Getty The Seahawks-Eagles matchup has been moved out of Sunday Night Football in Week 12.
Less than 24 hours after their primetime victory over the 49ers, the Seahawks found out they will not have the same opportunity against the Eagles in Week 12. The NFL announced that the Packers-49ers matchup has been flexed into Sunday Night Football and will replace the Seahawks-Eagles game.
The decision means the Seahawks will no longer have four straight games in primetime as originally scheduled, per Seahawks.com. Seattle has a bye in Week 11 and will return to play the Eagles on the road at 1 p.m. Eastern in Week 12. The Seahawks then face the Vikings on Monday Night Football in Week 13. Seattle will finally get their Sunday Night Football matchup in Week 14 as they take on the Rams in Los Angeles.
Why Was the Seahawks-Eagles Game Flexed Out for Week 12?
The explanation for the Seahawks-Eagles game getting switched out has more to do with the 49ers and Packers than anything else. If the playoffs started today, San Francisco and Green Bay would be the top two NFC seeds.
The Eagles have recovered from a slow start to the season and still have a chance at winning the NFC East. It is likely Philadelphia’s record that brought down the game’s chances of retaining its Sunday Night Football status. Here is how the NFL explains its flex scheduling rules.
In 2006 the NFL implemented a primetime “flexible scheduling” element on Sundays in Weeks 10-15 and in Week 17. In 2014 that was extended so that games between Weeks 5 and 17 could be affected by flex scheduling. However, only two games may be flexed into Sunday Night between Week 5 and 10…
The NFL will decide (after consultation with CBS, FOX, NBC) and announce as early as possible the game being played at 8:15 p.m. ET. The announcement will come no later than 12 days prior to the game.
The Seahawks Have a Chance to Win Both the NFC West & Earn 1 of the Top Seeds in the Conference
Regardless of when the Seahawks play, the good news for Seattle fans is that the team has a chance to win the NFC West, secure a first-round bye and potentially gain home-field advantage in the postseason. After the Seahawks win over the Niners, Seattle is just one game back for the division lead and the 49ers have one of the most difficult remaining schedules.
The bad news for Seahawks fans is that Seattle also has one of the most difficult remaining schedules with games against the Eagles, Vikings, Rams, Panthers and 49ers. If the Seahawks defense plays like it did in Week 10, Seattle will have as good of a chance as any team of earning one of the top two seeds. After their recent victory, Russell Wilson praised the play of Jadeveon Clowney against the 49ers.
“Clowney was playing lights out — that’s why we got him,” Wilson said, per Sporting News. “The plays he was making were incredible. He has been a force throughout his whole career and to have him on our football team is great. He was talking it up on the sidelines and focused. We were all together and he was one of the main leaders in that.”