The NFL world was extremely low on Bo Nix and the Denver Broncos going into the 2024 season, but the performance of the team is rapidly changing the way this team is perceived. The Broncos are 6-5 entering a pivotal Week 12 matchup against the Las Vegas Raiders, and the NFL is fully anticipating the Broncos being in the playoff mix a month from now with an absolutely historic move they just made to modify Denver's schedule.
According to multiple reports, the Broncos will be part of the first-ever Thursday Night Football flex in Week 16 of the 2024 season. They were originally slated to play the Los Angeles Chargers (in LA) on Sunday, December 22 at 2:05 PM MT. Now, the Broncos and Chargers will be taking the place of the Cincinnati Bengals and Cleveland Browns on Thursday, December 19.
The Bo Nix-led Broncos will be in prime time for their rematch against the Chargers with the playoffs likely on the line.
NFL flexing Broncos-Chargers to Thursday Night Football for Week 16
There has never been a game flexed into Thursday Night Football, meaning whatever was originally on the schedule has stayed on the schedule since the NFL added that game to the weekly slate. The Denver Broncos have played so above expectations this season that the league had no choice.
Thursday night games are eligible to be flexed from Week 13 through the end of the season, which is likely a major reason why none of them have been flexed. It's very common to see Sunday Night Football games getting flexed for NBC, but we've never seen any game flexed from Sunday to Thursday before.
It's somewhat bittersweet news for the Broncos. You don't often find players or coaches who are super in favor of playing on a short week, but this one kind of works out well for Denver. The Broncos had to consent to this game being flexed:
The Broncos had to sign off on their Week 16 game being flexed to Thursday Night Football because a team cannot be forced to play two Thursday Night road games in a season.
— Zac Stevens (@ZacStevensDNVR) November 22, 2024
Sean Payton and the Broncos wanted this.
So, why would the team consent to having a short week late in the season? Why would they want this. Well, there are likely multiple reasons here.
First, the Broncos have their bye week in Week 14. That means after their bye week, they will host the Indianapolis Colts before traveling to Los Angeles on a short week. The Broncos will have their bye week to essentially work ahead a little bit. They can gameplan for the Colts and Chargers simultaneously.
Second, playing the Chargers on a short week will give the Broncos ample time to prep for the Cincinnati Bengals. It essentially will give them an extra "mini bye" which they also had after they played against the New Orleans Saints on Thursday night earlier this season.
Third, the Broncos have already played the Chargers. That's a divisional opponent that they already know well having game-planned for them earlier this season and if you're going to have a short week against anyone, it might as well be a divisional opponent.
The Broncos were only given two primetime games by the NFL schedule makers at the beginning of the season. They were projected by the oddsmakers in Vegas to win just 5 or 6 games this season, and now they have a real shot at making the playoffs and maybe even making some noise. The fact that the Broncos are being offered the chance to play in primetime against the Chargers is a huge honor for the team, even if it means playing on a short week.