NFL fans have made one thing loud and clear: they do not want this Week 3 primetime slate.
The league’s standalone night games are Atlanta at Green Bay on Prime Video at 8:15 p.m. ET on Thursday, Los Angeles at Denver on NBC at 8:20 p.m.
ET on Sunday, and Philadelphia at Chicago on ESPN at 8:15 p.m. ET on Monday.
Those are the three windows the NFL has marked out for the week, and they’re drawing heat because several more appealing matchups sit in the afternoon, including Kansas City at Miami and Baltimore against Dallas in Brazil.
That frustration has zeroed in on commissioner Roger Goodell, with fans asking for a change to the primetime schedule even though the league’s flex rules make that nearly impossible. Sunday Night Football flex does not begin until Week 5.
Monday Night Football flex does not open until Week 12. Thursday Night Football flex is limited to Weeks 13 through 17.
In other words, the games fans are angry about are already locked in.
Atlanta is at the center of the complaint. The Falcons are 0-2 after a 34-3 loss to Carolina and have scored just 16 points through two games.
They are also set for three straight national windows: Thursday against Green Bay, Monday Night Football in Week 4 at New Orleans, and Sunday night in Week 5 against Baltimore. That run has become a lightning rod online.
“What a boring MNF. And our reward on Thursday? Falcons-Packers,” radio host Mark Gunnels wrote.
Other reactions were even sharper. “Nobody wants to watch the Falcons in primetime 3 weeks in a row,” one user added.
Another account said, “The next three weeks the Falcons play Thursday night, Monday night and Sunday night. These about to be the worst games ever,” while one more posted, “There’s not a singular chance I’m watching Packers vs Penix and the Falcons.”
Jon Benne also pointed to the same issue, writing, “One of the NFL’s worst scheduling tendencies is stacking primetime teams to start the season,” in reference to Atlanta’s three-night stretch.
The matchups themselves aren’t all equal. Green Bay is 1-1 after an overtime win over the Jets.
The Rams and Broncos are both 1-1. Philadelphia is 2-0, while Chicago is 1-1 after a 9-3 loss to Minnesota.
Even so, the mood around the schedule has been set by the Falcons’ placement, not just by the quality of the games.
There is one wrinkle that could make Thursday a little more interesting: Michael Penix Jr. is slated to make his season debut in Green Bay after last year’s torn ACL. Still, that does not change the larger issue fans keep hammering. The best available games this week are sitting in the afternoon, while the national nights remain exactly where the league put them.
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