If not for a gracious move by CBS, most of the country wouldn’t have seen Denver-Kansas City Sunday.

Under the flex scheduling provisions, both CBS and Fox can protect five games from their inventory. The set-up prevents the NFL from moving those attractive games to Sunday night for NBC.

Note: Technically, it is the NFL, not NBC, that elects to flex games, although you can be sure the Peacocks make their feelings known.

CBS reportedly protected both of the Denver-Kansas City games, including Sunday’s contest in Denver. However, the network doesn’t have the doubleheader window this week. Fox does with San Francisco-New Orleans.

As a result, if CBS kept this week’s big game, which was scheduled for the late window, it would have aired in a limited number of markets beyond Denver and Kansas City. Most of the country wouldn’t have seen the game.

Given the circumstances, the NFL asked CBS if it would yield its protect rights and allow the game to be moved to Sunday night. A game featuring 9-0 Kansas City against 8-1 Denver looked much better than Green Bay at the New York Giants, the previously scheduled game for NBC. Peyton trumps Eli this year–big time.

CBS agreed. For the good of the game, right?

In a statement, the network said: “After discussions with the NFL, we made a once-only accommodation so that the game can be seen by a national audience, which we could not provide during our prescheduled doubleheader weekend.”

I like the “once-only” line. In other words, NFL and NBC, don’t even think about the Dec. 1 rematch between the two teams in Kansas City.

Actually, that game couldn’t be moved since Denver will have maxed out with six prime time appearances.

The real winner obviously is NBC, which gets four bites at the Peyton apple this year. Next week, the network has Denver at New England. Both games should do huge ratings for NBC.

As for CBS, it has only four games on its schedule this week. The No. 1 crew of Jim Nantz and Phil Simms will be in my backyard for Baltimore at Chicago. An interesting game, but not Denver-Kansas City.

So while you’re watching the big game on Sunday, remember to say thanks to CBS. NBC will.