Protected games CowboysGiants FOX and TitansColts CBS

"Compliance officers can mitigate risk,financial executives can monitor the money left on the table throughundercoding, and physicians can enjoy accelerated reimbursement and enhancedcoding education." About HayesSince 1993, Hayes Management Consulting has helped healthcare organizationsimprove profitability and efficiency. Hayes consultants are subject-matterexperts in strategic planning, clinical workflow, business process redesign,revenue cycle management, IT assessments, web development, interoperability andmore. Hayes has been ranked 1 Overall Professional Services Firms by KLAS for2007 and 2008, and has received multiple Best in KLAS awards since 2005. Hayes Management ConsultingWendy Loveland, 617-559-0404Marketing & Communications Business Wire 2009. NBC’s Sunday Night Football package gives it flexible scheduling. For the last seven weeks of the season, the games are determined on 12-day notice, and six-day notice for Week 17.The first year, no game was listed in the Sunday Night slot, only a notation that one game could move there. Now, NBC lists the game it “tentatively” schedules for each night.

ET.The majority of games on Sundays will be listed at 1:00 p.m. ET during flex weeks except for games played in Pacific or Mountain Time zones which will be listed at 4:05 or 4:15 p.m. The announcement will come no later than 12 days prior to the game The NFL may also announce games moving to 4:05 p.m ET and 4:15 p.m. Unless I find out otherwise, I’m assuming that’s still the case this year, especially with no tentative game listed Week 17. When looking up info on what the protected games might be, I found out that games were protected after Week FIVE this year, and presumably in some of the previous years. Previously all I knew was that games were protected after Week Four the first year of flexible scheduling.Three teams can appear a maximum of six games in primetime on NBC, ESPN or NFL Network (everyone else gets five) and no team may appear more than four times on NBC.

A list of all teams’ number of appearances is in my Week Five post.A rule that may have come to light late last year but that, given its restrictiveness and lateness in coming to light, I’m having trouble accepting, is that the balance of primetime games taken from FOX and CBS can’t go beyond 22-20 one way or the other. The current tally is FOX 15, CBS 20; with tentative games, the tally is FOX 19, CBS 22. With this rule in place, Weeks 11 and 14-16 cannot be flexed away from NFC road games without making up for it in Weeks 12, 13, and 17, and even with that at least one more game would have to be flexed to an NFC road game in said weeks.Here are the current tentatively-scheduled games and my predictions: Week 11 (November 22)Tentative game: Philadelphia ChicagoProspects: 4-2 v 3-3. Could still keep its spot if the competitors aren’t overwhelmingly appealing, but Da Bears have to stop the slide.Protected games according to this : Jets-Patriots (CBS) and Redskins-Cowboys (FOX).Other possible games: Giants-Falcons is the main contender for a flex, though the Giants are in trouble, with Colts-Ravens fading and 49ers-Packers looking to be as good a game as the tentative. Look out for Chargers-Broncos as a dark horse if the Chargers keep winning and the Broncos pick up a loss or two. Week 12 (November 29)Tentative game: Pittsburgh BaltimoreProspects: 5-2 v. 3-3, the Steelers are defending champs, and it’s a rivalry game, and the pickings are very slim otherwise.

Colts-Texans involves two teams over .500, but it’s lopsided. Jaguars-49ers is a battle of 3-3 teams – it’s not beating Steelers-Ravens. Week 13 (December 6)Tentative game: New England MiamiProspects: 5-2 v 2-4. This game is becoming lopsided.Protected games: Cowboys-Giants (FOX) and Titans-Colts (CBS).Other possible games: Eagles-Falcons is a battle of 4-2 teams Vikings-Cardinals might be better, at 6-1 v. 4-2 and the Favre factor, which could tip the balance in its favor for a flex.