Evaluating Which Games the NFL Should Flex Over the Next Several Weeks

The NFL will have some choices to make in upcoming weeks about flexing out terrible matchups.

Commanders QB Jayden Daniels has emerged as one of the the most exciting players in the NFL. / Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

1. Here’s what I wrote in the Sept. 30 edition of Traina Thoughts: “Fox and CBS better start giving Washington better game broadcasters, because the Commanders are in the top five of most fun teams to watch in the NFL … Because of [Jayden] Daniels, Washington will be a team you see flexed into spots later this season.”

Right on cue, the NFL announced Tuesday that it is flexing Washington’s game against Chicago into the money 4:25 p.m. ET spot in Week 8, with the Eagles and Bengals getting moved out of 4:25 and into a 1 p.m. spot.

Now that we have a clear picture of which teams are good, which teams are bad and which teams are unwatchable, let’s evaluate the NFL’s schedule through Thanksgiving to see if there are other flex possibilities and to see how many great standalone games are on the horizon. Keep in mind, Monday night games can't be flexed until Week 12 and Thursday night can't be flexed until Week 13, so some of these are just hypotheticals and fantasy booking.

WEEK 9

Thursday Night Football: Texans at Jets
Sunday national 4:25 game: Lions at Packers
Sunday Night Football: Jaguars at Eagles
Monday Night Football: Bucs at Chiefs

The takeaway: Decent Thursday night game. Great national game at 4:25. Solid Monday night game. Sunday night is a disaster. The problem the NFL and NBC have here is that there isn’t really a great game to flex in. It’s all pigs. These would be the options: Broncos at Ravens; Raiders at Bengals; Patriots at Titans; Saints at Panthers; Cowboys at Falcons; Dolphins at Bills; Chargers at Browns; Colts at Vikings; Commanders at Giants; Bears at Cardinals; Rams at Seahawks.

I guess you could swap in Bears at Cardinals to give the nation another look at Caleb Williams. But not one of these matchups feature a game between two winning teams, so my guess is that the flex won’t be used.

WEEK 10

Thursday Night Football: Bengals at Ravens
Sunday national 4:25 game: Eagles at Cowboys
Sunday Night Football: Lions at Texans
Monday Night Football: Dolphins at Rams

Good Thursday night game. Excellent Sunday night game. Monday is atrocious. NFL and ESPN would be smart to dump Dolphins-Rams and swap in either Steelers at Commanders or Niners at Bucs.

There’s no chance Eagles-Cowboys would get flexed. And it’s too bad International games can’t get flexed because we are being treated to a vile 9:30 a.m. ET game featuring the Giants and Panthers.

WEEK 11:

Thursday Night Football: Eagles at Commanders
Sunday national 4:25 game: Chiefs at Bills
Sunday Night Football: Colts at Jets
Monday Night Football: Texans at Cowboys

Jayden Daniels on TNF is nice. Awesome game in the late window on Sunday. ESPN isn’t flexing out of Texans-Cowboys on Monday even though the Dallas overload is hard to take for the real NFL fan.

The league likely won’t flex out of Colts-Jets because of the New York market and trainwreck aspect of the Jets. But Ravens-Steelers and Packers-Bears, both in the 1 p.m. Sunday slots are much, much better games than Colts-Jets.

WEEK12

Thursday Night Football: Steelers at Browns
Sunday national 4:25 game: Niners at Packers
Sunday Night Football: Eagles at Rams
Monday Night Football: Ravens at Chargers

The late Sunday game is great and the Monday night game is good. The Browns might be the most unwatchable team in the NFL. We, as a nation, should not be subjected to watching them on a Thursday night. I’d love to see the NFL flex in Vikings at Bears, which is currently a Sunday 1 p.m. game.

WEEK 13

Thanksgiving
Bears at Lions
Giants at Cowboys
Dolphins at Packers

Black Friday: Raiders at Chiefs
Sunday national 4:25 game: Eagles at Ravens
Sunday Night Football: Niners at Bills
Monday Night Football: Browns at Broncos

The best Thanksgiving game is easily the early game. If you’re someone who doesn’t like the night game on Thanksgiving, you’re in luck, because you can easily blow off the Dolphins. I never want to see the Raiders in a standalone game, but that’s what we’re stuck with on Black Friday. The Sunday night game is excellent. Monday absolutely must get flexed. ESPN’s choices for a new Monday night game include Steelers at Bengals or Chargers at Falcons.

I love flex season!

2. It’s not often this happens, but the MLB playoffs have put a little dent in the NFL’s ratings. On Sunday night, Game 1 of the Mets-Dodgers NLCS on Fox drew 8.5 million viewers. It was the most-watched Game 1 of an LCS since 2009.

Meanwhile, Bengals-Giants drew 15.4 million viewers for NBC’s Sunday Night Football. It was the least-watched Sunday night football game since 2020.

It was also the rare week when Monday Night Football on ABC/ESPN drew more viewers than Sunday Night Football. Bills-Jets pulled in 17.3 million viewers.

3. With Tom Brady officially getting a piece of the Raiders, he now has the following restrictions as a broadcaster.

Here’s how it’s going to impact his day-to-day life with his broadcasting gig 👀

(via @SethWickersham) pic.twitter.com/JUSORiNwxI

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) October 15, 2024

Brady can get around the lack of access to teams, but not being able to criticize clubs and officials is a big problem.

4. This is a total legit question that I hope someone out there can answer for me. Is this schtick from Mike Greenberg or is this real? I don't know which is worse, but I need to know.

"THE JETS ARE BACK..

THE JETS ARE ABSOLUTELY BACK IN BUSINESS..

JUST WHEN I THOUGHT WE WERE DONE..

WE ARE RIGHT BACK IN IT" ~ @Espngreeny #PMSLive #JetUp https://t.co/jIkQzQDeIF pic.twitter.com/4A2IDHRKUQ

— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) October 15, 2024

5. For anyone who thinks legendary Yankees radio broadcaster John Sterling never criticizes the team, just listen to this.

That's what they do- run the bases like drunks! pic.twitter.com/YTaL72aZSK

— John Sterling Calls (@JSterlingCalls) October 16, 2024

6. The latest episode of SI Media With Jimmy Traina features an outstanding conversation with ESPN’s Paul Finebaum.

Finebaum talks about what it’s like to cover SEC football and deal with those fans, what goes into doing a daily four-hour radio show solo, his interviewing philosophy and his all-time favorite job.

Finebaum also discusses how the expanded playoff affects college football’s regular season, why he isn’t a regular on College GameDay, how he once got Lane Kiffin fired, his feud with wrestling legend Ric Flair, why college football needs to start its season earlier, whether coaches cover the point spread for boosters, the craziest moment of his career and much more.

Following Finebaum, Sal Licata from WFAN radio and SNY TV in New York joins me for our weekly “Traina Thoughts” segment. This week, Sal explains what it’s like when huge breaking news happens while being on air, the problem with MLB postseason broadcasters, the Jets firing Robert Saleh and more.

You can listen to the SI Media With Jimmy Traina below or on Apple and Spotify.

You can also watch SI Media With Jimmy Traina on Sports Illustrated‘s YouTube channel.

7. RANDOM VIDEO OF THE DAY: On this date in 1991, Jerry Seinfeld discovered he had an overdue library book from 1971.

Be sure to catch up on past editions of Traina Thoughts and check out the Sports Illustrated Media Podcast hosted by Jimmy Traina on Apple, Spotify or Google. You can also follow Jimmy on Twitter and Instagram.