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An upcoming Eagles game got demoted by the NFL. It might not be the last one.

In the NFL's first scheduling flex of the season, the Birds and Washington Commanders are headed in opposite directions.

Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts sits on the bench after the Cleveland Browns scored a touchdown on a blocked Eagles field-goal attempt late in the second quarter Sunday.
Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts sits on the bench after the Cleveland Browns scored a touchdown on a blocked Eagles field-goal attempt late in the second quarter Sunday.Read moreDavid Maialetti / Staff Photographer
    by Rob Tornoe
    Published 

Last season, the Eagles spent much of the year playing in front of a national audience in the biggest TV windows the NFL has to offer.

But after a slow 3-2 start in which the antics of coach Nick Sirianni are getting the most attention, it’s clear these aren’t those Eagles.

The NFL announced its first schedule flex of the season Tuesday, and the league is demoting the Eagles’ Week 8 matchup against the equally lackluster Cincinnati Bengals (2-4) to the regional 1 p.m. window on CBS. The Oct. 27 game, which pits Jalen Hurts against Joe Burrow, was slated to be the league’s national game of the week, called by top CBS announcers Jim Nantz and Tony Romo.

Instead, the NFL is moving up a matchup between the surprising Washington Commanders (4-2) and high-flying Chicago Bears (4-2), which means hot young quarterbacks Jayden Daniels and Caleb Williams will now have a national audience.

Despite the demotion, Eagles-Bengals still will reach about 70% of the country.

It might not be the last time the Eagles are moved to an earlier time this season. The Birds are scheduled to face the Jacksonville Jaguars (1-5) and former coach Doug Pederson in Week 9 on NBC’s Sunday Night Football. After the Eagles’ slow start and the apparent collapse in Jacksonville, the league is looking at all options for that prime-time game, including doing nothing, according to NFL sources.

What might work in the Eagles’ favor is that there aren’t many obvious options to replace it. The best game of that week by far is the Detroit Lions (4-1) vs. the Green Bay Packers (4-2), but that’s already in the national 4:25 p.m. time slot. Other possibilities include the Minnesota Vikings vs. the Indianapolis Colts (3-3) and the Miami Dolphins (2-3) vs. the Buffalo Bills (4-2), especially if Miami quarterback Tua Tagovailoa returns.

A reminder of how the NFL’s flexible scheduling rules work:

  1. Sunday Night Football: The NFL can flex up to two games between Weeks 5 and 10, and an unlimited number of times from Week 11 through Week 17. Twelve days’ notice has to be given through Week 13 and six days’ notice after that.

  2. Thursday Night Football: The league can flex twice between Weeks 13 and 17 and must give 28 days’ notice.

  3. Monday Night Football: The NFL can flex an unlimited number of times between Weeks 12 and 17 and must give 12 days’ notice.