When Does the NFL Flex Schedule Start in 2021?

The NFL season is nearly upon us and that means it’s time to start thinking about the NFL flex schedule. Here’s everything you need to know about when the NFL flex schedule starts in 2021.

Introduction

The NFL released its full 2021 regular season schedule on Wednesday, and with that we now know when the flex scheduling will start.
For those unfamiliar, the flex scheduling is a tool the NFL began using a few years ago in order to ensure that the best possible matchups are being shown in primetime on Sunday nights.

The NFL can flex a game into the Sunday night slot as late as two weeks before it is set to be played. So, for example, if a game between two struggling teams is set for Week 5 on Sunday night, but a much more attractive matchup takes place in Week 7, the NFL can choose to switch those games and have the better matchup play in Week 5 on Sunday night.

The NFL usually waits until at least Week 8 to start flexing games, but given that there are some intriguing potential matchups early on in the season, it’s possible we could see some flexing as early as Week 5.

Here are some of the potential games that could be flexed into primetime on Sunday nights:
-Week 5: Indianapolis Colts at Pittsburgh Steelers
-Week 6: Green Bay Packers at Tampa Bay Buccaneers
-Week 7: Seattle Seahawks at Arizona Cardinals

What is the NFL Flex Schedule?

The NFL’s flex scheduling system allows the league to move games that were originally scheduled for 1:00 p.m. ET to a different time slot on Sundays. The games that are moved are typically decided 12 days in advance, but can also be decided six days in advance if the game is being moved to Sunday night.

The NFL usually starts its flex scheduling system in Week 11 of the regular season, but there have been occasions where it has started as early as Week 5.

When Does the NFL Flex Schedule Start in 2021?

When Does the NFL Flex Schedule Start in 2021?
The 2021 NFL season is scheduled to begin on September 9th. The regular season will conclude on January 9th, 2022. The playoffs are scheduled to begin on January 16th and the Super Bowl is scheduled to be played on February 6th.

The NFL has a flex scheduling system that they can use in order to optimize the matchups for their Sunday Night Football broadcast. This system can be used beginning in Week 5 of the season and running through to the end of the season.

The NFL gives themselves a two-week window in which they can move games around for their Sunday Night Football broadcast. They will announce any changes to the schedule no later than 12 days before the game is set to be played.

The NFL has used this flex scheduling system since 2006 in order to ensure that their Sunday Night Football broadcast features the most marquee matchups possible. It has been a very successful system and has led to increased ratings for Sunday Night Football.

How Does the NFL Flex Schedule Work?

The NFL’s flex scheduling is when the league moves games between Sundays to feature the most interesting match-ups late in the season. It starts in Week 5 of the NFL season and can go all the way until Week 17.

There are a few reasons why the NFL decided to start using flex scheduling. The first reason is because it increases ratings late in the season. People are more likely to watch a game that has playoff implications, and by moving games around, the NFL can ensure that there are more games with playoff implications late in the season.

Another reason is because it increases ticket sales. If a team is doing well late in the season, they are more likely to sell out their stadium if they know that they will be playing a big game on a Sunday night.

The last reason is because it gives teams a better chance to make the playoffs. If a team is on a hot streak late in the season, they can get moved to a Sunday night game and get more exposure. This could potentially lead to that team making the playoffs over a team that did not have as many Sunday night games.

Flex scheduling only applies to games that are played on Sundays. The NFL does not have flex scheduling for Monday Night Football or Thursday Night Football.

Who Decides Which Games are Flexed?

The NFL’s Broadcast Committee, which is made up of league executives and broadcast partners CBS, FOX, and NBC, decide which games will be flexed into prime time. The Committee meets in October to make their decision, with the option to flex games as late as six days before they are played.

This year, the NFL has four weeks of flex games: Weeks 11-14. In Week 11, the committee has the option to flex a game on Sunday night (November 21) or on Monday night (November 22). In Week 12, the committee can decide to flex a game on Sunday night (November 28) or on Saturday (November 27). In Week 13, the committee can choose to flex a game on Sunday night (December 5) or on Saturday (December 4). And in Week 14, the committee can flex a game on Sunday night (December 12) or on Saturday night (December 11).

What Criteria is Used to Determine Which Games are Flexed?

The NFL’s exciting Week 16 slate is locked in, and there are several interesting matchups that could have a big impact on the playoff picture. But there is one game that will have particular significance: the New Orleans Saints at the Kansas City Chiefs. This game was flexed from its original spot in the 1 p.m. ET time slot to the 4:25 p.m. slot on Sunday, December 20th.

The NFL has a “flexible scheduling” system that it can use to move games around in order to showcase the most attractive matchups in the second half of the season. Flexible scheduling can be used for Weeks 10-15 and 17 of the NFL season (it cannot be used for Week 16 because that is when most NFL teams play their final regular season games).

The criteria that the NFL uses to determine which games are flexed are as follows:
– The game must involve at least one team that is either in first place in its division or within one game of first place.
– The game cannot be shifted to Sunday Night Football (which is reserved for games with national appeal).
– The game must be moved to a time slot that gives it a better chance of being seen by a national audience (for example, moving a 1 p.m. ET game to 4:25 p.m. ET).

What are the Benefits of the NFL Flex Schedule?

The NFL Flex Schedule is designed to ensure that the most competitive and popular games are seen by the largest audiences possible late in the season. NFL Flex Scheduling can occur as early as week five of the NFL season and as late as week 17.

The NFL regular season is 17 weeks long, but because NFL teams only play 16 games, there is one bye week built into the schedule for each team. The bye week typically occurs between weeks four and ten of the NFL season.

If a game scheduled for a particular week is not “competitive” or “popular,” the NFL has the option of “flexing” that game to a different time slot on a different day. The goal of flex scheduling is to put the best possible match-up on television in the most watched time slot on Sunday afternoon (the 4:05 or 4:25 pm ET time slot on CBS and FOX).

What are the Drawbacks of the NFL Flex Schedule?

-There are a few potential drawbacks of the NFL flex schedule.
-First, it could potentially disrupt team momentum if a team is doing well and then has its bye week or vice versa.
-It could also create issues with ticketing and travel plans for fans if the dates or times of games change.
-Lastly, it’s possible that the players may not like the idea of having their schedules constantly changing and not know when their bye weeks will be, which could lead to fatigue later in the season.

Conclusion

The NFL’s flex scheduling system is designed to ensure competitive games in weeks 11-17. In 2021, the NFL will again use flex scheduling for Sundays during that span ( Weeks 11-17). The start times for those games will be announced no later than 12 days prior to the game.