NFL makes decision on Raiders-Jets prime-time matchup
The Raiders will remain in prime time for their Week 10 matchup against the Jets, even though their recent performances might not be worthy of a national audience.
A deadline passed late Tuesday afternoon for the NFL to announce that an alternate game would be flexed into the “Sunday Night Football” slot instead of the Raiders’ Nov. 12 game against the Jets at Allegiant Stadium.
So the disappointing Raiders (3-5) will play their fourth prime-time game of the season just two weeks after a dreadful offensive performance in a 26-14 loss at Detroit on “Monday Night Football.”
The league expanded its ability to alter the national TV schedule by allowing up to two flexed games on Sunday night from Weeks 5 to 10. The decision to keep the Raiders and Jets in place means it will not have exercised that option during that period.
There were pleas from fans around the league to spare the audience from watching two underperforming offenses such as the Jets and Raiders, but those requests apparently fell on deaf ears.
The Week 10 schedule didn’t offer many great alternatives, but the Lions-Chargers and Jaguars-49ers matchups would have been more appealing than quarterback Zach Wilson and the Jets against whoever is playing the position for the Raiders in two weeks.
The Jets have been involved in two high-profile prime-time games that scored high ratings. Their season opener against the Bills on “Monday Night Football” was the debut of Aaron Rodgers, who was injured early in the first quarter. A wide audience also tuned in to see the Chiefs play the Jets on “Sunday Night Football” when pop superstar Taylor Swift was in attendance.
The Raiders will play their final prime-time game of the season on “Thursday Night Football” on Dec. 14 against the Chargers.
Contact Adam Hill at ahill@reviewjournal.com. Follow @AdamHillLVRJ on X.