The Patriots have not been a team featured too much in primetime over the last few seasons, and most fans would agree that it was probably the right decision. Throughout the dynasty years, the entire country got to watch New England beat down its opponents more than any other team during any season, but their demise made it easy not to continue that.
Because they weren't expected to do much this year, with most predictions believing they would maybe double last season's wins, they were only shown nationally for three games. There was some hope that their rematch with the Bills would be flexed into primetime, but that didn't happen.
Instead, their Week 16 matchup against the Ravens has been moved to Sunday Night Football.
Week 16 primetime 🤩#NEvsBAL has been moved to NBC at 8:20 PM on December 21. pic.twitter.com/RWiQZrMOrI
— New England Patriots (@Patriots) December 8, 2025
If the Patriots win their game against the Bills next Sunday, they will win the AFC East. If not, they'll want to bounce back against another AFC powerhouse the following week, when they face Baltimore, further solidifying their spot in the AFC playoff picture.
The Patriots earn another shot in primetime with their Week 16 game flexed to SNF
The 2025 season has propelled the Patriots back into relevance after nearly five years of falling to the bottom of the league. The excitement surrounding Mike Vrabel and Drake Maye has many around the NFL paying close attention to what's going on in New England, especially since most hoped they wouldn't be a competitive team again any time soon.
Unfortunately for them, their second-year quarterback is on an MVP trajectory, and Vrabel is the top candidate for Coach of the Year.
Those are big reasons to highlight their game against the Ravens, as they can launch themselves back to the top of the conference and compete against Baltimore for years to come, just as they did during the Bill Belichick and Tom Brady years.
This will give them another shot to show everyone the kind of team they already are and what they plan to be moving forward, even more so with the playoffs right around the corner.