of NFL has announced a full 18-week schedule for the upcoming 2023 regular season, so every team in the league knows where to go. For some, that road includes a number of matches in front of the nation as they take place during primetime slots on Thursday, Sunday, or Monday night. But there are some teams the NFL doesn’t rate so highly at this point. Four teams — the Colts, Cardinals, Texans and Falcons — haven’t had a single prime-time game this season.
What do these teams have in common? They were all in the top 10 NFL Draft Just a few weeks ago, 2022 wasn’t particularly competitive. Together, these teams went 18-48-2 last season, and the league doesn’t seem to expect that to change much next year.
None of these teams are currently scheduled to host a prime-time game, but that doesn’t necessarily mean they won’t eventually. the NFL does have the ability to make the game flexible throughout the year. For “Sunday Night Football”, teams may change up to two times during prime time between Weeks 5 and 10. From Weeks 11 through 17, the NFL may change teams at its discretion. In addition to Sunday nights, the NFL has also added the ability to change the “Monday Night Football” game from Weeks 12 through 17 this year. So if any of these teams make the playoffs or participate in a high-profile game, they could end up making it to the national tournament.
The Colts and Texans have been in the spotlight this season as both teams have selected quarterbacks in the top five of the NFL Draft. Houston selected former Ohio State quarterback CJ Stroud with the No. 2 overall pick, while Indy acquired Florida’s Anthony Richardson with the No. 4 pick. If one or both of these players hit the scene as newcomers, they could grab the attention of audiences across the country. As for the Cardinals, with first-year head coach Jonathan Gannon and quarterback Kyler Murray still recovering from a torn ACL, the NFL is a team in transition. The point that it’s not surprising to see they don’t support it.
Meanwhile, the Falcons are probably the most interesting team without a prime-time game. Atlanta’s total wins for the 2023 season is currently set at eight by the Caesars Sportsbook, far higher than the other three clubs and teams like the Bears and Patriots with multiple prime time slots. is also expensive. Chicago and New England, of course, bring more spectators given their storied histories, but from a football standpoint there is an argument that the Falcons should play at least one game in front of the nation. . Currently, the odds of winning the NFC South are +260, second only to the Saints (+115). If they were to stalemate in the standings at the end of the year, it wouldn’t be surprising to see the NFL push them into prime time.
