Good news for Vikings fans who were worried about being flexed out of a prime-time matchup with the Broncos in Week 11 as former Vikings beat writer Chris Tomasson says the game is staying put.
The Nov. 19 Sunday Night Football game in Denver between the Vikings and Broncos will remain as was originally scheduled. That’s what Tomasson, who covered the Vikings for the St. Paul Pioneer Press before relocating and taking a job as a Broncos beat writer in Denver, reported Sunday night.
The NFL has opted not to flex the Nov. 19 Sunday Night Football game of Vikings at Broncos. It remains at 6:20 pm MST.
— Chris Tomasson (@christomasson) November 6, 2023
The question now is if the Vikings will have back-to-back prime-time games because their Week 12 game is set for Monday night against the 2-7 Chicago Bears at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis. That one requires at least 12 days notice so if the game is going to be moved fans should know no later than Nov. 15.
The NFL has to follow the rules when it comes to flexing games. The league can only use the flex option twice for Sunday Night Football between Weeks 5-10 but then they can do it whenever they want in Weeks 11-17. For Monday Night Football, the NFL can do whatever it wants starting in Week 12, so the Vikings-Bears game is eligible to be flexed.
And there certainly are some games that, at least on paper, look more intriguing than Vikings-Bears in Week 12. Only Sunday games can be used as replacements, so a few that would probably qualify as more intriguing include the Saints versus Falcons in a big NFC South showdown and the Bengals-Steelers matchup. The Eagles also host Buffalo that Sunday, though it’s already in the national lens with a 3:25 p.m. CT kickoff.
Either way, it looks like Vikings-Broncos is safe for Sunday night on Nov. 19 and we’re in wait-and-see mode for Vikings-Bears on Nov. 27.
