NBC will retain the New York Jets vs. the Las Vegas Raiders as its Week 10 Sunday Night Football broadcast, despite the game losing much, if not most, of its appeal.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported Tuesday night the NFL did not change the Nov. 12 matchup before Tuesday’s deadline. The NFL decides which games to flex out after consulting with its broadcast partners.
Before the season, the Jets-Raiders game appeared to be one of the premier matchups of Week 10. The Jets, supposedly headed for Super Bowl contention under new quarterback Aaron Rodgers, playing the Raiders in Las Vegas (cue the obligatory overhead shots of the Vegas Strip, the spectacular new Sphere etc.)
The Raiders were also supposed to be improved, featuring Rodgers’ old teammate, All-Pro receiver Davante Adams, along with new quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo.
While the Sphere is still spectacular, everything else is not. Rodgers suffered a season-ending injury in the opener and Garoppolo has been terrible. The Jets feature quarterback Zach Wilson, who is no Aaron Rodgers, in terms of talent or TV appeal.
Meanwhile, Adams was last seen blowing up on the sidelines during Monday night’s game against the Detroit Lions, as Garoppolo failed to get him the ball.
If nothing else, the “Adams is frustrated” storyline will be an interesting angle for Mike Tirico and Cris Collinsworth to cover.
While there was plenty of reaction to the news on X (formerly Twitter), Joe Osborne of @covers summed it up best.
“Why are we being punished, Adam?” he asked.
About Arthur Weinstein
Arthur spends his free time traveling around the U.S. to sporting events, state and national parks, and in search of great restaurants off the beaten path.