The NFL announced Monday it will flex the Week 9 game between the Indianapolis Colts and Minnesota Vikings in Minneapolis to NBC’s “Sunday Night Football” for an 8:20 p.m. ET kickoff. As a result, the Philadelphia Eagles will host the Jacksonville Jaguars outside of prime time at 4:05 p.m. on Nov. 3.
The Vikings have been one of the surprises of the season at 5-1 with their first loss of the year coming in Week 7 against the Detroit Lions. Meanwhile, the Colts are off to a 4-3 start. The last time the Colts and Vikings met came in Week 15 of the 2022 season, in which Minnesota rallied from a 33-point halftime deficit to complete the largest comeback in NFL history.
Jacksonville has struggled out of the gate with a 2-5 record, while Philadelphia is off to a 4-2 start. Jaguars coach Doug Pederson led the Eagles for five seasons, which included the team’s 2017 Super Bowl title.
The NFL implemented flexible scheduling for “Sunday Night Football” in 2006. This procedure allows for impactful matchups on Sunday night in all weeks and allows for teams to play their way into primetime games. In the 2024 season, this can also be used for ESPN’s “Monday Night Football” as well as Amazon Prime’s “Thursday Night Football” on a trial basis. Only Sunday afternoon games are eligible to be moved to prime-time spots.
In the case of “Sunday Night Football,” it may be used only twice in Weeks 5-10 and at the NFL’s discretion from Weeks 11-17. From Weeks 5-13, the change has to be announced no later than 12 days in advance of the game, while from Weeks 14-17 the decision will be made no later than six days from the game. The Week 18 game is determined at the conclusion of Week 17.
