At the conclusion of the Sunday Night Football game, the broadcast team announced the schedule for the final week of the NFL season. In a move that should come as no surprise to Minnesota Vikings fans after the loss to the Green Bay Packers, Minnesota was given the early afternoon block for their season-ending game against the Detroit Lions.
The full Week 18 schedule:
Saturday:
– 4:30 ET: Steelers-Ravens
– 8:15 ET: Texans-ColtsSunday, 1:00 ET:
– Jets-Patriots
– Falcons-Saints
– Bucs-Panthers
– Vikings-Lions
– Browns-Bengals
– Jaguars-TitansSunday, 4:25 ET:
– Packers-Bears
– Seahawks-Cardinals
– Eagles-Giants
-…— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) January 1, 2024
The NFL leaves the last week of the season’s schedule open so they can have as many important games in primetime spots as possible. Had the Vikings been able to win on Sunday night against the Packers, they would have had a chance to be in the late afternoon slot, as they would still have likely been in a win-and-you’re-in scenario.
With the loss, the NFL schedule makers have opted to give those prime viewing spots to more relevant games. The Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens are the first game of the week, with the Steelers still in the hunt in the AFC playoff picture. That game is followed on Saturday night by the Houston Texans and Indianapolis Colts, playing for a chance to take home the AFC South crown
The late window on Sunday has a number of playoff-relevant matchups, including the Packers-Bears game, which thanks to the Packers win puts them in the ‘win and you’re in’ scenario Minnesota would have been in. The season wraps up on Sunday Night with the Buffalo Bills and Miami Dolphins playing for the AFC East crown.
