Upcoming Patriots Matchup Could Soon Be Moved After NFL's Flex Decisions
The New England Patriots could be looking at a potential schedule change with less than a month remaining in the 2024 NFL regular season.
On Sunday morning, ESPN's Mike Reiss reported that the NFL is "strongly considering" flexing the Patriots' Week 17 clash with the Los Angeles Chargers. The upcoming showdown is currently slated to be played at 1 p.m. ET on Sunday, Dec. 29, however, the league is debating if it should be moved to Saturday afternoon instead.
Reiss added that an official decision "is expected by Monday."
Quick-hit thoughts/notes around the Patriots and NFL (QB vision on point; Jacoby Brissett's future; Drake Maye vs. Justin Herbert puts potential move to Saturday in play Week 17; was team sending message to Joey Slye?; Isaiah Bolden's draft-day tale etc.) https://t.co/cwX8lP1wS5
— Mike Reiss (@MikeReiss) December 15, 2024
December is the time of the year when the NFL most frequently flexes matchups. After all, the playoffs are nearly here and the league often does its best to put the spotlight on teams that are in the postseason hunt.
Although the Patriots have already been eliminated from playoff contention, the Chargers' Super Bowl dreams are still real. Jim Harbaugh's team currently has an 88% chance of qualifying for the postseason, per NFL Next Gen Stats, as it occupies the AFC's last playoff spot with an 8-6 record ahead of Week 16.
Interestingly enough, though, Patriots rookie quarterback Drake Maye could also play a role in the NFL's decision to flex the game or not.
"The NFL loves to promote its young quarterback stars," Reiss wrote. "If the game is moved to Saturday, it would be a chance to expose Maye to a nationally televised audience for the first time."
Although he's had some rough spots this season, the 2024 third-overall pick has done a good job of living up to the draft hype. Through his first nine NFL starts, Maye has completed 68.5% of passes for 1,898 passing yards, 12 touchdowns, nine interceptions, and an 88.4 passer rating while leading the Patriots to a 2-7 record. He's also turned 42 carries into 359 rushing yards and another pair of TDs.
Drake Maye makin' plays for the @Patriots TD!
— NFL (@NFL) December 15, 2024
📺: #NEvsAZ on CBS/Paramount+
📱: https://t.co/waVpO909ge pic.twitter.com/jVEltTKTo8
The 2024 season hasn't been kind to the Patriots, who'll now miss the playoffs for the third straight year. Hopefully, the NFL winds up flexing the Week 17 matchup vs. the Chargers to give New England fans one last thing to be excited about before the offseason arrives.
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