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Atlanta Falcons: Three games that could be flexed to primetime

By Jeff Benedict

Feb 4, 2019; Atlanta, GA, USA; General overall view of the Mercedes-Benz Stadium exterior and the State Farm Arena.The venue is the home of the Atlanta Falcons and the site of Super Bowl LIII between the New England Patriots and the Los Angeles Rams. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 4, 2019; Atlanta, GA, USA; General overall view of the Mercedes-Benz Stadium exterior and the State Farm Arena.The venue is the home of the Atlanta Falcons and the site of Super Bowl LIII between the New England Patriots and the Los Angeles Rams. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports /
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Atlanta Falcons
Feb 4, 2019; Atlanta, GA, USA; General overall view of the Mercedes-Benz Stadium exterior and the State Farm Arena.The venue is the home of the Atlanta Falcons and the site of Super Bowl LIII between the New England Patriots and the Los Angeles Rams. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports /

The Atlanta Falcons have just one scheduled game being played in prime-time and it will be week 11 when the Patriots come to Atlanta for the first time since September of 2013. Atlanta has not beaten the Patriots since 1998 and has not beaten them at home since 1995.

While the Atlanta Falcons are not currently scheduled to have any additional prime-time games, which does not mean that they will end the year without any additional night games.

With the addition of another week to the NFL schedule, they have also changed the weeks that teams could potentially be flexed to Sunday Night Football on NBC. Looking at the Atlanta Falcons schedule, they have three games that could potentially be flexed to NBC.

A lot has to happen for the Atlanta Falcons to be flexed

Before we even consider the Atlanta Falcons as a potential flex to prime time, they have to win – it doesn’t get any simpler than that. If they don’t win, their schedule slated as-is will not change. No one wants to see bad teams play a prime-time game.

If the Falcons are able to turn this thing around quickly under new head coach Arthur Smith and win early and often to start the season, they will give themselves an opportunity to join the few teams that will be flexed throughout the 2021 NFL season.

According to the NFL, here are their changes to the flex schedule in 2021 –

"“Flexible scheduling” will be used in Weeks 11-18. Additionally, in Weeks 5-10, flexible scheduling may be used in no more than two weeks. In Weeks 5-17, the schedule lists the games tentatively set for Sunday Night Football on NBC. Only Sunday afternoon games are eligible to be moved to Sunday night, in which case the tentatively scheduled Sunday night game would be moved to an afternoon start time. For Week 18, two Saturday games and the Sunday night game will be announced no later than six days prior to January 9. The schedule does not list Saturday games or a Sunday night game in Week 18, but games with playoff implications will be moved to those time slots. Flexible scheduling ensures quality matchups in all Sunday time slots in those weeks and gives “surprise” teams a chance to play their way into primetime.”"

The Atlanta Falcons could absolutely be one of those “surprise teams” by the time that December rolls around.

Here are the three games that could potentially be flexed for the Atlanta Falcons.

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