Thursday Night Football is the branding used for broadcasts of National Football League (NFL) games that broadcast primarily on Thursday nights, and occasionally on Saturdays in the later portion of the season. Most of the games kick off at 8:25 p.m. Eastern Time.
Debuting on November 23, 2006, the telecasts were originally part of NFL Network’s Run to the Playoffs package, which consisted of eight total games broadcast on Thursday and Saturday nights (five on Thursdays, and three on Saturdays, originally branded as Saturday Night Football during the latter portion of the season. Since 2012, the TNF package has begun during the second week of the NFL season; the NFL Kickoff Game and the Thanksgiving primetime game are both broadcast as part of NBC Sports’ Sunday Night Football contract and are not included in Thursday Night Football, although the Thanksgiving primetime game was previously part of the package from 2006 until 2011.
The NFL is upon us once again, which means that we’re due for a fresh slate of Thursday Night Football games. Feel the excitement.
The season kicked off with a Thursday night game between the defending Super Bowl champion Patriots and Chiefs. Kansas City upset New England in Foxborough, 42-27.
Here’s a look at this season’s complete Thursday Night Football schedule.
Week 1 (Sept. 7): Chiefs 42, Patriots 27
Week 2 (Sept. 14): Texas at Bengals
Week 3 (Sept. 21): Rams at 49ers
Week 4 (Sept. 28): Bears at Packers
Week 5 (Oct. 5): Patriots at Buccaneers
Week 6 (Oct. 12): Eagles at Panthers
Week 7 (Oct. 19): Chiefs at Raiders
Week 8 (Oct. 26): Dolphins at Ravens
Week 9 (Nov. 2): Bills at Jets
Week 10 (Nov. 9): Seahawks at Cardinals
Week 11 (Nov. 16): Titans at Steelers
Week 12 (Nov. 23, Thanksgiving): Giants at Redskins
Week 13 (Nov. 30): Redskins at Cowboys
Week 14 (Dec. 7): Saints at Falcons
Week 15 (Dec. 14): Broncos at Colts