NFL Week 17: Vikings-Packers showdown flexed to late window, Eagles-Cowboys to be played earlier

All the way back before Week 1, not many people thought the Week 17 matchup between the Minnesota Vikings and Green Bay Packers would have so much juice that it would push another major NFL rivalry game to an earlier time slot.

But that is what has happened. The NFL announced Monday that the Vikings-Packers showdown is being flexed to the late window of Sunday's NFL games. It will be played at 4:30 p.m. ET instead of 1:00 p.m. ET, giving more people a chance to watch a contest between two rivals that could affect the upcoming playoffs.

When one game is flexed in, another game must be flexed out. The Week 17 game being flexed out to the early window is the Philadelphia Eagles vs. Dallas Cowboys. While that's typically a bankable matchup between two bitter division rivals that traditionally gets a lot of eyeballs, it's less of a contest at this point in the season.

The Cowboys have won four of their last five games but have been eliminated from playoff contention. The interest in this game is based on whether the resurgent Cowboys can top a beat-up Eagles team that lost not just its Week 16 matchup against the Washington Commanders, but also starting QB Jalen Hurts to an early game concussion.

In the end, Cowboys-Eagles has few playoff implications, while Vikings-Packers has the Vikings potentially vying for the No. 1 seed, and the Packers — if they defeat the New Orleans Saints on Monday Night Football and therefore clinch a playoff spot — fighting for better playoff seeding. And if the Packers lose to the Saints to close out Week 16, they'll be fighting for a playoff appearance against the Vikings.