Two upcoming Saints games moved to 3:25 kickoffs

When the 2017 NFL schedule came out in the spring, there was a conspicuous absence of featured games for the New Orleans Saints. With a seven-game winning streak and a lead in the NFC South, that’s changing.

The Saints will be the NFL’s featured doubleheader game on consecutive weeks. The NFL announced Tuesday that the Nov. 26 game at the Los Angeles Rams and the Dec. 3 home game against the Carolina Panthers have been moved to 3:25 p.m. Central time kickoffs.

UPDATE: NFL schedule changes for Weeks 12 & 13

Week 12
NO at LAR moves to 4:25 PM ET on CBS
TEN at IND moves to FOX (stays at 1:00 PM ET)

Week 13
CAR at NO moves to 4:25 PM ET (stays on FOX)
DEN at MIA moves to FOX (stays at 1:00 PM ET)

No changes to Sunday Night Football pic.twitter.com/p4wXJV3OPY

— Randall Liu (@RLiuNFL) November 14, 2017

The Saints-Rams game was originally scheduled as a 3:05 kickoff on Fox. Week 12 is a CBS doubleheader day, so the game has been “cross-flexed” to CBS, even though the matchup features two NFC teams. CBS’ main doubleheader game that day was a matchup between the underachieving Denver Broncos and Oakland Raiders.

The Saints-Panthers matchup, which could decide the NFC South title, will be one of three games in the doubleheader slot for Week 13, along with the Rams against the Arizona Cardinals and the New York Giants at Oakland. Clearly, based on records, most of the country will get the Saints.

Prior to Tuesday’s announcement, the Saints had no 3:25 p.m. kickoffs – the time for doubleheader games – and only two primetime games (at Minnesota on Monday night of Week 1 and at Atlanta on Thursday, Dec. 7).

Fox’s No. 1 team of Joe Buck, Troy Aikman and Erin Andrews will be in New Orleans Sunday for the Saints’ matchup with Washington, so with Tuesday’s schedule changes and the Thursday night matchup with the Falcons to follow, it’s likely the Saints will get the featured broadcast treatment for the next four games.