Dolphins’ home kickoff vs. Patriots changed from original time

The Miami Dolphins’ kickoff for their season finale against the New England Patriots at Hard Rock Stadium on Sunday will now kick off at 4:25 p.m.

The Week 18 game against the AFC East rival was originally slated for a 1 p.m. start, but the NFL announced the later start time after Sunday’s slate of Week 17 games went final.

Had the Dolphins (8-8) beaten the Tennessee Titans in their penultimate game on Sunday, the final game against the Patriots (10-6) could have been flexed to Sunday Night Football with the playoff implications it would’ve carried. Instead, Miami was eliminated from playoff contention in Nashville, diminishing the meaning behind the finale.

Sunday Night Football will be the Los Angeles Chargers at Las Vegas Raiders game with the winner making the playoffs and the loser likely out. Two games were also flexed to Saturday: Kansas City Chiefs at Denver Broncos and Dallas Cowboys at Philadelphia Eagles.

In the final week of the regular season, all games are divisional and the NFL, outside of the flexed games, tries to get games from the same divisions in the same time slots. Thus, the New York Jets at Buffalo Bills game will also kick off at 4:25. The Bills lead the division, but the Patriots can overtake them in the AFC East with a win in Miami and a Buffalo loss against the Jets.

from Boston Herald https://ift.tt/3JA11Ka