Fansided

NFL Schedule 2019: Breaking down the primetime games

By Mike Phillips

ATLANTA, GEORGIA - FEBRUARY 03: Tom Brady #12 of the New England Patriots looks on before Super Bowl LIII against the Los Angeles Rams at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on February 03, 2019 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
ATLANTA, GEORGIA - FEBRUARY 03: Tom Brady #12 of the New England Patriots looks on before Super Bowl LIII against the Los Angeles Rams at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on February 03, 2019 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
2 of 9
Next
DETROIT, MI – DECEMBER 23: Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins (8) walks off of the field at the conclusion of a regular season game between the Minnesota Vikings and the Detroit Lions on December 23, 2018 at Ford Field in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Scott W. Grau/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
DETROIT, MI – DECEMBER 23: Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins (8) walks off of the field at the conclusion of a regular season game between the Minnesota Vikings and the Detroit Lions on December 23, 2018 at Ford Field in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Scott W. Grau/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

Sunday Night Football: Worst Games

Every year it feels like there’s one team that gets way too much love from the schedulers, and that team often ends up with a ton of primetime games, including some that get flexed out. That team this season is the Minnesota Vikings, which collapsed down the stretch in 2018 but still ended up on the Sunday night stage twice.

One of those matchups is against Dallas, so there’s no chance it goes anywhere even if one or both teams suffers. The other game comes all the way in Week 15, when the Vikings head to StubHub Center to take on the Los Angeles Chargers.

The Chargers could be a prime regression candidate this season, so there is an excellent chance this game ends up being flexed out of Sunday Night if either team underachieves. The Bears fit this category as well, and their Week 16 game with the Chiefs looks good on paper but could be another flex candidate if Mitchell Trubisky doesn’t take a big leap forward in 2019.

Another odd choice from the schedule makers was getting the Cleveland Browns a Sunday Night game in Week 3 against the Los Angeles Rams. The Browns are definitely an intriguing sleeper team this season and made headlines with the deal for Odell Beckham Jr, but sticking that game so early means it can’t be flexed out if something goes horribly wrong, so the NFL is placing a big bet on Cleveland being good.

Home/NFL Schedule