@sabattis.bsky.social
It will be interesting to see what the NFL does here. They don’t need to flex, as SNF, MNF, and the GOTW all are at least “fine” - but the surplus of premiere matchups on CBS argues for doing something.
November 28, 2025 at 3:59 PM
It will be interesting to see what the NFL does here. They don’t need to flex, as SNF, MNF, and the GOTW all are at least “fine” - but the surplus of premiere matchups on CBS argues for doing something.
The Giants aren’t quite in the “Cowboys uber alles” tier of being a primetime draw, but they are right behind it. And it shows how hard these things are to predict before the season that if Skatteboo and Dart stay healthy, there’s no flex consideration at all here.
November 28, 2025 at 3:59 PM
The Giants aren’t quite in the “Cowboys uber alles” tier of being a primetime draw, but they are right behind it. And it shows how hard these things are to predict before the season that if Skatteboo and Dart stay healthy, there’s no flex consideration at all here.
I think Patriots-Giants is one of those non-division rivalry games that is always going to be a candidate for a MNF type window, unless one of the teams is truly awful. I don’t think the Cardinals performing closer to expectations at 5-6, up against a 6-5 Bucs team, would be a flex candidate there.
November 28, 2025 at 3:59 PM
I think Patriots-Giants is one of those non-division rivalry games that is always going to be a candidate for a MNF type window, unless one of the teams is truly awful. I don’t think the Cardinals performing closer to expectations at 5-6, up against a 6-5 Bucs team, would be a flex candidate there.
As for the 4pm games, Packers-Broncos began the year as one of the weaker GOTWs. I suspect Chargers-Chiefs was the CBS back-up plan in case the Packers or Broncos underperformed this year. Plus, you can’t put all of the Chiefs games in National Windows
November 28, 2025 at 12:45 PM
As for the 4pm games, Packers-Broncos began the year as one of the weaker GOTWs. I suspect Chargers-Chiefs was the CBS back-up plan in case the Packers or Broncos underperformed this year. Plus, you can’t put all of the Chiefs games in National Windows
As for Ravens-Bengals, once the NFL selected a schedule output with those teams playing twice in three weeks, it’s unlikely that the NFL would put both in National TV windows in three weeks. Since the first one was in Primetime, makes sense that the second anchors the 1pm window.
November 28, 2025 at 12:45 PM
As for Ravens-Bengals, once the NFL selected a schedule output with those teams playing twice in three weeks, it’s unlikely that the NFL would put both in National TV windows in three weeks. Since the first one was in Primetime, makes sense that the second anchors the 1pm window.
The NFL views flexing as primarily a means for avoiding absolutely terrible matchups, not as a means for replacing an average game with a slightly above average game.
November 28, 2025 at 12:45 PM
The NFL views flexing as primarily a means for avoiding absolutely terrible matchups, not as a means for replacing an average game with a slightly above average game.
I don’t know that the NFL is going to flex the New York Giants out of a Monday Night against an MVP-candidate QB that has had only a handful of primetime exposure in favor of two teams within a game of .500. I just don’t see that.
November 28, 2025 at 12:45 PM
I don’t know that the NFL is going to flex the New York Giants out of a Monday Night against an MVP-candidate QB that has had only a handful of primetime exposure in favor of two teams within a game of .500. I just don’t see that.
Or maybe just recognize that Peyton Manning couldn’t win the big one, until he did. Or that Andy Reid couldn’t win the big one, until he did.
November 28, 2025 at 12:38 PM
Or maybe just recognize that Peyton Manning couldn’t win the big one, until he did. Or that Andy Reid couldn’t win the big one, until he did.
Another way to think about “wasting” - if the Bills win on Sunday, they will be 8-4…. and the three teams with the QBs that have combined to win the previous 6 MVP trophies before Josh Allen will all be 6-6.
November 28, 2025 at 12:16 PM
Another way to think about “wasting” - if the Bills win on Sunday, they will be 8-4…. and the three teams with the QBs that have combined to win the previous 6 MVP trophies before Josh Allen will all be 6-6.
Honestly, there’s more HOF QBs than HOF Coaches. Finding a good coach isn’t easy, and McDermott is clearly a good one.
