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According to Adam Schefter of ESPN, the NFL has postponed the Steelers-Ravens game for a third time to Wednesday. The game already has been moved from Thanksgiving night to Sunday afternoon to Tuesday at 8 p.m. and now it's scheduled for Wednesday at 3:40 p.m.
The Steelers-Ravens game is kicking off on Wednesday at 3:40 p.m. because NBC wanted and was committed to broadcasting the 88th Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree lighting ceremony on Wednesday night, according to Schefter.
Today's round of Ravens' test results produced no new positives that would impact Tuesday's game, according to Dan Graziano of ESPN. There was one new positive, but it's an injured reserve player who hasn't been in close contact with others. The NFL has given the Ravens the option to fly to Pittsburgh tomorrow following more tests, Graziano reports.
Graziano said that Baltimore's team facility is scheduled to reopen this evening, at which point the team will discuss its options. There is some concern among players about playing tomorrow, but they also understand that no one gets paid if the game is canceled. The decision is likely to be made tonight, according to Graziano.
The Steelers-Washington game has been moved to Monday, according to Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Kickoff for the Steelers-Washington game is at 5 p.m. The Steelers will have just four days to prepare for Washington, while the Football Team will have 10 days to prepare for the Steelers since they played on Thanksgiving.
It sounds like the Ravens' players demanded the game to be pushed back to Wednesday, or they wouldn't play.
Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk said there were concerns of a potential wildcat strike by the Ravens if the game wasn't moved which would have brought up a legal dispute. Florio states, "The NFL would argue that it’s an illegal strike, violating both the CBA and the agreement struck in early August to allow the season to proceed. The NFL Players Association would likely counter by claiming that the delays coupled with the refusal to let the Ravens properly prepare creates a physical safety risk sufficient to justify refusing to play."
According to Mark Maske of The Washington Post, having the game played on Wednesday is not even good enough for some Ravens' players, who have expressed concerns. Other players on the Ravens are fine with playing on Wednesday.
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