Steelers matchup with Bengals their only game left eligible to be flexed to primetime this season

When the NFL originally scheduled the Pittsburgh Steelers rematch with the Jacksonville Jaguars for Sunday night in Week 11, they assumed it would be a must watch encounter between two playoff contenders. However, with the Jaguars looking more like the team that failed to record a winning record in the nine years prior to 2017, the NFL and NBC decided to switch the game to a 1.00 p.m. kickoff and feature the matchup between the Minnesota Vikings and Chicago Bears instead.

With several big games remaining on their schedule, there are a number of contest that might have been an attractive option to move to primetime. But those among us who are generally not a fan of night games should be reassured to know that all but the last game on year are now sure to remain as they are for the rest of the season after CBS confirmed they had protected all of Pittsburgh’s games that were eligible to flexed through Week 16.

The games in question that CBS has protected include the Steelers’ Week 12 game at the Denver Broncos, their Week 13 home encounter with the Los Angeles Chargers, a Week 15 visit from the New England Patriots and a Week 16 game at the New Orleans Saints.

If there is to be a change to a kickoff time, it would have to be in Week 17 when the Steelers host the Cincinnati Bengals. But this is something that will only happen if the game has playoff implications for both teams. Should either team have a convincing lead in the division heading into the contest, those who have already made plans for the game can rest assured they will not have to alter them.