NFL Flex Scheduling: Jets vs. Bills Not Flexed Out of 1:00 Kickoff

Despite a Playoff spot being on the line and the obvious storylines that come with the Jets facing former head coach Rex Ryan in a huge game, the Week 17 game between the Jets and the Bills has not been flexed out of its original 1:00 timeslot.

The matchup between the Vikings and the Packers that will decide the NFC North title has been moved to the Sunday Night timeslot on NBC.

The Jets-Bills contest also could have been flexed into the late afternoon timeslot, but the league opted against it. The Chiefs-Raiders and Panthers-Buccaneers games were moved from early afternoon into late afternoon.

If you look at how the NFL handled this, it actually seems pretty fair. The teams competing against each other are all playing at the same time now. The Steelers and the Jets are in early games. The Panthers and the Cardinals are in the late afternoon games going for the top seed in the NFC. So are the Chiefs and the Broncos battling for the AFC West.

This prevents a situation where a team gains an advantage before playing and gets to rest its starters.