Packers-Lions Kickoff Time Changed

Here's the latest schedule change, plus a look at the NFC contenders' strength of schedules for the final five games.

GREEN BAY, Wis. – For the second consecutive week, the NFL tinkered with the schedule to put the Green Bay Packers in a bigger viewing window.

On Monday, the league pushed the start time of the Packers’ Week 14 game at the Detroit Lions on Dec. 13 to 3:25 p.m. The game had been scheduled for noon.

The Lions fired coach Matt Patricia on Saturday after their fourth blowout loss in a span of five games. Darrell Bevell, a former quarterback at Wisconsin and quarterbacks coach for the Packers, will serve as interim coach.

Last week, the Week 15 home game against the Carolina Panthers, which was scheduled to be played on Saturday, Dec. 19, or Sunday, Dec. 20, was set for 7:15 p.m. Dec. 19.

That means back-to-back primetime games for the Packers, who will host the Tennessee Titans on Sunday Night Football for the Week 16 game on Dec. 27.

Next week, the Packers will host the Philadelphia Eagles. Kickoff is set for 3:25 p.m. Sunday. The regular season is scheduled to conclude at noon Sunday, Jan. 3, at the Chicago Bears.

The Packers are battling the New Orleans Saints (9-2) and Seattle Seahawks (7-3 ahead of Monday night’s game at Philadelphia) for homefield advantage throughout the NFC playoffs.

Green Bay’s final games are against the Eagles (3-6-1 ahead of Monday night’s game against Seattle), Detroit (4-7), Carolina (4-8), Tennessee (8-3) and Chicago (5-6). That’s a combined record of 24-30-1, with only one game against a team with a winning record.

The Saints’ closing schedule: at the Atlanta Falcons (4-7) and Philadelphia Eagles (3-6-1), home against the Kansas City Chiefs (10-1) and Minnesota Vikings (5-6), and at the Carolina Panthers (4-8). That’s a combined record of 26-28-1, with only one game against a team with a winning record.

And the Seahawks’ final schedule: home against the New York Giants (4-7) and New York Jets (0-11), at the Washington Football Team (4-7), home against the Los Angeles Rams (7-4) and at the San Francisco 49ers (5-6). That’s a combined record of 20-35 and, like the others, against only one team with a winning record.