* - If they make the playoffs, natch.
But, the people from NBC have decided that they're going to make the NFC showdown between the Carolina Panthers and the New York Giants the Sunday Night game of the week for Week 16. There had been rumors going around that the Vikings' game against the Atlanta Falcons was in the running for that spot, but with the Panthers' victory over Tampa Bay last night, the choice for NBC became a very easy one. The Panthers/Giants matchup will feature the battle for what should be the #1 overall seed in the NFC playoffs.
If you're hoping that Minnesota's season finale against those same Giants could possibly get flexed to prime time, the Panthers/Giants game will be New York's fourth appearance on Sunday Night Football this year, and that's the most that any team can have in a given season, so there's no chance of Giants/Vikings getting flexed into that spot in Week 17.
As a bit of a consolation prize, though, the game between Minnesota and Atlanta for Week 16 has been moved from the standard noon Central Time start to a later 3:15 PM kickoff. That should make them Fox's featured late game for that week.