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Who plays on Thursday Night Football? Breaking down Week 2 matchup

jacob camenker, usa today
·4-min read

Amazon Prime's "Thursday Night Football" is returning to the air to kickstart Week 2, and the streaming giant drew a strong matchup to start its season.

The Buffalo Bills are hitting the road to face the Miami Dolphins. Their battle that will determine who holds the very early edge in the AFC East race.

The Bills and Dolphins were two of the three NFL teams to earn Week 1 wins despite trailing by 14 points in their respective contests − something that hadn't happened in the season's opening week for 45 years.

Buffalo logged its comeback in a 34-28 offensive slugfest against the Arizona Cardinals, during which Josh Allen totaled four touchdowns. The veteran quarterback also posted a 137.7 passer rating in the contest − third best in the NFL for the week − and quelled concerns from any fans worried about the impact the Stefon Diggs trade might have on Allen's productivity.

Meanwhile, Miami endured a slow start against the Jacksonville Jaguars in a game that began just hours after Tyreek Hill was detained by Miami-Dade police en route to the stadium.

TYREEK HILL: Confrontation with police 'just went from 0 to 60'

The Dolphins woke up in the second half and flipped the game when safety Jevon Holland stripped Jaguars running back Travis Etienne just before the fourth-year pro could get to the end-zone. Etienne's turnover was followed by an 80-yard touchdown strike from Tua Tagovailoa to Hill that began Miami's scoring run.

The Dolphins outscored the Jaguars 13-0 in the second half to earn a 20-17 victory, and Miami will look to carry that defensive dominance over to their short-week game against the Bills.

Here's everything to know about the "Thursday Night Football" matchup for Week 2.

Who plays on Thursday Night Football tonight?

The Bills (1-0) and Dolphins (1-0) are playing in Amazon Prime's first "Thursday Night Football" game of the season in Week 2.

Buffalo enters the game with a clear-cut advantage, as Josh Allen sports a 10-2 career record against the Dolphins as a starter. That includes a run of four consecutive wins, including the Bills' 34-31 victory over their division rival during the 2023 NFL playoffs.

However, Allen is dealing with a hand injury that Buffalo's medical staff will be monitoring closely. The malady is in Allen's non-throwing hand, and he said he was "fine" after the Bills' win over the Cardinals. That makes him likely to suit up against the Dolphins, though his overall health and ability to grip the ball will still bear watching given the rapid turnaround from Week 1 to Week 2.

JOSH ALLEN: Where Bills QB ranks in ESPN's QBR after dominant Week 1

The Dolphins should feel hopeful about snapping the Bills' winning streak against them for reasons beyond Allen's injury. Buffalo's defense and special teams units allowed the Cardinals to score 28 points and seemed to have issues containing fast, shifty players like Kyler Murray and Greg Dortch. That should give Hill and Jaylen Waddle a chance to rip off some big plays.

NFL fans should expect a high-scoring game to kickstart the "TNF" slate. The Bills and Dolphins have combined for at least 61 points in three of their last four meetings; if Allen is at or close to a full go, the two teams should have a chance to match that feat once again.

What time is the NFL game tonight?

  • Date: Thursday, Sept. 12

  • Time: 8:15 p.m. ET

The Dolphins vs. Bills game will kick off at 8:15 p.m. ET, the same scheduled start time for all of Amazon's "Thursday Night Football" games for the 2024 NFL season.

What channel is Thursday Night Football on tonight?

  • Channel (Buffalo): WKBW (Channel 7)

  • Channel (Miami): WFOR (Channel 4)

  • Live stream: Amazon Prime

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

That said, the NFL took steps to ensure those in the Buffalo and Miami area markets will be able to catch the game without subscriptions to the streaming giant. ABC affiliate WKBW will broadcast the contest for those in the Buffalo market while CBS affiliate WFOR will carry the game in Miami.

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 USATNetwork: Who plays on Thursday Night Football? Game, start time for Week 2