The battle for the top seed in the NFC playoffs was bumped to Saturday night as the NFL instead chose the effective AFC North championship for its premiere Sunday Night Football (SNF) timeslot.

After missing a chance to clinch a playoff berth on Sunday, Aaron Rodgers and the Pittsburgh Steelers (9-7) will host the surging Baltimore Ravens (8-8) on NBC's SNF, with the winner capturing the AFC North and advancing to the playoffs while the loser gets an early start on the offseason.

Meanwhile, the NFL flexed the NFC West battle between the San Francisco 49ers (12-4) and Seattle Seahawks (13-3) to a less-desirable Saturday evening timeslot on ABC/ESPN. While both teams have already clinched playoff berths, Saturday night's winner in Santa Clara will also take the No. 1 seed in the NFC playoffs and an all-important first-round bye.

The NFL traditionally uses flex scheduling in the final week of the season to highlight games with more playoff significance. But with the 49ers' thrilling Sunday Night Football win over the visiting Chicago Bears in Week 17, many fans were displeased to see Steelers-Ravens get the Week 18 nod for SNF, America's top-rated primetime television series since 2011.

'How are the Seahawks and 49ers not Sunday night football?' one exasperated fan asked on X. 'Come on, NFL.'

Others described the decision as 'criminal.'  

'How'd yall f*** up the most obvious Sunday Night Football decision ever?' another followed.

Some framed their displeasure as a response to the Steelers' 5-6 run under embattled head coach Mike Tomlin.

'NO ONE wants to see mike tomlin meltdown on primetime,' one fan wrote.

Others objected to the Ravens being on SNF due uncertainty over quarterback Lamar Jackson's back injury, which has sidelined him for the last two games. Despite this, backup Tyler Huntley led the Ravens to a 41-24 upset of the Packers in Green Bay on Saturday to keep Baltimore's playoff hopes alive.

'This is actually insane,' one fan wrote on X. 'Seahawks-49ers decides the NFC West and the 1 seed and they hide it in the afternoon while we get a potential Huntley vs Rodgers snoozefest on Sunday night? Schedule makers need to be investigated.'

'WHO TF DECIDED TO PUT HUNTLEY VS AROD ON SNF INSTEAD OF SEAHWAKS VS 49ERS???' another agreed.

The flex scheduling also means a shorter week for the Seahawks and 49ers, both of whom played Sunday, and a longer week for the Ravens.

'Seattle and San Francisco should be on full days rest,' remarked one critic. 'They gave Baltimore an extra day of rest.'

The Carolina Panthers (8-8) finale against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-9) has also been flexed to Saturday. The NFC South matchup will be a winner-take-all affair if the Atlanta Falcons (6-9) lose or tie to the Los Angeles Rams on Monday Night Football.

Meanwhile, the Denver Broncos (13-3), New England Patriots (13-3) and Jacksonville Jaguars (12-4) all have a chance at the AFC's top seed.

Crucially, the Broncos hold a tiebreaker over the Patriots due to their better record against common opponents. A win over the Los Angeles Chargers (11-5) would guarantee the Broncos a first-round bye.