New NFL schedule rule could mean Texans miss out
The NFL will be handling the schedule a little differently in 2023. Previously, all 32 teams had to have at least one primetime game. This usually meant that bad teams or teams with smaller fanbases would get a national showcase on Thursday Night Football. However, the league is making changes in response to complaints about […]
The NFL will be handling the schedule a little differently in 2023.
Previously, all 32 teams had to have at least one primetime game. This usually meant that bad teams or teams with smaller fanbases would get a national showcase on Thursday Night Football. However, the league is making changes in response to complaints about the sub-par quality of TNF games.
Teams are now allowed to play short-week Thursday games twice instead of once. This means that the more popular/better teams will likely get two TNF games, while teams like the Texans get none.
Famed NFL insider Peter King recently wrote that he does not expect every team to get a chance to play on TNF due to this rule change. That would be very disappointing for a Texans team that seems poised to be exciting and fun to watch at the very least in 2023.
King continued:
So Arizona might be left out this year, and maybe Tampa Bay or Houston. Stronger teams could find two Amazon games on the schedule, which would serve two purposes—strengthening a streaming schedule the NFL badly wants to work for Amazon, and giving good but not great teams with major national followings (Pittsburgh or Green Bay or New England, perhaps, this year) another primetime appearance.
While discouraging, just remember that winning cures all. If the team finds itself in the thick of the playoff race, you can guarantee that a game will be flexed into a primetime slot. The Texans' schedule will be released this Thursday, May 11th.
