We’ve got our first FLEX ALERT of the 2022 NFL season.
On Tuesday, the league announced that Week 11’s Sunday Night Football game would be Chiefs-Chargers.
Bengals-Steelers is getting flexed out of the primetime window and will air at 4:25 PM ET on CBS.
🚨 WEEK 11 SCHEDULE FLEX ALERT 🚨@Chiefs vs. @chargers will now be played on SNF on NBC. @Bengals vs. @steelers moves to 4:25pm ET on CBS. pic.twitter.com/udwtGWBXq1
— NFL (@NFL) November 8, 2022
In that 4:25 PM window, Bengals-Steelers won’t be seen by much of the country – CBS has a tantalizing Vikings-Cowboys matchup at the same time in the second half of their doubleheader.
While it’s a surprise to see the Steelers, always a strong ratings draw for the league, flexed out of primetime, it’s a reasonable move by the NFL. Pittsburgh is 2-6 and in the basement of the AFC North with the worst point differential in the entire league. The AFC champion Bengals are playing fine at 5-4, but the Chiefs and Chargers are both ahead of them in the AFC standings.
As for whether or not there will be any more SNF flexes this season, keep an eye on Week 15. Patriots-Raiders is the currently scheduled game. New England is 5-4, but last place in the loaded AFC East, and Las Vegas is 2-6 and last in the AFC West. Dolphins-Bills will take place that weekend and doesn’t currently have a network or start time assignment, and that would be an easy choice to flex in.
