Why are three NFL games scheduled for Saturday in Week 15?

For the first time in 2023 NFL season, there will football played on Saturdays starting with the Vikings vs the Bengals.

Why are three NFL games scheduled for Saturday in Week 15?

Denver Broncos quarterback Russell Wilson (Image via IMAGO)

Saturday night football is back, and fans will be treated to a triple header. There’s back-to-back gridiron action, with the Minnesota Vikings (7-6) traveling to Paul Brown Stadium and facing the Cincinnati Bengals (7-6) in the early kickoff at 1 p.m. ET.

After things wrap up in Ohio, it’s over to Lucas Oil Stadium. The Indianapolis Colts will be looking to add to their four-game winning streak when they face the tricky challenge of the Pittsburgh Steelers. Both sides have a 7-6 record, but unlike the Colts’ Mike Tomlin‘s side, they lost their last two games.

NFL Saturday games conclude in Motor City. The Detroit Lions (9-4) will be looking to get back to winning ways after a disappointing loss against the Chicago Bears last week when the Denver Broncos (7-6) come to Ford Field.

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Sean Payton‘s team was on a five-game winning spree before losing to the Houston Texans in Week 13. They managed to carve out a win against the misfiring Los Angeles Chargers. They have an outside chance of making the playoffs despite not winning five of his first six games.

Why are there three NFL games on Saturday in Week 15?

NFL games usually take place on Mondays, Sundays, and Thursdays. Starting on December 16th, there will be games on Saturday nights as well, but why is that? Because the college football season came to an end, there’s room for the NFL to shift a few games to another day.

Why are three NFL games scheduled for Saturday in Week 15?
Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Jake Browning (Image via IMAGO)

Typically, NCAA games dominate Saturday nights, but now there are only the Bowl games remaining. It makes sense for the NFL to fill that void because it’s winter and close to Christmas Eve, fans want more football so they can enjoy more turkey dinner.

Then the question arises: why doesn’t the NFL run football simultaneously with college games? There’s a law in place that the committee has to abide by. According to the Sports Broadcasting Act of 1961, the NFL cannot televise games within a certain vicinity of live high school or college games.

If they went through with scheduling games during college matchups, then it might affect attendance. Hypothetically, if there’s a Bengals game on Saturday night alongside the Cincinnati Bear Cats, then Ohio fans will probably pick the NFL game. More importantly, all 32 franchises have now completed their bye week, so there are more game slots for each week’s schedule.

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