The NFL finally released its Week 17 lineup today, a mere 11 days before the start of those games. The good news is that only three games were moved to Saturday, but that may still cause more than a few problems for fans who booked travel on Saturday for an expected Sunday kickoff.
Let’s dig into the changes.
GAMES MOVED TO SATURDAY
Three games were moved to a Saturday start:
Los Angeles Chargers @ New England Patriots, 1:00pm ET
Denver Broncos @ Cincinnati Bengals, 4:30pm ET
Arizona Cardinals @ LA Rams, 5:00pm PT
Each of these has the potential to really screw up travel plans for fans.
Chargers fans flying from the West Coast won’t be able to get to a 1pm game at Gillette Stadium unless they’re on a Friday flight, so if you booked a Saturday flight into the New England area, it’s time to make changes immediately (or cancel your trip).
The Broncos-Bengals game could also be problematic for those who were flying on Saturday. There are only two flights out of Denver that will arrive in Cincinnati by 1pm, which would still be enough advance time to make the game (assuming no flight delays). But if you’re not on one of those flights, then a change to a Friday flight is a requirement.
The Cardinals-Rams game may be the least impacted by the schedule change. Cardinals fans can easily get to LA for a 5pm kickoff by taking any number of earlier flights on Saturday. For those who are planning to drive, you’ll probably be hitting the road earlier than you had planned, but still – there’s plenty of time to make that game.
THE REST OF WEEK 17
Week 17 was already a strange one, with two games scheduled for Christmas day. At 12ET, the Chiefs will play at the Steelers, and at 3:30CT the Ravens will play at the Texans. As holiday matchups go, these ended up being two excellent games to watch while you’re opening presents and eating fruit cake.
On Thursday night, the Bears will host the Seahawks at Soldier Field. Let’s all be thankful that this one wasn’t on Christmas.
The Sunday slate will have nine games, with the Commanders vs. Falcons game flexed into the Sunday night spot from DC.
Finally, Week 17 will end with the Lions at the 49ers on Monday night.
