A highly anticipated showdown between the Ravens and Commanders is staying put.

The Beltway neighbors are scheduled to play at 1 p.m. on Oct. 13 at M&T Bank Stadium, and it will remain that way with the game not being moved to “Sunday Night Football.” NBC was interested in flexing the game to its prime-time window at 8:20 p.m., but CBS protected the contest, two sources with direct knowledge of the situation told The Baltimore Sun.

Under NFL flex rules, up to two games between Weeks 5 and 10 can be moved from Sunday afternoon to Sunday night with 12 days’ notice required. Networks can also protect one game per week.

Tuesday was the deadline to announce any changes to the Week 6 Sunday night game, which has the New York Giants (1-3) hosting the Cincinnati Bengals (1-3).. The Ravens-Commanders game also can’t be moved to the 4:25 p.m. time slot on CBS because FOX has the exclusive doubleheader that week with the Dallas Cowboys hosting the Detroit Lions in the later window.

A desire to showcase the Ravens (2-2) and NFC East-leading Commanders (3-1) and their respective star quarterbacks, two-time NFL Most Valuable Player Lamar Jackson and No. 2 overall draft pick Jayden Daniels, in prime time had obvious and tantalizing appeal, however.

Baltimore is starting to find its rhythm as perhaps one of the best teams in the league with two straight wins, including a 35-10 demolition of the previously undefeated Buffalo Bills on Sunday night. Washington, meanwhile, has won three in a row thanks in large part to the electrifying play of the rookie Daniels, who has passed for 897 yards and three touchdowns, rushed for 218 yards and four scores and has the highest completion percentage (.821) through his first four games of any quarterback in NFL history.

The Ravens-Commanders game is also the marquee contest on CBS’ slate that week.

The other Week 6 games at 1 p.m. for the network are the Houston Texans at New England Patriots and the Indianapolis Colts at the Tennessee Titans. The two 4:05 p.m. games are the Pittsburgh Steelers at the Las Vegas Raiders and Los Angeles Chargers at the Denver Broncos.

Moving the game to Sunday night also would have meant a sixth prime-time game for the Ravens this season.

Already, Baltimore has played the Chiefs in Kansas City and hosted the Bills in prime-time over the first four weeks and still has night games against the Buccaneers in Tampa (Oct. 21), at home against the Bengals (Nov. 7) and at the Chargers (Nov. 25). The Ravens will also play on the road on Christmas Day for a second straight year, this time against the Texans.

Despite the proximity between Baltimore and Washington, the meeting between the teams is a rarity.

Though they play annually in the preseason, the Ravens and Commanders have met just seven times since 1997 during the regular season and haven’t played since 2020.

In that most recent game, Jackson ran for a 50-yard touchdown and threw for two scores to lead the Ravens to an easy 31-17 win at then-FedEx Field in Landover. But in the most recent meeting in Baltimore, Washington beat the Ravens, 16-10, in 2016 behind a stingy defense and an 85-yard punt return for a touchdown by Jamison Crowder.

Overall, the Ravens have won four of the seven meetings.

Baltimore’s next game is at Cincinnati on Sunday afternoon. Washington hosts the Cleveland Browns.

Have a news tip? Contact Brian Wacker at bwacker@baltsun.com and x.com/brianwacker1.