Saints-Rams Week 16 Matchup on TNF Could Get Flexed

The NFL's Thursday Night Flex scheduling approval means Saints fans will have to keep an eye on things for their game against the Rams in Week 16.

John Hendrix | May 22, 2023

Saints-Rams Week 16 Matchup on TNF Could Get Flexed /

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Saints fans may want to keep a close watch on any travel they've booked for December. At the Spring League Meeting in Minneapolis, the NFL has approval to move forward with Thursday Night Flex scheduling. The Week 16 Saints vs. Rams game in Los Angeles will be one of those matchups that could be affected.

New Orleans was one of several teams who opposed the flex scheduling, as two teams abstained from voting and did not get the necessary amount of 24 votes to go forward. This time around, the league got the two votes it needed to pass the proposition. Coincidentally, the Saints got two Thursday Night Football games this season.

Per the approval, this would mean the league could swap a Sunday game into the Thursday slot. It would need a 28-day notice, and affects all the matchups from Week 13-17. No club will be required by virtue of flexible scheduling to switch from Sunday afternoon to Thursday night on more than one occasion, or to play more than two games on Thursday night in total, in any season.

So, if you're planning on going to the Saints-Rams game on Dec. 21, you're supposed to get a fairly advanced notice if the NFL plans to swap a more interesting game to that slot, which would move that matchup to Dec. 24. That's not exactly ideal if you're planning to be home for Christmas. It would also mean New Orleans would lose a primetime game.

We'll see how this goes, as we should have a pretty good idea where things lineup in November. However, stay in the know and be prepared for a logistical nightmare.

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Published May 22, 2023

JOHN HENDRIX

I officially started covering the New Orleans Saints & other NFL topics in 2011. My work has been featured on various outlets over the years. I worked closely with Skyhorse Publishing in Fall 2018 to update the book, Tales From the New Orleans Saints Sidelines, which filled in all Saints material from the 2013-2017 seasons. Prior to joining Saints News Network, I served as the Managing Editor of SB Nation's Canal Street Chronicles for 3.5 years, and before that with FanSided's Who Dat Dish as the Managing Editor for several years. I have also had experiences of being a freelance Saints reporter for The Sun Herald in Biloxi, MS and a contributing writer for WDSU, a local NBC TV station in New Orleans. I have appeared on a vast amount of TV and Radio shows, both nationally and locally. For tips, comments, or suggestions, please contact me at johnhendrix@saintsnews.net