The Eagles are being flexed out of prime time.
The NFL announced on Tuesday that the Eagles matchup with the Seattle Seahawks in Week 12, originally scheduled for Sunday Night Football and an 8:20 kickoff time, has been moved to 1 p.m.
In its place will be the Green Bay Packers vs. the San Francisco 49ers.
On one hand, it could be looked at as slightly embarrassing that the Eagles were flexed out of a primetime game, especially against a top-quality opponent like Seattle. A matchup between Carson Wentz and Russell Wilson, with playoff implications, seems like a matchup the NFL would want — especially with a market like Philadelphia. At 5-4 and with a matchup against the New England Patriots up next, the NFL could be wary of putting a 5-5 Eagles' team in primetime against a very good Seattle team, considering the Eagles have looked shaky most of the season and were blown out by the Dallas Cowboys last time they were on Sunday Night Football.
On the other, the game being moved to 1 p.m. could be viewed as an advantage for the Eagles. The Seahawks will be coming from the west, and an early kickoff might be better for the Eagles, considering the time-zone change Seattle will be dealing with. Seattle coming off of their Bye Week could negate that a little bit if they travel out early, but overall not a bad thing to have the game kickoff earlier.
The matchup, whether it is primetime or not, is a critically important game for the Eagles as they try to find their way into the playoffs through either the NFC East title or the Wild Card.
You can reach Eliot Shorr-Parks on Twitter at @EliotShorrParks or email him at esp@94wip.com!
