The NFL has flexed the second matchup between the Cleveland Browns and PIttsburgh Steelers to 1:00 P.M. on Sunday December 1st.
What the NFL is trying to do is abundantly clear. After the fiasco that happened on Thursday, flexing the Browns-Steelers matchup on December 1st to 1:00 P.M. had to be done.
The NFL does a lot dumb things. This is not one of them. For once the league had a moment of clarity and realized a 4:25 P.M. kickoff was not in the best interest of anyone. Having this game occur while there are seven other games taking place is the best way to reduce the coverage. It would have been one of three games beginning at 4:00 or later had it remained at 4:25 P.M.
After what happened on Thursday between Myles Garrett and Mason Rudolph, another incident seems likely to occur considering there is only one game before they face each other again. Emotions will still be running high. That much is clear.
This game is going to be chippy. It is not out of the realm of possibilities that another incident occurs. The officiating crew will without a doubt be instructed to call the game tight and do their best to avoid another incident. Especially since the game is in Pittsburgh and it was their quarterback who was hit on the head with a helmet. The crowd is going to be rowdy and the Steelers will feed off of it.
The Cleveland Browns will have to do their best to keep themselves out of trouble. The team is undisciplined and prone to committing penalties. Making sure the penalties they do commit are not stupid penalties will be key. Unnecessary roughness and unsportsmanlike conduct penalties cannot happen. If they do, things can unravel and the team can fall apart in rivalry game they desperately need to win. Especially if they are still holding out hope for a playoff run.
