Raiders vs. Browns, Patriots vs. Colts Scheduled for Week 15 Saturday Doubleheader

Featured Columnist IVNovember 23, 2021

ATLANTA, GEORGIA - NOVEMBER 18: Mac Jones #10 of the New England Patriots reacts during the game against the Atlanta Falcons in the first quarter at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on November 18, 2021 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Todd Kirkland/Getty Images)

Todd Kirkland/Getty Images

The NFL announced its pair of Saturday games for the Week 15 slate.

The Las Vegas Raiders and Cleveland Browns will kick off at 4:30 p.m. ET on Dec. 18, with the New England Patriots and Indianapolis Colts to follow at 8:20 p.m. ET.

NFL @NFL
IT'S A WEEK 15 SATURDAY DOUBLEHEADER!<a href="https://twitter.com/Raiders?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Raiders</a> vs. <a href="https://twitter.com/Browns?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Browns</a><a href="https://twitter.com/Patriots?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Patriots</a> vs. <a href="https://twitter.com/Colts?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Colts</a> <br><br>Saturday, Dec. 18. Only on <a href="https://twitter.com/nflnetwork?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NFLNetwork</a>. <a href="https://t.co/cBkrKYa1A4">pic.twitter.com/cBkrKYa1A4</a>

The league originally left five games open to flex into the two Saturday slots. Tuesday's news means these three games are locked in for Dec. 19:

New York Jets at Miami Dolphins
Washington Football Team at Philadelphia Eagles
Carolina Panthers at Buffalo Bills

Schedule flexing has become commonplace in the NFL, and the practice carried over into the new 18-week regular season. The idea is that league officials might be able to position important games into prime-time viewing hours.

The Patriots (7-4) have a half-game lead on the Buffalo Bills for first place in the AFC. The Colts (6-5) might be out of a playoff position for the time being, but they're also riding a three-game winning streak into Week 12.

New England and Indianapolis could be jostling for wild-card positioning in one month's time.

Cleveland vs. Las Vegas may have lost some luster by then, on the other hand.

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The Browns are last in the AFC North at 6-5, and a 13-10 victory over the Detroit Lions couldn't make people ignore Baker Mayfield getting booed by his own fans. Likewise, the Raiders (5-5) have dropped three games in a row amid a wealth of off-field problems.

Their encounter could be a meeting between two teams that have fallen short of the expectations they set for themselves heading into 2021.