UPDATED: Can the Houston Texans Get Flexed to a Primetime Game?
UPDATED: Can the Houston Texans Get Flexed to a Primetime Game?
It's a simple question with a complicated answer
The Houston Texans are set to play almost every game of their 2023 season at the same time. Only a December matchup with the Broncos and a yet-to-be-determined start time with the Colts break from the noon kickoff on Sundays.
The NFL though, has flex scheduling. Games that might disappoint or feature bad teams can be sent from one of the three primetime slots to Sunday. Thursday Night Football, Sunday Night Football, and Monday Night Football are all eligible to benefit from flex scheduling.
Before we get to the potential for the Texans, there are some requirements for the flexed games.
Flex Scheduling Rules
Flex Scheduling is only available for Thursday Night Football in Weeks 13-17 and the teams will be notified 28 days ahead of the intended game. It can only be used twice.
Sunday Night Football can be used in flex scheduling twice until week 10 of the season and then at the league’s discretion after that.
Monday Night Football can be used in flexed scheduling starting week 12 of the season.
A change to Sunday Night Football or Monday Night Football has to come with 12 days of notice. Sunday Night Football’s days required to notify the teams will drop to six days in week 14 of the schedule.
Potential Texans Flex Games
With the rules out of the way here is the rest of the schedule and the potential for the Texans to get flexed to a different time.
Week 12: vs. Jacksonville Jaguars
Sunday Night Football: Baltimore Ravens at Los Angeles Chargers
Monday Night Football: Chicago Bears at Minnesota Vikings
Flex Chance: Slim-to-none
Why: A move to Monday Night Football would be awesome and actually makes a lot of sense, but the Jaguars are slated for Monday Night Football the following week. No team is slated to play Monday Night Football in back-to-back weeks so a move is unlikely unless the Jaguars were flexed out next week.
Week 13: vs. Denver Broncos
Sunday Night Football: Kansas City Chiefs at Green Bay Packers
Monday Night Football: Cincinnati Bengals at Jacksonville Jaguars
Flex Chance: Zero
Why: The league isn’t bumping Joe Burrow and Trevor Lawrence in a playoff race for the Texans and the Broncos. It’s a decent idea, especially since the Broncos are showing signs of life, but it’s not going to happen. This isn’t the fault of the Texans, the Broncos just aren’t compelling enough.
Week 14: at New York Jets
Sunday Night Football: Philidelphia Eagles at Dallas Cowboys
Monday Night Football: Tennesse Titans at Miami Dolphins AND Green Bay Packers at New York Giants
Flex Chance: Slim-to-none
Why: No chance Sunday Night Football is flexed. I don’t believe moving the Dolphins is an option. The Packers and Giants are two huge fanbases but they should both be pretty bad and the records pretty ugly by then. The Jets might and should be more interesting than the Packers or Giants, but could people be tired of watching the Jets in primetime so much that the network keeps two bad football teams on the schedule?
Week 15: at Tennessee Titans
Thursday Night Football: Los Angeles Chargers at Las Vegas Raiders
Sunday Night Football: Baltimore Ravens at Jacksonville Jaguars
Monday Night Football: Kansas City Chiefs at New England Patriots
Flex Chance: Slim-to-none
Why: Lamar Jackson and Patrick Mahomes are not getting moved from primetime. I could see maybe Thursday getting shuffled. The only drastic change is the Chargers get a short week because they play the following week on Saturday, but so do their opponents. This gets the nation a look at C.J. Stroud and Will Levis in a potentially budding AFC South battle. It’s probably the best shot the Texans have before the final week.
Week 16: vs. Cleveland Browns
Thursday Night Football: New Orleans Saints at Los Angeles Rams
Sunday Night Football: New England Patriots at Denver Broncos
Monday Night Football: Baltimore Ravens at San Francisco 49ers
Flex Chance: Zero
Why: The Browns play on Thursday Night Football in week 17 of the season.
Week 17: vs. Tennessee Titans
Thursday Night Football: New York Jets at Cleveland Browns
Sunday Night Football: Green Bay Packers at Minnesota Vikings
Flex Chance: Zero
Why: The Titans could be bad and there are better games than this matchup to have on Sunday Night Football.
Week 18: at Indianapolis Colts
Flex Chance: Medium
Why: The final week of the season has no kickoff times announced yet. If the Texans and the Colts are in a scenario where the winner is the AFC South champion this has the potential to be Sunday Night Football. Even if this is just the Texans winning the division or ending up in the wild card it is worth flexing.
There are some potentially tough games that could determine a lot for the playoff picture like the Bills at Dolphins and Chiefs at Chargers, but if those are just about seeding and this is about the AFC South championship the AFC South could and should win that battle.