The Browns loss to the Saints shows the NFL that the nation doesn’t need them on Monday Night Football
While we would never say that a team laid down in the NFL, the Cleveland Browns certainly laid an egg against the New Orleans Saints in the fourth quarter of Week 11. Browns fans should be squarely focused on what next year will look like, especially at the top of the NFL draft.
If Cleveland’s defense can’t stop TE/RB/QB Taysom Hill, why would the NFL want to see them face the Denver Broncos in Week 13 on Monday Night Football? That is even more true with left tackle Dawand Jones out for the season and questions about the Browns coaching staff.
The NFL has the discretion of moving games on Monday Night Football between Weeks 12 through 17. According to the NFL rules, the league would have to make that decision for the Cleveland versus Denver matchup in the next couple of days:
For Sunday Night Football in Weeks 5-13 and for Monday Night Football in Weeks 12-17, the NFL will decide (after consultation with CBS, FOX, NBC, and ESPN) and announce no later than 12 days in advance of the game, which game will be played on Sunday night and which game will be played on Monday night.
With the Browns looking like a shell of a team and the Broncos fighting for a playoff spot but without any big storylines, the national attention on the game might be limited.
Due to the Thanksgiving holiday, with three games on Thursday and one on Friday, there is a limited number of games that could be moved into the Monday Night Football spot. Current Sunday afternoon games that could be of interest include:
- Chargers vs Falcons
- Steelers vs Bengals
- Cardinals vs Vikings
- Eagles vs Ravens
There are other rules that impact which games could be flexed into Monday Night Football but it is clear that Cleveland does not deserve the national spotlight at this point and that the NFL would benefit from making a switch. The biggest impact would be on fans who scheduled a trip to Denver or already paid for arrangements with a Monday kickoff in mind.
Do you think the NFL should and/or will move the Browns vs Broncos out of Monday Night Football? How do you feel about flex scheduling overall?
Share any thoughts in the comment section below