The NFL rarely announces schedule changes for two separate weeks at once, but it did exactly that on Monday. The league used its flex scheduling powers to switch networks for four games and move the kickoff time for one of them, CBS Sports reported.
Week 9: Nov. 8
Raiders at 49ers now kicks off at 4:25 p.m. ET on Fox instead of 4:05 p.m. ET on CBS, putting it in the week's prime late window. Fox has the national doubleheader that Sunday and will now have three games at 4:25, alongside Packers-Patriots and Cardinals-Seahawks. That leaves Texans at Chargers, at 4:05 p.m. ET, as the only late game on CBS.
Lions at Dolphins stays at 1 p.m. ET but moves from CBS to Fox.
Week 11: Nov. 22
Buccaneers at Lions moves from CBS to Fox at 1 p.m. ET, while Dolphins at Bills shifts from Fox to CBS in the same slot. The Bills move is the headline change; CBS Sports noted that Fox already had a Bills game this season, which likely made the network more willing to give this one up.
One decision remains for Week 9. The Buccaneers are slated to visit the Bears on Sunday night, and with the Buccaneers at 2-5, the league could flex the game out. It must decide by the end of the day Tuesday, Oct. 27. But the matchup is the Bears' only Sunday night game, and the Buccaneers have won two of their past three after an 0-4 start, so CBS Sports expects it may well stay put.
Reporting sources: CBS Sports Headlines, “NFL makes rare double flex move by tweaking the schedule in Week 9 and Week 11”.