CLEVELAND — When the Browns' 2024 schedule was released in May, many expected Cleveland's Week 16 Thursday night game with the Cincinnati Bengals to be a marquee matchup with playoff implications. With both teams practically out of the picture by Week 12, the NFL has decided the AFC North rivals are not ready for primetime.
The league has flexed the season's second staging of the Battle of Ohio, originally slated for Dec. 19 at 8:15 p.m., out of its Thursday Night Football timeslot, the Browns announced on social media Friday. The game in Cincinnati has been rescheduled for Sunday, Dec. 22 at 1 p.m.
FOX will air the AFC North matchup, the NFL said.
In its place, Amazon Prime's broadcast will feature the Denver Broncos vs. the Los Angeles Chargers, two AFC West clubs still jockeying for playoff positioning.
The Browns and Bengals previously met this year in Week 7 on Oct. 20. Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson suffered his season-ending ruptured Achilles tendon in that game, and Cincinnati won 21-14.
The Week 16 game was initially set to be one of four primetime appearances in the final seven weeks of Cleveland's season, beginning with the Browns' thrilling win over the Steelers on Thursday night. Next week's Monday Night Football meeting with the Broncos on ESPN will remain as scheduled. However, the Week 17 Sunday Night Football slot against the Dolphins looks to be in doubt with both teams currently outside the playoff race.
