In a scheduling update no one would have predicted just a few weeks ago, the NFL flexed the Week 5 rivalry game between the Green Bay Packers and Chicago Bears out of the featured afternoon timeslot and into the crowded early timeslot on Sunday, Oct. 11. The Packers-Bears showdown at Lambeau Field will now kickoff at noon CT instead of 3:25 p.m. CT.
When the schedule dropped in May, this looked like one of the can't-miss early season games. Packers, Bears, Lambeau Field, the league's oldest rivalry, coming off three epic showdowns last season.
So, why did the NFL make the scheduling change? A few reasons, most likely.
For starters, the Packers don't look like a very good football team. In the standalone primetime spot on "Thursday Night Football"
to open Week 3, the Packers got humiliated by the visiting Atlanta Falcons -- losing by three touchdowns in a game that was all but over entering the fourth quarter. That's not what the NFL wants. Also, the Packers can't block for their quarterback, who is getting hit over and over again. That's not what the NFL wants. The Packers are not good but also playing an especially unattractive brand of football.
A second reason? The league might not think Bears quarterback Caleb Williams will play in the game. He's out with a hamstring injury and could still miss 1-2 more games. If Williams doesn't play, and a bad Packers team is facing a Bears team with a backup quarterback, the leaguewide interest level would drop off quickly.
A third reason? The league might not think Packers edge rusher Micah Parsons will play in the game. He won't begin practicing this week and looks unlikely to be ready to play in a game at any point before Week 6, at the earliest. No Williams and no Parsons? No featured afternoon game.
Another important reason: There is a better game available for the featured afternoon slot on FOX. The San Francisco 49ers will go to Seattle to play the defending champion Seahawks at 3:25 p.m. The game didn't get moved, but it will now be featured. The 49ers are 3-0 and are averaging over 30 points per game; the Seahawks lost last week but are still 2-1. That's a big early season NFC West battle.
While a good chunk of the country is still likely to see Packers-Bears in the early timeslot, FOX does have three other competing games at noon in Week 5, including a game featuring the Minnesota Vikings -- so not all of Wisconsin is likely to get the game in their TV broadcast market.
A reminder: the Packers will be wearing their new "Rivalries" uniforms in Week 5 against the Bears.
This article originally appeared on Packers Wire: Packers-Bears in Week 5 flexed to noon: Why did NFL move rivalry game?
