BY DAN BEGNOCHE
Thinking about closing out your Sunday before the holiday week with a top-tier AFC rivalry game? Think again.
The New England Patriots (10-3) haven't gone up against the Baltimore Ravens (7-6) since last year's AFC Championship game, and Tom Brady would probably love nothing more than some primetime revenge after his performance in last year's finale.
That won't happen though — at least the prime time part — as the Dec. 22 rematch has been flexed out for the NFC matchup between the Philadelphia Eagles (8-6) and the Chicago Bears (7-6), according to the Boston Globe.
While both the Bears and the Eagles are in heated playoff battles in their respective divisions, the same can be said for the defending champs, who are currently holding onto the final playoff spot over the Miami Dolphins (7-6) based on a tiebreaker win in Week 5 and will very much need a win against New England to keep pace.
If Miami beats New England this weekend on the road this week, that would put them at 8-6 and still technically in the running for the divisional title, not to mention in the driver's seat for the last wildcard spot. A loss would give the Pats the division title, however, and would likely make their game against Baltimore in Week 16 a battle to snag a first-round bye.
Pats fans can't be too angry about change, as the team last played on Sunday night just three weeks ago in their win against the Denver Broncos, their fourth prime time game of the season. The Ravens will appear in the Sunday night slot this weekend as they face off against the Detroit Lions on the road.
The Baltimore-New England grudge match will now be shown at 4:25 p.m. on CBS.
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