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The NFL faces the challenge of satisfying all the partners of its television network when it sets its schedule.
When "Thursday Night of Football" became a more important priority, with a huge contract with Fox, the NFL had to stage quality matches on Thursday, while keeping NBC programming on Sunday night as its number one priority. The NFL also had to make sure that ESPN was not left out for "Monday Night Football". Oh, and Fox and CBS also need good games on Sunday afternoon.
The NFL has probably done its best work in 2018. All of the prime time games went awry – with the San Francisco 49ers scheduled for five games in prime time, quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo tore his ACL at beginning of the season. this is impossible to predict – but the league had a clear idea of how to maximize its prime time schedule with decisive matches.
Has the NFL done so well this year? Let's take a look at the prime time schedules (first of all, let's look at the top 10 teams that have peaked this season: Patriots, Eagles, Vikings, Bears, Cowboys, Chiefs, Packers, Seahawks , Steelers and Rams)):
Thursday night, football is unanimous
Thursday night was once the niche where the NFL was sticking its worst teams to give each club a prime time match during the season. A new lucrative deal with Fox has changed that. The NFL began channeling the best teams and the best games until Thursday.
This season is a mixed bag. There are fun games like the Philadelphia Eagles at Green Bay Packers (Week 4); Pittsburgh Steelers at Cleveland Browns (Week 11); and the Indianapolis Colts at Houston Texans (Week 12) – but it's not a strong slate from top to bottom. Relatively boring tams like the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the Jacksonville Jaguars and the Arizona Cardinals needed to win their first game in prime time, and they were played Thursday night.
Supporters will have the chance to see quarterback Baker Mayfield (6) of the Cleveland Browns in prime time this season. (AP)
This list includes all prime time games on the Thursday of the season, including the first game of the season (which airs on NBC) and the third match of Thanksgiving:
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<p class = "canvas-atom canvas-text Mb (1.0em) Mb (0) – sm Mt (0.8em) – sm" type = "text" content = "Week 3: Tennessee to Jacksonville "data-reactid =" 56 ">Week 3: Tennessee in Jacksonville
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<p class = "canvas-atom canvas-text Mb (1.0em) Mb (0) – sm Mt (0.8em) – sm" type = "text" content = "Week 5: L.A. Rams in Seattle "data-reactid =" 58 ">Week 5: L.A. Rams in Seattle
<p class = "canvas-atom canvas-text Mb (1.0em) Mb (0) – sm Mt (0.8em) – sm" type = "text" content = "Week 6: N.Y. Giants in New England "data-reactid =" 59 ">Week 6: N.Y. Giants at New England
<p class = "canvas-atom canvas-text Mb (1.0em) Mb (0) – sm Mt (0.8em) – sm" type = "text" content = "Week 7: Kansas City to Denver "data-reactid =" 60 ">Week 7: Kansas City to Denver
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<p class = "canvas-atom canvas-text Mb (1.0em) Mb (0) – sm Mt (0.8em) – sm" type = "text" content = "Week 14: Dallas to Chicago "data-reactid =" 67 ">Week 14: Dallas to Chicago
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The best matches are still going on Sunday night
The NFL wants NBC's "Sunday Night Football" to be its showcase. NBC must be delighted with the schedule.
It's hard to find a bad match in the pack. And even if it goes wrong, the NFL can use flexible planning later in the season to exchange it. Games like the Los Angeles Rams at the Cleveland Browns (third week); Indianapolis Colts at Kansas City Chiefs (Week 5); Philadelphia Eagles at the Dallas Cowboys (Week 7); or Green Bay Packers at Kansas City Chiefs (Week 8) have the potential of "Game of the Year".
