Patriots-Raiders Flexed From Sunday Night Football

FOXBOROUGH, MA — When the NFL released the 2022-23 schedule in the preseason, many in New England and beyond were excited to see Bill Belichick square off against longtime assistant Josh McDaniels and the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 15.

Though it may be true that folks in New England are still interested in that matchup, it's much less likely that people outside the region are, and the NFL has moved the game from Sunday Night Football.

The league flexed the game out of that time slot, meaning, essentially, they've found a more interesting matchup to place there instead. That matchup comes courtesy of the NFC East, featuring the New York Giants and Washington Commanders.

The Giants and Commanders will play on Dec. 18 at 8:20 p.m. ET on NBC, and the Patriots and Raiders will move to 4:05 p.m. ET on FOX, the league announced.

According to ESPN's Football Power Index, neither the Patriots nor the Raiders have a great chance at playoff football this year, with the Raiders coming in at just under 16 percent and the Patriots at 14 percent when it comes to the likelihood they'll play beyond the regular season.

The Giants and Commanders, meanwhile, feature over a 55 percent chance each in suiting up in the playoffs.