Patriots getting extra primetime game with new schedule flex
The NFL is flexing the New England Patriots-Baltimore Ravens Week 16 matchup from a 1:00 start to Sunday Night Football.
FOXBOROUGH, MASSACHUSETTS – DECEMBER 01: Drake Maye #10 of the New England Patriots makes a pass while under pressure during the second quarter of the game against the New York Giants at Gillette Stadium on December 01, 2025 in Foxborough, Massachusetts.
Maddie Meyer/Getty ImagesThe New England Patriots aren't done with primetime football just yet. Originally the team was scheduled for three primetime games this year and swept each day of the week, with wins on Sunday Night Football, Thursday Night Football, and most recently Monday Night Football. Now, another Sunday night game is being added to the docket.
As first reported by Doug Kyed of The Boston Herald, the NFL is flexing the Patriots' Week 16 game at the Baltimore Ravens to Sunday Night Football. That game was originally scheduled for a 1:00 p.m. ET kickoff. It will now kick off at 8:15. Coverage can be heard on 98.5 The Sports Hub and the Patriots Radio Network, starting at 5:00.
There are significant playoff implications for both teams in this game. There's a chance the Patriots will have locked up the AFC East by then - they can do so with a win over the Buffalo Bills this Sunday, but they're still chasing the Denver Broncos for the top seed in the AFC.
Meanwhile, the Ravens enter this week just one game behind the Pittsburgh Steelers for first place in the AFC North. They'll visit the Cincinnati Bengals this week before hosting the Patriots. That game will be the regular season home finale for the Ravens, who play their last two games of the year on the road.
This move replaces the originally scheduled game between the Bengals and Miami Dolphins. Both teams are currently under .500, although neither has been officially eliminated from the playoffs yet.
Patriots-Ravens was picked as the flex in a week that has a number of other big games. Significant matchups around the league that week also include the Packers at the Bears, Jaguars at the Broncos, and Buccaneers at the Panthers (there's also a Rams-Seahawks matchup, but that is already in primetime as Thursday Night Football).
Before the Patriots can look ahead to that primetime game though, they have a big game against the Bills this Sunday. Despite speculation that one could be flex, it's set for a 1:00 kickoff with pregame coverage beginning at 10:00 on 98.5 and the Patriots Radio Network.
