A second game on the Bucs’ schedule has been flexed, with the team’s divisional rivalry in two weeks now being played at a later window.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers will officially play in their second flexed game of the season in two weeks.
The Bucs are set to take on the Carolina Panthers at home in Raymond James Stadium for Week 13, and this was initially going to be played at 1 p,m. EST like most of Tampa Bay’s schedule. Now, though, the NFL announced Tuesday that the game is set to be played at 4:05 p.m. instead. The Denver Broncos at the Houston Texans, previously occupying that spot, will move down to 1 p.m. EST.
It’s unknown exactly why the NFL chose to do this, but it could have to do with the NFC South’s tight race for first. While the Panthers are maybe the worst team in football and are entirely out of the running, the Bucs and Falcons are tied for second place at 4-6 (with the Falcons having an advantage due to a win over Tampa Bay) and the division-leading Saints are 5-5, one game up. The Bucs need any NFC South win they can get, so it’s possible this move was made to bring more attention to that battle.
There’s also the possibility that the league wants more people to watch the Texans play the Broncos, as both those teams are playing well and the rest of the 1 p.m. games aren’t very riveting. This way, with Texans/Broncos reversed back to 1 p.m., that game won’t compete with the 49ers playing the Eagles, which is also at 4:05 p.m.
Whatever the reason, the game will be the third this year that the Bucs play in this window (for now). The Bucs were first flexed in Week 6 against the Detroit Lions and recently played the 49ers in Week 11 in that window at 4:05 due to being on the West Coast. They’re also set to play the Jaguars on Christmas Eve at 4:05 p.m. EST as well.
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