Tis the season for the NFL to start changing game dates and times based on which teams they think will take the spotlight, and unfortunately for the Buffalo Bills, one of their games is getting flexed out of a bigger audience. In the NFL, a “flex” refers to the league’s flexible scheduling, which allows them to change the kickoff times of games to make sure better showdowns take place in primetime slots.
As CBS Sports notes, for Sunday night flexing, the NFL can flex up to two games between Weeks 5 and 10. Then, for Weeks 11 thru 17, the NFL is allowed to flex as many games as it sees fit. But, they have to announce any changes no later than 12 days in advance of the altered games.
For Monday night flexing, the league can flex any time between Weeks 12 through 17, and they also have to announce those changes no later than 12 days in advance of the game. For Thursday night flexing, the league is allowed to flex up to two games between Weeks 13 through 17.
So, flexing time is here, and unfortunately, Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills are getting elbowed out of the spotlight for one of their upcoming games.
Buffalo Bills Game Time Gets Changed
The Buffalo Bills go up against the Cincinnati Bengals on December 7 at Highmark Stadium, and the game was originally scheduled for 4:25 p.m. EST, which would have given it the biggest audience, outside of “Sunday Night Football.” But, the NFL has changed that game time to 1 p.m. Fox will still carry the game in the new time. Green Bay Packers and Chicago Bears game will take the Bills’ original slot.
So, the Bills will be in front of a smaller televised audience, but hopefully it will still be a large win for the Bills. “This will mark Buffalo’s sixth 1 p.m. game of the season with two more remaining after Cincinnati,” the Bills noted on their official website. “The Bills face New England and Cleveland on the road back-to-back. With the flexed time for the Bengals, Buffalo will have three consecutive 1 p.m. games. So far in 2025, the Bills are 4-1 in the early afternoon slate.”
“I’d recon it’s because the Packers/Bears game has higher playoff implications with a larger audience,” one follower said on Instagram. “Noooooooo,” another follower on X said. “I have an obligation at 2:30 and would have been done by 4:00.” One more added with a crying face, “Joe Burrow coming back and they moved it out?”
The change marks the first game flexed in Buffalo’s 2025 schedule, according to NFL research. The team’s Week 18 against the Jets is still to be determined.
Where the Buffalo Bills Stand in the NFL
Heading into Week 12, the Buffalo Bills have moved up one slot in ESPN’s power rankings, going from No. 7 to No. 6. The outlet deems wide receiver Keon Coleman the player with the most pressure on his shoulders going forward.
“Coleman, the 33rd pick in the 2024 draft, was a healthy scratch for Week 11 after being late to a meeting,” Alaina Getzenberg of ESPN notes. “The benching marked the third instance of Coleman, 22, missing game time for disciplinary reasons.”
Getzenberg adds, “On the field, he hasn’t popped outside of Week 1, with 24 receptions, 27.3 receiving yards per game and two receiving touchdowns from Weeks 2 to 10. Wide receiver is already a huge need for the Bills, and the rest of the season will go a long way in determining the team’s plan for Coleman in 2026.”
The Bills are in it to win it this season. Amid all of the surprises during the 2025-26 season, some highs and some lows, the team is still duking it out to get to that final game.
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