NFL moves Panthers-Saints to Sunday Night Football on December 8

Nov 21, 2013; Atlanta, GA, USA; New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees (9) calls a play against the Atlanta Falcons during the second half at the Georgia Dome. The Saints defeated the Falcons 17-13. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports /

The NFL has opted to flex the Carolina Panthers vs. New Orleans Saints game to the Sunday Night Football time slot on December 8. This will move the admittedly unattractive Green Bay Packers vs. Atlanta Falcons contest to the 1:00 EDT slate on FOX.

This is the second Packers game that has been flexed out of Sunday Night Football on NBC since Aaron Rodgers’ injury after last week’s New York Giants game was also moved out of prime time. Obviously, the match-up with the Falcons was imminently more attractive when the schedule-makers put everything together prior to the season.

Rodgers’ fractured collarbone and the Falcons overall incompetence have changed the appeal (or lack thereof) of this particular game. Of course, all signs point to Rodgers returning in time for this game. Interestingly, it’s looking increasingly likely that this could be his first game back.

One would think that NBC would like the marketability of Rodgers’ comeback, but a divisional match-up with playoff implications is a sure thing, and it’s hard to fault the network for going in that direction.

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