The Falcons regular-season finale against the Carolina Panthers has been moved to 4:25 p.m. on Sunday by the NFL.
“We felt that both from a competitive standpoint and from a fan perspective, the most fair thing to do is to schedule all Week 17 games in either the 1 p.m. or 4:25 p.m. windows,” said NFL senior vice president of broadcasting Howard Katz. “This ensures that we do not have a matchup on Sunday Night Football on New Year’s Eve that because of earlier results has no playoff implications for one or both of the competing teams.”
The Falcons (9-6) must defeat the Panthers (11-4) to earn the sixth and final NFC playoff berth. If the Falcons, the defending NFC champions, lose and Seattle (9-6) defeats Arizona (7-8) at home, the Seahawks will earn the final spot.
Now, the games will be play at the same time.
“For us, it’s pretty clear what’s in front of us,” Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan said. “We have to play better than we did (against the Saints.)”
Carolina can still win the NFC South a victory combined with a Saints loss to Tampa Bay in a season finale. New Orleans has the tiebreaker with Carolina by virtue of sweeping the season series.
The Panthers defeated the Falcons 20-17 on Nov. 5 in Charlotte. The Seahawks beat the Cardinals 22-16 on Nov. 9.
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