It is clear from this range of games that the NFL wants to ensure that "SNF" remains a powerful ranking engine:
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<p class = "canvas-atom canvas-text Mb (1.0em) Mb (0) – sm Mt (0.8em) – sm" type = "text" content = "Week 2: Philadelphia to Atlanta "data-reactid =" 78 ">Week 2: Philadelphia to Atlanta
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<p class = "canvas-atom canvas-text Mb (1.0em) Mb (0) – sm Mt (0.8em) – sm" type = "text" content = "Week 5: Indianapolis in Kansas City "data-reactid =" 81 ">Week 5: Indianapolis to Kansas City
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<p class = "canvas-atom canvas-text Mb (1.0em) Mb (0) – sm Mt (0.8em) – sm" type = "text" content = "Week 7: Philadelphia to Dallas "data-reactid =" 83 ">Week 7: Philadelphia to Dallas
<p class = "canvas-atom canvas-text Mb (1.0em) Mb (0) – sm Mt (0.8em) – sm" type = "text" content = "Week 8: Green Bay in Kansas City "data-reactid =" 84 ">Week 8: Green Bay in Kansas City
<p class = "canvas-atom canvas-text Mb (1.0em) Mb (0) – sm Mt (0.8em) – sm" type = "text" content = "Week 9: New England in Baltimore "data-reactid =" 85 ">Week 9: New England in Baltimore
<p class = "canvas-atom canvas-text Mb (1.0em) Mb (0) – sm Mt (0.8em) – sm" type = "text" content = "Week 10: Minnesota to Dallas "data-reactid =" 86 ">Week 10: Minnesota to Dallas
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<p class = "canvas-atom canvas-text Mb (1.0em) Mb (0) – sm Mt (0.8em) – sm" type = "text" content = "Week 12: Seattle to Philadelphia "data-reactid =" 88 ">Week 12: Seattle to Philadelphia
<p class = "canvas-atom canvas-text Mb (1.0em) Mb (0) – sm Mt (0.8em) – sm" type = "text" content = "Week 13: New England to Houston "data-reactid =" 89 ">Week 13: New England in Houston
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Monday night might not have a lot of sizzle
For many years, since ESPN took over Monday Night Football, this franchise seemed a bit like an afterthought. The NFL featured its best games on Sunday night, often leaving ESPN with what appeared to be second-tier games. Last year's program might have been, from top to bottom, the best of ESPN.
The program this season seems to give ESPN still many remains. It starts strong with the Houston Texans at the New Orleans Saints in the first game of Monday's Week 1 double game. But the next time there's going to be a two-team match for the 2018 series, it's November 18th, when the Kansas City Chiefs and the Los Angeles Chargers play in Mexico City. A week later, the Baltimore Ravens play against the Los Angeles Rams. In the 15th week, the Indianapolis Colts play against the New Orleans Saints. These are the only "MNF" matches between two teams coming out of playoff positions.
ESPN is hoping for some great games, like a Green Bay Packers and Minnesota Vikings game in week 16, which could have huge repercussions in the playoffs:
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<p class = "canvas-atom canvas-text Mb (1.0em) Mb (0) – sm Mt (0.8em) – sm" type = "text" content = "Week 7: New England to N.Y. Jets "data-reactid =" 108 ">Week 7: New England to N.Y. Jets
<p class = "canvas-atom canvas-text Mb (1.0em) Mb (0) – sm Mt (0.8em) – sm" type = "text" content = "Week 8: Miami to Pittsburgh "data-reactid =" 109 ">Week 8: Miami to Pittsburgh
<p class = "canvas-atom canvas-text Mb (1.0em) Mb (0) – sm Mt (0.8em) – sm" type = "text" content = "Week 9: Dallas to N.Y. Giants "data-reactid =" 110 ">Week 9: Dallas at N.Y. Giants
<p class = "canvas-atom canvas-text Mb (1.0em) Mb (0) – sm Mt (0.8em) – sm" type = "text" content = "Week 10: Seattle to San Francisco "data-reactid =" 111 ">Week 10: Seattle to San Francisco
<p class = "canvas-atom canvas-text Mb (1.0em) Mb (0) – sm Mt (0.8em) – sm" type = "text" content = "Week 11: Kansas City at L.A Chargers "data-reactid =" 112 ">Week 11: Kansas City at L.A. Chargers
<p class = "canvas-atom canvas-text Mb (1.0em) Mb (0) – sm Mt (0.8em) – sm" type = "text" content = "Week 12: Baltimore at L.A. Rams "data-reactid =" 113 ">Week 12: Baltimore at L.A. Rams
<p class = "canvas-atom canvas-text Mb (1.0em) Mb (0) – sm Mt (0.8em) – sm" type = "text" content = "Week 13: Minnesota to Seattle "data-reactid =" 114 ">Week 13: Minnesota to Seattle
<p class = "canvas-atom canvas-text Mb (1.0em) Mb (0) – sm Mt (0.8em) – sm" type = "text" content = "Week 14: N.Y. Giants at Philadelphia "data-reactid =" 115 ">Week 14: N.Y. Giants in Philadelphia
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<p class = "canvas-atom canvas-text Mb (1.0em) Mb (0) – sm Mt (0.8em) – sm" type = "text" content = "Frank Schwab is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Send him an e-mail to & nbsp;[email protected]& nbsp; or follow him on Twitter! & nbsp;Follow @YahooSchwab"data-reactid =" 119 ">Frank Schwab is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter! Follow @YahooSchwab
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