NFL makes big changes to Week 17 schedule: Three games moved to Saturday, Falcons-Commanders now Sunday night

The NFL’s schedule for Week 17 just underwent a major makeover. The league has announced that a total of six games will be moved with the biggest shake up coming Dec. 28, when the NFL will play its first and only Saturday tripleheader of the season. 

When the NFL released the 2024 schedule back in May, the league announced that there would be three games played on Saturday, Dec. 28, but the NFL didn’t announce who would be playing in those games. That mystery was finally solved on Tuesday with the NFL revealing the six teams that will playing on Saturday in Week 17. 

Let’s check out the Saturday schedule: 

• Chargers (8-6) at Patriots (3-11), 1 p.m. ET (NFL Network)
• Broncos (9-5) at Bengals (6-8), 4:30 p.m. ET (NFL Network)
• Cardinals (7-7) at Rams (8-6), 8:15 p.m. ET (NFL Network)

If the Broncos beat the Chargers in Week 16, then Denver will clinch a playoff spot, but even in that scenario, at least two of these Saturday games will have playoff implications. 

When the NFL schedule came out in May, the league gave itself a total of five games to choose from that could be flexed to Saturday in Week 17. The other two games that didn’t get picked for Saturday will now be played on Sunday, Dec. 29. 

Those two games are Colts at Giants and Falcons at Commanders. 

The Colts-Giants game has been moved Sunday afternoon while the Falcons-Commanders game is headed for prime time. The showdown in Washington will now be the Sunday night game in Week 17 with Dolphins at Browns getting bumped from the spot. 

Here’s a look at the schedule for those three games: 

• Colts (6-8) at Giants (2-12), 1 p.m. ET (Fox)
• Dolphins (6-8) at Browns (3-11), 4:05 p.m. ET (CBS)
• Falcons (7-7) at Commanders (9-5), 8:20 p.m. ET (NBC)

With the Commanders playing so well, the NFL likely wanted to give them more exposure. Although the Falcons have already played a Sunday night game this year, this will mark Washington’s first appearance of the season in a Sunday night game. 

The Falcons-Commanders game could also have huge playoff implications. If the Falcons beat the Giants in Week 16 and the Commanders lose to the Eagles, that would put Atlanta just one game behind Washington in the NFC wild-card standings with the chance to make up that game up on Sunday night in Week 17. 

The 17th week of the NFL season is certainly going to be a wild one. Not only is there a Saturday tripleheader, but there will also be two Wednesday games with the NFL playing a doubleheader on Christmas that will feature Chiefs at Steelers followed by Ravens at Texans.