot. This game isn’t eligible to be flexed to Sunday night, but it can still be moved to Sunday afternoon. While the Chargers aren’t expected to be in the thick of the race for the AFC West, this could draw eyes because of the importance of seeding in the AFC.
