The NFL season is upon us and fans all around the world are excited about the biggest matchups between the best teams. Viewers will find many of those matchups this season on Thursday Night Football. For the first time ever, Amazon Prime Video will be the exclusive home to such showdowns, and their contract with the NFL will cover the next 10 seasons. The action starts in Week 2 of the NFL season and runs all the way through week 17.
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The impressive thing about the Thursday Night Football schedule is that nearly every week features a must-see matchup. The calendar is packed with appealing events from the defending Super Bowl champions to up-and-coming young quarterbacks. While one should be excited for each and every week, let’s take a look at the six matchups that have football fans the most enthusiastic.
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6Week 11 - Titans vs Packers
The pride of Nashville march into Lambeau Field in what is sure to be a marquee matchup. Derrick Henry is arguably the greatest active running back in the National Football League. In 2020, he became just the 8th player to rush for over 2,000 years in a single season. After an injury-plagued 2021 season, he looks to take back his rushing title. On the other side of the pigskin, there is the Aaron Rodgers-led Green Bay Packers. While he might not have the receiving weapons he’s grown accustomed to, Rodgers is still the reigning back-to-back NFL most valuable player. This should be a high-scoring affair featuring some of the greatest offensive stars that the NFL has to offer.
5Week 16 - Jaguars vs Jets
This intriguing showdown will feature two young quarterbacks vying to become the next great NFL superstar. Jacksonville quarterback Trevor Lawrence looks to build off a difficult rookie campaign and prove to the world that he was deserving of being drafted 1st overall in the 2021 NFL draft. The Jaguars spent a record amount of money in the offseason upgrading their team, including $72 million on receiver speedster Christian Kirk. Meanwhile, New York has a highly drafted quarterback of their own in Zach Wilson. Wilson, drafted 2nd overall in the 2021 NFL draft, surely has something to prove by getting a win over the only player drafted ahead of him. This will be a big-time battle in the Big Apple.
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4Week 13 - Bills vs Patriots
Bills fans have long suffered at the hands of the New England Patriots. In the 19 years when Tom Brady was the Patriots’ quarterback, he played the Bills 35 times. He won an astonishing 32 times in those matchups. However, the times they are a-changing. With Brady gone, the Pats are no longer the powerhouse of the AFC East. The Bills have filled those shoes, developing a superstar QB of their own in Josh Allen. Bills fans are counting down the days until this game when they have the opportunity to enact a load of revenge against their rivals in prime time. The Patriots won’t be going down without a fight. Youngster Mac Jones hopes to follow in Brady’s success against Buffalo, but after going 1-2 (including playoffs) against them in his rookie season, he’ll have his work cut out against him if he wants to match Brady’s dominance.
3Week 14 - Raiders vs Rams
The Raiders return to their former home to take on the city’s new residents, the Los Angeles Rams. Even though they only called Los Angeles their home from 1982 to 1994, the Raiders still have quite the following in the City of Angels. This fact will only add to the drama when the Raiders faithful pack into Sofi Stadium to see their prodigal son return home. Derek Carr leads the team for a ninth straight season and has his best receiver to date with his former college teammate Davante Adams joining the squad via a trade with the Packers. Still, defeating the defending Super Bowl champions on their home turf will be no easy task. Matthew Stafford and Cooper Kupp make up one of the most formidable duos in the league, and a balanced running attack consisting of Darrell Henderson Jr. and Cam Akers will keep defenses on their toes.
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2Week 8 - Ravens vs Buccaneers
NFL fans have either loved or hated Tom Brady in his 23 seasons in the league, but statistically, there’s really no denying that he is the greatest of all time. In perhaps what is his final season, fans can watch the goat take the field in prime time against a Ravens team that has a superstar quarterback of their own in Lamar Jackson. Brady looks to finish his career at the top of his game and add to his record seven Super Bowl victories while Jackson aims for his first title. Brady and his veteran playmakers like Mike Evans and Leonard Fournette will have to go score to score with Jackson and his young weapons like JK Dobbins and Rashod Bateman. This game will keep the fans on the edge of their seats and could end up being a Super Bowl preview.
1Week 2 - Chargers vs Chiefs
The Thursday Night Football schedule kicks off with a bang when two star-studded franchises take their rivalry to prime time. Justin Herbert leads a Charger team that is looking to get over the hump while Patrick Mahomes hopes to add a second Lombardi trophy to his collection. This will be a rare matchup between two quarterbacks that have 5,000 passing yard seasons under their belts. Both teams should be lighting up the scoreboard in what should be an offensive shootout. Aside from the QB position, both teams have other offensive standouts in players like Austin Ekeler and Travis Kelce. One would be hard-pressed to find a better matchup to kick off things for Prime Video’s exclusive Thursday Night Football reign and fans can’t wait to get things started.
