NFL announces Wild Card round will now include a Monday game

The NFL announced on Friday that the league will move one of its games from Wild Card weekend into Monday. The league expanded the playoffs last year to include six total Wild Card games. Last year, the schedule included three Saturday games and three Sunday games. This year, it will feature two Saturday games, three Sunday games, and one Monday evening game.

The reason is clear for the decision. A prime time Monday game offers a chance for a better rating on one of the six games. Additionally, as Albert Breer noted, moving a game to that first Monday no longer conflicts with college football’s national title game. That was cleared up when the league expanded the regular season schedule and moved back the Super Bowl.

This creates a shorter week for the Monday winner, but if the NFL can make a few extra bucks, little things like that won’t stand in the way of The Shield.

The new Wild Card round schedule is as follows:

Saturday, January 15th

Game 1: 4:35 p.m. ET
Game 2: 8:15 p.m. ET

Sunday, January 16th

Game 1: 1:05 p.m. ET
Game 2: 4:40 p.m. ET
Game 3: 8:15 p.m. ET

Monday, January 17th

Game 1: 8:15 p.m. ET