Cincinnati Bengals vs. Cleveland Browns Flexed Out of Thursday Night Football

The Bengals won the first game against Cleveland this season.

Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow (9) walks off the field at the conclusion of the fourth quarter following a loss to the Cleveland Browns during an NFL Week 8 game, Monday, Oct. 31, 2022, at FirstEnergy Stadium in Cleveland. Nfl Cincinnati Bengals At Cleveland Browns Oct 31 0039 / Albert Cesare/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK

CINCINNATI – The Cincinnati Bengals’ Week 16 game against the Cleveland Browns isn’t just moving time slots, it’s switching days.

The NFL announced today that it would be flexing the 103rd renewal of the Battle of Ohio out of Thursday Night Football on Dec. 19, and moving it to 1 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 22.

The Bengals are 4-7 and have lost two in a row and three of their last four. The Browns are 3-8 and have lost seven of their last nine, including a 21-14 decision against Cincinnati in Week 7.

The NFL is moving the game between the Los Angeles Chargers and Denver Broncos into the Thursday night slot on Amazon Prime, which marks the first time ever the league has flexed a TNF game.

Technically, the deadline to announce the move was Thursday, but the NFL flubbed the 28-day minimum and leaned on semantics to wait until today announce it because the league didn't want to move the Browns out of Thursday Night Football on a day in which they were slated to play Thursday Night Football.

The Browns beat the Steelers 24-19 in the snow Thursday night.

For the Bengals, it's the second time in franchise history they have had a game flexed into primetime and had one flexed out in the same season.

The team’s Week 11 games against the Los Angeles Chargers was moved from a 4:25 p.m. start Cincinnati time into the Sunday Night Football slot.

In 2015, the Bengals had their Week 11 road game against the Arizona Cardinals moved into Sunday Night Football and their Week 15 road game at the San Francisco 49ers moved out of Sunday Night Football.

The most recent instance of the NFL flexing the Bengals out of primetime was in 2022 when their Week 11 game at Pittsburgh was moved off Sunday Night Football due to the Steelers being 3-6.

Cincinnati’s Week 14 road game against the Dallas Cowboys (3-7) is not eligible to be flexed due The Simpsons alt-cast that will air that night. All the drawings, voiceovers and other work have been done for weeks and there would be no way to recreate everything with two new teams before the Dec. 9 game.

For those asking, the Bengals-Cowboys MNF game is not eligible to be flexed out because of all the drawings, voiceovers and other work that has been done for The Simpsons alt-cast that will air that night.

— Jay Morrison (@ByJayMorrison) November 18, 2024

The Bengals have two other games that could be flexed into primetime.

In Week 17, their home game against the Denver Broncos is one of five possible matchups that could wind up in the three Saturday time slots – 1 p.m., 4:30 p.m., 8 p.m. – on Dec. 28.

The other four games that could be played in the Saturday slots are Cardinals (6-4) vs. Rams (5-5); Chargers (7-3) vs. Patriots (3-8); Colts (5-6) vs. Giants (2-8); and Falcons (6-5) vs. Commanders (7-4).

In addition to being eligible to play Saturday, the Bengals-Broncos game could be flexed into the Sunday Night Football slot, which currently has the Dolphins (4-6) facing the Browns (2-8).

And, of course, every Week 18 game is eligible to be flexed into Sunday Night Football. The league likes to have a win-and-in, lose-and-out scenario on the line in that season finale, and the Bengals could be in that position if they can go 5-0 or 4-1 in their next five games.

For more on the Bengals, subscribe to our YouTube Channel.

Make sure you bookmark BengalsTalk.com for the latest Bengals news, exclusive interviews, film breakdowns and so much more!

-----

Join the 47,000+ Bengals fans that subscribe to us on YouTube.

Follow us on Twitter: @BengalsTalkSI

Like Our Facebook Page

Follow on TikTok