The NFL’s first scheduling change of the 2025 season affects the New England Patriots.
New England will now play the New Orleans Saints at 1 p.m. ET on Sunday, Oct. 12. The Week 6 matchup was originally scheduled to start at 4:25 p.m. ET, but the San Francisco 49ers and Tampa Bay Buccaneers will take that slot.
The Patriots probably aren’t at fault for the switch. They’ve started 2-2 under Mike Vrabel behind some encouraging performances from Drake Maye, who’s posted a 109.4 quarterback rating.
The Saints, on the other hand, are the NFC’s only winless team. They rank 26th in passing offense behind Spencer Rattler and 27th in points allowed (30.3 per game).
Week 6’s other 4:25 p.m. game also likely affected the NFL’s decision. A matchup between the Green Bay Packers and Cincinnati Bengals no longer feels worthy of a national CBS showcase with Joe Burrow sidelined.
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Tampa Bay and San Francisco can take that billing instead. Each NFC team leads its division with a 3-1 record.
Even with the switch, Week 6 doesn’t offer the most enticing late-afternoon menu. The Las Vegas Raiders will play the 0-4 Tennessee Titans at 4:05 p.m. ET on Fox.
Many top teams are instead playing on primetime. The Philadelphia Eagles face the New York Giants on Thursday night, and the Buffalo Bills (at Atlanta Falcons) and Washington Commanders (vs. Chicago Bears) headline a Monday-night doubleheader after the Kansas City Chiefs and Detroit Lions play a potential Super Bowl preview on Sunday night.
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Week 6 was the first and only Patriots game scheduled for Sunday’s late-afternoon slate this season. They’ll play outside the 1 p.m. window for the first time in Week 5’s “Sunday Night Football” showdown against the Bills.
