America Will Get Double Dose of Jets as Week 10 Matchup Remains in Primetime
It'll be back-to-back primetime games for the New York Jets.
First, it's a Monday Night Football matchup at home on November 6 (8:15 pm ET; ESPN). Then, it's a trip to fabulous Las Vegas where they'll wait all day for a Sunday night on November 12 (8:20 pm ET; NBC).
Despite being subject to the National Football League's flex scheduling rules, the Jets' scheduled Sunday Night Football appearance against the Las Vegas Raiders will remain in the standalone time slot. The rules require any changes to be made no later than 12 days prior to kickoff.
Only hours after the deadline passed with no movement, the free-falling Raiders fired their general manager and head coach while benching quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo. In addition to the idea that Raiders' struggles have made the matchup less desirable for primetime television, the Aaron Rodgers-Davante Adams angle evaporated in Week 1.
Despite not as appealing as it once was, the battle between the Zach Wilson-led Jets (4-3) and the Aidan O'Connell-quarterbacked Raiders (3-5) is apparently good enough for the NFL and NBC executives.
When looking at the alternative options, which have also lost some luster in recent weeks, it's somewhat understandable why they decided to stand pat. The Detroit Lions at Los Angeles Chargers, Green Bay Packers at Pittsburgh Steelers, the Cleveland Browns at Baltimore Ravens, Houston Texans at Cincinnati Bengals or San Francisco 49ers at Jacksonville Jaguars don't necessarily offer more appeal than the Green & White vs. the Silver & Black.
Then there's the fact, that the Jets, who reside in a robust media market, have been extremely well received when playing in featured TV windows this season. Their Week 6 win over the Philadelphia Eagles, a 4:25 pm ET kickoff on FOX, garnered the highest viewership (26.1 million) of all NFL telecasts through the first six weeks of the 2023 schedule.
The Jets' season-opening victory over the Buffalo Bills on Monday Night Football registered more than 22.6 million viewers, the largest recorded audience since 2006 when ESPN took over the MNF franchise.
Being that MNF games cannot be flexed out until Week 12, the November 6 matchup between the Jets and Chargers was never in jeopardy of moving. The Jets' Black Friday Game against the Miami Dolphins does not fall under NFL flex scheduling, but there is one remaining primetime matchup that is flexible.
With Thursday night flexes permitted to begin in Week 13, the Jets and Browns could be in danger of being bumped out of their Week 17 primetime window on December 28. The TNF flex, however, requires 28 days advance notice.
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