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Who plays on Thursday Night Football? Breaking down Week 3 matchup

tom viera, usa today
·4-min read

Amazon Prime's "Thursday Night Football" returns to kick off Week 3. The streaming giant draws a second consecutive AFC East matchup.

The New York Jets are set for their 2024 home opener at MetLife Stadium, where they will face the New England Patriots. The Buffalo Bills hold the very early edge in the AFC East race after defeating the Miami Dolphins on "Thursday Night Football" in Week 2, but the Jets and Patriots will look to make a statement to begin Week 3.

The Jets and Patriots are 1-1 entering Thursday Night Football.

New England upset the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 1 to give Jerod Mayo his first win as a head coach. The Patriots are coming off an overtime loss in Week 2 against the Seattle Seahawks. New England's running game has been extremely effective through the first two weeks. Rhamondre Stevenson and Antonio Gibson combined for 177 rushing yards in the loss.

The Patriots have trotted out nine-year veteran quarterback Jacoby Brissett in the first two games. The journeyman is starting ahead of No. 3 overall pick Drake Maye. He has been serviceable through the first two weeks finishing with zero turnovers in each start.

JACOBY BRISSETT: Patriots to start quarterback Jacoby Brissett in Week 1 over first-round pick Drake Maye

Meanwhile, New York endured a difficult assignment in Week 1 on the road against the reigning NFC champion 49ers. They followed the loss with a 24-17 win on the road against the Tennessee Titans.

The Jets scored 17 points off mistakes made by the Titans. Tennessee got out to an early 7-0 lead in the first quarter, but the Jets' discipline throughout the game was on display. New York won the turnover battle, forcing an interception and recovering a fumble in the red zone. The Jets' special teams unit also blocked a punt halfway through the third quarter, and the ensuing drive resulted in a field goal by Greg Zuerlein. Aaron Rodgers and the Jets outscored the Titans 17-7 after halftime.

New York will look to carry the momentum on the short week against the Patriots.

Here's everything to know about the "Thursday Night Football" matchup for Week 3.

Who plays on Thursday Night Football tonight?

  • Matchup: New England Patriots at New York Jets

  • Location: MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ

The Jets (1-1) and Patriots (1-1) are playing in Amazon Prime's second "Thursday Night Football" game of the season in Week 3.

Emotions will be running high for the Jets and their fans. Last season, New York suffered a devastating blow in Week 1 when Aaron Rodgers tore his Achilles on the first offensive series after just four snaps. The four-time MVP is 40 years old and is eager to prove he is worth the Super Bowl hype in the Big Apple.

However, Rodgers hasn't been overly impressive through his first two games. He is leaning heavily on running backs Breece Hall and rookie Braelon Allen. The latter is the NFL's youngest player at 20 years old and is coming off a two-touchdown performance. Rodgers and Allen connected on a 12-yard touchdown in the first half in Nashville, marking a touchdown combination of the NFL's oldest and youngest players.

WEEK 2 OVERREACTIONS: NFL Week 2 overreactions: Are the Saints a top contender? Ravens, Dolphins in trouble

The Jets finally ended the Patriots dominance over them in Week 18 to close out the 2023 season. Even though Tom Brady left New England after 2019, the Patriots had the Jets number. Before the Jets' victory over New England in the last game of the 2023 season, the Patriots had won 15 consecutive games against New York dating back to November 2016.

NFL fans should expect a low-scoring game on "TNF." Defensive-minded head coaches will patrol the sideline, with Robert Saleh and Jerod Mayo leading their teams. The Jets have aspirations to win the AFC East, and this matchup will be a good litmus test to see if they are true contenders.

What time is the NFL game tonight?

  • Date: Thursday, Sept. 19

  • Time: 8:15 p.m. ET

The Jets vs. Patriots game will start at 8:15 p.m. ET, the same start time as all of Amazon's "Thursday Night Football" games for the 2024 NFL season.

What channel is Thursday Night Football on tonight?

NFL fans hoping to catch the "Thursday Night Football" game live must be subscribed to Amazon Prime to stream the contest.

Al Michaels (play-by-play), Kirk Herbstreit (color commentary), and Kaylee Hartung (sideline reporter) will be on the call for Amazon's broadcast.

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Who plays on Thursday Night Football? Game, start time for Week 3