As things currently stand, John Harbaugh and the New York Giants will battle the Detroit Lions on “Monday Night Football” in Week 16.
Whether or not that will be the case on Dec. 28 remains to be seen, as the NFL can flex Monday night games during the season’s final weeks.
The Athletic’s Steven Louis Goldstein certainly doesn’t expect to have Giants–Lions on as he takes down his Christmas tree. Goldstein ranked that game as the worst of ESPN and ABC’s 17-game “Monday Night Football” slate.
“Barring a massive overachievement in Harbaugh’s debut, this late-season draw feels eminently flex-worthy,” Goldstein wrote.
The Athletic just gave John Harbaugh and the Giants even more motivation
First off, we can’t tell if the use of “eminently” is a subtle reference to a certain Detroit rapper who frequently attends Lions games.
More importantly, outright suggesting that the game is likely to be flexed solely because of the Giants is misguided at best and outright disrespectful at worst.
Goldstein knows that the Giants play in New York, right? Or, at least, the New York media market.
Harbaugh and Jaxson Dart’s presence alone helped the Giants net four nationally televised games, including a Week 1 “Sunday Night Football” showdown with the rival Cowboys.
Compare that to the Jets, who will play all but two of their games during the 1 p.m. ET window.
The Giants are seemingly much further in their rebuild than the Jets, and they have a big-name head coach on the sidelines. Despite Dart’s injury history, he impressed as a rookie and is already seen as a breakout fantasy football candidate.
We agree that ESPN, ABC, and the NFL would absolutely consider flexing this game if the Giants are 3–11. But would that really be the case if the Giants are 6–8?
Goldstein is also assuming that the Lions will be relevant come December. What happens if both teams are 6–8? It makes no sense, then, for the NFL to keep that game on Monday night if it can find a superior option.
The final part that Goldstein seemingly forgot is that the NFL’s flex options are already limited. The Texans and Eagles play on Christmas Eve, and there is a three-game Friday night slate.
As always, multiple things can be true. Is it possible that Giants–Lions could be flexed off of “Monday Night Football” if needed? Absolutely.
Did Goldstein also go too far in disrespecting the Giants? We certainly feel that way.
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