With playoff races heating up, the NFL is looking to the schedule to help spice things up on national TV. The league announced today that the Chicago Bears vs. Green Bay Packers game at Soldier Field will now be played on Saturday, December 20 at 7:20pm CT.
The other Saturday game for that week, the Eagles at the Commanders, also had its time finalized: it will now be played at 5:00pm ET at Northwest Stadium.
With the Bears currently leading the Packers by half a game (due to the Packers having a tie on their record), the game has the potential to decide the division.
The Eagles-Commanders game is far less compelling, with Washington all but eliminated from playoff contention. Still, this game had been previously announced for that Saturday, so the best the NFL could do was move it to the earlier time slot.
How does this affect travel for fans?
Actually, it really shouldn’t have any negative effect. Fans who were planning a Sunday noon game between the Bears and Packers were likely staying overnight on Saturday, and those plans wouldn’t need to change now that the game is on Saturday night. If anything, it will create more options for return travel on Sunday.
Of course, if you were going to drive into Chicago early on Sunday morning, your plans may need to change, so plan accordingly.
For the Washington-Philadelphia game, it probably helps traveling Eagles fans, since they’ll easily be able to drive from DC back to Philly after the game ends.
Schedule Scout – what other sporting events are now available given this new schedule?
Well, for fans in the DC area, the Capitals will host the Red Wings at 12:30pm ET at Capital One Arena in downtown D.C. If the game ends at 3:15, there’s probably still time to get to Northwest Stadium for the game at 5:00pm ET. And for those who want more sports, the Wizards will host the Spurs on Sunday night at 7:00pm ET.
For those who would prefer a little more football, the Ravens will host the Patriots at M&T Bank Stadium on Sunday, December 21 at 1:00pm ET.
In Chicago, you’ll likely be one-and-done with the Bears-Packers game. Both the Bulls and Blackhawks are on the road this weekend, so you’ll be able to get a little Christmas sightseeing done in Chicago on Sunday.
