NEW YORK (AP) — The Giants’ Monday night win over Miami means they will play on Sunday night in two weeks.
The NFL announced earlier Monday that its Dec. 27 prime-time matchup would hinge on the result of the game between New York and the Dolphins. The Giants’ visit to Minnesota in Week 16 now shifts into “Sunday Night Football” on NBC under the league’s flexible scheduling policy.
New York won 31-24 at Miami to move into a three-way tie for first place in the NFC East. The Vikings are currently a game out of first in the NFC North.
The Steelers-Ravens game originally scheduled for prime time Dec. 27 moves to 1 p.m. EST. The Colts-Dolphins matchup that day switches from CBS to Fox, and Jaguars-Saints will start at 4:05 p.m. EST instead of 1 p.m.
Pittsburgh is contending for a playoff spot, but rival Baltimore is just 4-9.
The NFL can move more appealing matchups to Sunday night starting with Week 11. It also now has the ability to “cross-flex” afternoon games from one network to the other.
The league has not typically announced such scenarios for games other than the Week 17 matchup; it doesn’t need to make a decision until Tuesday under the policy. But with the Dec. 27 schedule hinging on Monday night’s outcome, the NFL decided to give fans additional notice about the potential change in start times. Both clubs were already aware of the possibilities.
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