Who in the NFL Plays Tonight?
Keep up with who’s playing in the NFL tonight with our handy guide. We’ll tell you what time the game starts, who’s playing, and where to watch it.
Introduction
The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league consisting of 32 teams, divided equally between the National Football Conference (NFC) and the American Football Conference (AFC). The NFL is one of the four major professional sports leagues in North America, and the highest professional level of American football in the world. NFL games are divided into two separate seasons: the pre-season, when teams scrimmage against each other to tune up for the regular season; and the regular season, when they play for real.
The NFL regular season typically runs from early September to late December, with each team playing 16 games. During the regular season, each team has one bye week, when they do not play. At the end of the regular season, six teams from each conference (four division winners and two wild card teams) advance to the playoffs. The playoffs are a single-elimination tournament leading to theSuper Bowl, which is usually held in early February and determines the champion of the league.
So who’s playing tonight? Check out our NFL game schedule below to find out!
NFL Games Today
Baltimore Ravens vs. Cincinnati Bengals
The Baltimore Ravens are set to take on the Cincinnati Bengals tonight in what promises to be an exciting game. These two teams have a long history of rivalry, dating back to when they were both members of the AFC North division. The Ravens currently lead the all-time series between these two teams, with a record of 21-10.
Tonight’s game is sure to be a close one, as both teams have strong defenses. The Ravens are currently ranked 2nd in the NFL in points allowed per game, while the Bengals are not far behind at 4th. However, the Ravens offense has struggled somewhat this season, ranking 21st in the NFL in points scored per game. The Bengals offense has been slightly better, ranking 18th in the NFL in points scored per game.
Who will come out on top in this matchup? Tune in tonight to find out!
Detroit Lions vs. Green Bay Packers
The Detroit Lions take on the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field in an NFC North battle today at 8:30 p.m. ET.
Both teams are coming off of disappointing losses in Week 10 and will be looking to get back on track. The Lions were defeated by the Chicago Bears, 20-10, while the Packers fell to the Indianapolis Colts, 31-26.
The Lions are currently in last place in the NFC North with a record of 3-6-1, while the Packers are in first place with a record of 6-4.
This will be the first meeting between these two teams this season. In their last meeting, which took place in Week 17 of last season, the Packers defeated the Lions, 31-0.
Houston Texans vs. Indianapolis Colts
The Houston Texans take on the Indianapolis Colts in an AFC South matchup tonight. The Texans are coming off a tough loss to the Baltimore Ravens, while the Colts are coming off a bye week. Both teams will be looking for a win tonight.
The Texans are led by quarterback Deshaun Watson, who has thrown for 3 touchdowns and 1 interception so far this season. The Texans have a strong running game, led by running back David Johnson. The Texans also have one of the best defenses in the NFL, led by defensive end J.J. Watt.
The Colts are led by quarterback Philip Rivers, who has thrown for 7 touchdowns and 3 interceptions so far this season. The Colts have a strong passing game, but their running game has been struggling. The Colts also have a good defense, led by linebacker Darius Leonard.
The game starts at 8:20pm ET and will be broadcast on NBC.
Miami Dolphins vs. New England Patriots
The Miami Dolphins will be playing the New England Patriots at 1:00 PM EST today. The game will be broadcast on CBS.
New Orleans Saints vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The New Orleans Saints will take on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in an NFC South battle at 8:20 p.m. ET on Thursday at Mercedes-Benz Superdome. New Orleans is coming into this game hot, winning five in a row.
Meanwhile, Tampa Bay isn’t exactly playing its best football, but it’s still plenty dangerous. The Buccaneers picked up a solid 24-17 victory over the Carolina Panthers two weeks ago. Jameis Winston completed 20 passes for 249 yards and two touchdowns. Winston didn’t have his best stuff, but he made some clutch throws late in the fourth quarter to seal the victory.
The Saints might be the better team, but this game could easily go either way. The oddsmakers have installed New Orleans as a 6-point favorite in this matchup. The Over/Under (O/U) for the game opened at 53 points with the total sitting at 52 at some sportsbooks.
New Orleans should have an advantage on the offensive side of the ball. The Saints rank third in yards per game while the Buccaneers come in 16th in that category. Additionally, New Orleans ranks first in passing yards allowed per game while Tampa Bay is 18th in that category.
These two teams have faced each other 21 times since 1990 with New Orleans winning 14 games and Tampa Bay winning seven games cleanly and taking one contest by void due to Hurricane Katrina back in 2005. In those contests, the Saints averaged 26 points per game while allowing 18 points per contest to their NFC South rivals from down south on I-10 Eastbound.
New York Giants vs. Dallas Cowboys
The New York Giants will take on the Dallas Cowboys in an NFC East matchup tonight. The game will be played at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, and is scheduled to kick off at 8:20 p.m. ET.
The Cowboys enters tonight’s game with a 6-6 record and are coming off a 27-20 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles last week. The Giants, meanwhile, are 5-7 and are coming off a 30-27 win over the Chicago Bears.
Both teams are still very much in the playoff hunt, as the Cowboys are currently in second place in the NFC East while the Giants are in third. A win tonight would go a long way for either team’s playoff hopes.
You can catch all of the action tonight on NBC. Al Michaels will serve as the play-by-play announcer, with Cris Collinsworth serving as the analyst and Michele Tafoya as the sideline reporter.
Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Cleveland Browns
The Pittsburgh Steelers and the Cleveland Browns are two of the most storied franchises in the NFL. These two teams have a long-standing rivalry, dating back to when they were both part of the AFC Central division. The Steelers and Browns have played each other a total of 138 times, with the Steelers holding a 61-57-0 lead in the all-time series.
The Browns have not had much success against the Steelers in recent years, losing 11 of their last 12 match-ups. The last time these two teams met was in Week 1 of the 2019 season, when the Steelers won 30-6. The Browns will be looking to exact some revenge on their division rivals today, but it will be a tall task against a very talented Steelers team.
Conclusion
In conclusion, there are sixteen teams in the NFL playing tonight. Of those sixteen teams, eight are in the AFC and eight are in the NFC. The four teams in the AFC playing tonight are the Baltimore Ravens, Buffalo Bills, Cincinnati Bengals, and Cleveland Browns. The four teams in the NFC playing tonight are the Dallas Cowboys, Detroit Lions, Green Bay Packers, and Minnesota Vikings.
