Houston Texans vs. Denver Broncos Flexed to Noon Kickoff

With C.J. Stroud and a winning record, how much did the Texans become an intriguing team?

HOUSTON — The NFL announced Tuesday afternoon that the Houston Texans' Week 13 game against the Denver Broncos will be flexed from a 3:05 p.m. Central Time kickoff to noon. The league is instead moving the Carolina Panthers at Tampa Bay Buccaneers to the 3:05 window.

The flex may not be what fans hoped for. But according to NFL VP of Broadcast Planning Mike North, moving the Texans' game against the Broncos will give the team a chance to play in front of a larger audience. 

"When we say flexible scheduling, everyone assumes Sunday Night Football, Monday Night Football and Thursday Night Football," NFL VP of Broadcast Planning Mike North said. "But we move games on Sunday afternoon all the time. It is all about getting the game that deserves that wider audience into windows where more fans can watch them. And this is what this move is all about."

Broncos center Lloyd Cushenberry III (79) lines up across from the Houston Texans in the first quarter at Empower Field at Mile High / Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports

North said by moving the game, the Texans will not have to compete with Fox's broadcast of the Philadelphia Eagles and San Francisco 49ers. He added that CBS could broadcast Texans and Broncos to over half the country. 

There were talks of flexing Houston's Week 12 match against the Jacksonville Jaguars. But North said he and his team did not feel flexing a Monday night game during Thanksgiving week was a good idea.

During the 2023 season, the Texans have turned their franchise around. North said it has been fun watching the success of the Texans, who are entering their contest against the Jaguars with a 6-4 record. However, rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud is the main reason behind the league's interest in the Texans.

"This feels like a big miss by the scheduling team to not have the Texans in a national window," North said. "It's been a fun story to watch. C.J. worked his way into the nation's consciousness when he threw for 500 yards with five scores against Tampa [Bay Buccaneers]. 

"But the team was relevant and competitive before, which is a testament to the coach. Pretty early in the season, we realized coach [DeMeco] Ryans had them playing well and winning games. The fact that we are sitting here with a winning record — that could mean January."

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