It appears as if the Kirk Cousins return game will also be a prime-time game?
According to multiple media reports, including one by our own JP Finlay, the Week 17 game between the Commanders and Falcons is going to be flexed to the Sunday Night Football spot.
Finlay was one of those reports with this post on X from an NFL Media internal site, although NFL.com’s official Week 17 schedule now also has Washington-Atlanta listed as the Sunday nighter.
NFL rules say that games in Weeks 14-17 can be flexed into the Sunday night spot no later than six days in advance (meaning that Monday), while Monday night games can be flexed in 12 days in advance (meaning today/tomorrow for Week 17’s MNF finale).
Miami vs. Cleveland, a matchup of two sub-.500 teams with only Miami having dim playoff hopes, was in that spot, but has reportedly been flexed to 4:05 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 29.
The Commanders play the Eagles - who can clinch the NFC East with a win or tie - and the Falcons play the Giants this weekend, so, in addition to Cousins returning to Landover, this game could have big playoff implications – should Washington lose and Atlanta win, they would be 9-6 and 8-7 respectively, meaning an Atlanta Week 17 win would vault the Falcons ahead of the Commanders in the playoff hunt.
That is, of course, not counting the Rams and Cardinals, who were also one of the five TBD games in Week 17 (and six who could be flexed, along with the Packers-Vikings game) and will now, per the NFL.com schedule, play the 8:15 p.m. NFL Network game on Saturday, Dec. 28.
With Los Angeles (8-6) playing the Jets and Arizona (7-7) playing the Panthers in Week 16, that matchup could also determine who ends up winning the NFC West and who ends up competing with Washington, and perhaps Atlanta and Seattle, for the final playoff spot in the NFC.