If you carved out three hours from your Thanksgiving festivities to hunker down and watch the latest chapter in the Ravens-Steelers rivalry, you’ll need an alternative viewing plan.
That game has been pushed back until Sunday:
Ravens-Steelers game postponed until Sunday afternoon.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) November 25, 2020
NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport tweets: “This decision was made out of an abundance of caution to ensure the health and safety of players, coaches and game day personnel and in consultation with medical experts.” That’s a sensible decision to make, especially when considering the COVID-19 outbreak within the Ravens’ facility. And yet, the Steelers aren’t pleased with the change of plans.
Per Rapoport:
The #Steelers players are very upset. But if this keeps them safer, that is a win for all. COVID forces everyone to adjust whether they like it or not. Now, for the first time in weeks, a game is pushed a few days.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) November 25, 2020
So instead of three Thanksgiving games, only Houston-Detroit and Washington-Dallas will be featured tomorrow.
Moving Ravens-Steelers to Sunday is a head-first move with player health and safety in mind. It also could ultimately impact what happens with Bears-Packers. NBC is scheduled to feature the latest installment of the Green Bay-Chicago rivalry on Sunday Night Football. But because NBC also holds the rights to Ravens-Steelers, Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio believes it’s possible that the league could flex Ravens-Steelers into the SNF slot. Ahh, yes, as if this game needed another layer of intrigue.
Usually, flex game announcements are made 12 days in advance. So it feels highly unlikely that the NFL would push Bears-Packers out of the prime-time spot just days before the game. But in 2020, anything is possible and everything is on the table. Stay tuned.