The Broncos-Chiefs game is going to save us from Patriots-Jets in primetime in Week 12

The NFL has announced a schedule change for Sunday, Nov. 27. The Denver Broncos and Kansas City Chiefs game that was originally scheduled for 4:25 p.m. ET will be that week’s Sunday Night Football matchup on NBC. The New England Patriots and New York Jets matchup that was originally scheduled for Sunday night will be flexed to 4:25 p.m.

The NFL has very specific flexible scheduling rules that allow the league to move more interesting games to primetime. In this case, moving what is almost certain to be a lopsided contest between the 7-2 Patriots and the 3-7 Jets out of evening slot and to 4:25 p.m. is merciful.

The Broncos and the Chiefs, on the other hand, currently have seven wins each, and because Oakland also has seven wins, this matchup should have profound AFC West playoff implications.

The game will be held in Denver, where the Broncos are tough to beat at night.

This will be the first matchup this season between the Broncos and Chiefs. The second game between these division rivals will be the Sunday Night Football matchup on Christmas Day. The Broncos, of course, are the defending Super Bowl champions, and the Chiefs started last season 1-5 but bounced back to an 11-5 record and a postseason bid.

Flexible scheduling goes into effect beginning in Week 5 of the NFL season, and it gives the league the opportunity to move any Sunday afternoon game into the Sunday night spot. Other primetime games, whether they are scheduled for Thursday night, Monday night, or Saturday night, are not eligible for flexible scheduling.

This is the second time the NFL has opted to employ flexible scheduling this season. In Week 8, the league opted to move the rematch of last season’s NFC Championship between the Carolina Panthers and Arizona Cardinals to the 1 p.m. ET time slot, flexing the Green Bay Packers and Atlanta Falcons to Fox’s Game of the Week at 4:25 p.m.