November 28, 2025 at 12:13 PM
Honestly, there’s more HOF QBs than HOF Coaches. Finding a good coach isn’t easy, and McDermott is clearly a good one.
The Bills went 17 years without one.
November 28, 2025 at 12:11 PM
The Bills went 17 years without one.
I don’t think the NFL could have predicted before the season that Bills-Patriots, let alone Colts-Seahawks would be premium matchups. Plus the NFL selected this schedule iteration from the computers knowing that they can bend the rules in a pinch if need be.
November 28, 2025 at 12:05 PM
I don’t think the NFL could have predicted before the season that Bills-Patriots, let alone Colts-Seahawks would be premium matchups. Plus the NFL selected this schedule iteration from the computers knowing that they can bend the rules in a pinch if need be.
The guy has won 5 straight Division Titles and you want to fire him?
November 28, 2025 at 3:33 AM
The guy has won 5 straight Division Titles and you want to fire him?
The Week 15 CBS slate is absolutely loaded with 4 premium matchups for two timeslots. I’m going to go out on a limb and say the NFL flexes one of them into Primetime. Maybe they promise CBS Allen-Mahomes XI (or XII) in 2026 to make it work.
November 27, 2025 at 7:56 PM
The Week 15 CBS slate is absolutely loaded with 4 premium matchups for two timeslots. I’m going to go out on a limb and say the NFL flexes one of them into Primetime. Maybe they promise CBS Allen-Mahomes XI (or XII) in 2026 to make it work.
Time will ultimately tell. If the Bills go 1-2 over their next three, I think we’ll all agree that the Bills have regressed from last year. If they go 3-0 over their next three, the Bills will be right about where they’ve been each of the last four years.
November 27, 2025 at 12:46 AM
Time will ultimately tell. If the Bills go 1-2 over their next three, I think we’ll all agree that the Bills have regressed from last year. If they go 3-0 over their next three, the Bills will be right about where they’ve been each of the last four years.
I think you could make an interesting case that the difference between last year and this year is as much about the Bills having above-average injury luck and above-average turnover luck last year, and this year the injury and turnover luck has been average to bad.
November 27, 2025 at 12:46 AM
I think you could make an interesting case that the difference between last year and this year is as much about the Bills having above-average injury luck and above-average turnover luck last year, and this year the injury and turnover luck has been average to bad.
If you consider the Bills as becoming legit contenders in 2021 (the year that ended in the 13 seconds game), the Bills have started those seasons 7-4 (before losing the next 2), 8-3, 6-5 (before going 6-6), and then 9-2 last year before going 7-4 again this year.
November 27, 2025 at 12:46 AM
If you consider the Bills as becoming legit contenders in 2021 (the year that ended in the 13 seconds game), the Bills have started those seasons 7-4 (before losing the next 2), 8-3, 6-5 (before going 6-6), and then 9-2 last year before going 7-4 again this year.
I get that, but that also arguably says more about the Patriots getting better and benefitting from an all-time historically weak schedule than it necessarily says about the Bills regressing.
November 27, 2025 at 12:46 AM
I get that, but that also arguably says more about the Patriots getting better and benefitting from an all-time historically weak schedule than it necessarily says about the Bills regressing.
Are the Bills regressing? They’re 7-4, still in contention for the Division and Josh is 5th in MVP odds. Have the Bills ever been much better than this over the past 5 seasons?
November 26, 2025 at 6:21 PM
Are the Bills regressing? They’re 7-4, still in contention for the Division and Josh is 5th in MVP odds. Have the Bills ever been much better than this over the past 5 seasons?
Honestly - they were all-time great teams! Playoffs are random!
November 25, 2025 at 9:55 PM
Honestly - they were all-time great teams! Playoffs are random!
Beane *tried* to trade for him on the Bills
November 25, 2025 at 6:56 PM
Beane *tried* to trade for him on the Bills
Unfortunately, no fan base ever reacts to a loss with “our team of course wasn’t going to go 20-0 (incl. playoffs) and so our team didn’t.”
November 24, 2025 at 9:25 PM
Unfortunately, no fan base ever reacts to a loss with “our team of course wasn’t going to go 20-0 (incl. playoffs) and so our team didn’t.”
Seriously? MLS gonna MLS.
November 23, 2025 at 3:22 PM
Seriously? MLS gonna MLS.