Entering the season, not many people outside of Cleveland expected the week fourteen matchup between the Indianapolis Colts and the Cleveland Browns to be a good game or have much significance in the playoff race. But that's the thing about the NFL: expect the unexpected. Through twelve weeks, the Colts and the Browns both stand at 7-4 and both are in contention to win their respective divisions (with the Colts starting to pull away in the AFC South and the Browns in the midst of the AFC North battle).
As such, the NFL has flexed the Colts vs. Browns game in Cleveland, though not in the fashion that many are familiar with flex scheduling. The NFL has maintained the 1:00 p.m. ET kickoff, but the game will be shown on FOX instead of on CBS. That's right - a game featuring two AFC teams will be shown on FOX.
This has already caused some confusion among Colts fans, so here's the deal: this is a part of the new "cross-flexing" program the NFL has this year that allows them to flex some games between networks - though they have only done it a couple of times this year. CBS has games such as the Steelers vs. Bengals or the Ravens vs. Dolphins, while the only semblance of a good game (on paper) that FOX had in the time slot is the Panthers vs. Saints. What this does is gives the Colts vs. Browns game a wider audience while still leaving the Sunday night game as Patriots vs. Chargers.
It was a little-known rule that started this year with the "cross-flexing" program, but it will effect the Colts in week fourteen, as their December 7th game in Cleveland against the Browns will now be shown on FOX at 1:00 p.m. instead of on CBS.