The Jacksonville Jaguars are 9-4 and currently hold the No. 3 seed in the AFC, while the Denver Broncos hold the top spot at 11-2. You would think that fans would like to watch two of the best teams in the conference face off against each other on prime time. However, the NFL doesn't think that's the case. For that reason, the league flexed the New England Patriots vs. the Baltimore Ravens to Sunday night.
Granted, the Pats are a pretty good team of their own. Heck, they're also 11-2 and have a legitimate MVP candidate in a third-year quarterback Drake Maye. On the other hand, Baltimore is 6-7 and in the hunt. While the matchup will have playoff implications and could turn out to be good, it's not nearly as compelling as the Jags-Denver.
Why the Patriots and Ravens got the nod over the Jaguars
Originally, the Miami Dolphins were slated to face the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 16 Sunday Night. However, neither team has realistic odds of making the postseason. Granted, neither has been mathematically eliminated, but both of them are long shots to get in.
The Ravens, on the other hand, still have a chance to catch up with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Nevertheless, there's also a chance they won't qualify for the playoffs either, and what you want on prime time TV is to watch the top teams go against each other.
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The Jaguars game vs. the Broncos will be must-watch TV regardless
Even though the Jaguars will keep their slate for Week 16, their matchup against the Broncos will be one that could define the playoff race in the AFC. With a win, Jacksonville would be able to keep a lead over the Houston Texans, while a loss could potentially leave them with a Wild Card spot.
On the other hand, the Broncos could take control of the conference with a win over Jacksonville, while a loss could put them behind the Patriots. It's also worth noting that Denver is the toughest remaining opponent in the Jags' schedule and the only one that has a realistic chance to beat them.
On top of that, this is going to be Evan Engram's revenge game. In case you forgot, the two-time Pro Bowl nod signed with the Jags in 2022 and quickly became a mainstay of their offense. He even set several team records during his stint in Duval but was given the boot just before free agency, so the team could address the larger scale roster.
After a slow start to the season, Engram has hit his stride and is back at making plays. He could most definitely give the Jags trouble, especially when you take into account that they struggle to defend tight ends.
As head coach Liam Coen recently noted, the Jaguars won't be getting the respect they deserve any time soon. The fact that they weren't flexed to Sunday Night is proof of it. Now, all they can do is prove everyone wrong.