Tag: 2024 NFL schedule

NFL flexes Jets-Colts matchup out of ‘Sunday Night Football’ slot

NFL flexes Jets-Colts matchup out of ‘Sunday Night Football’ slot

The New York Jets were slated to have one more prime-time matchup remaining on their 2024 NFL season schedule.

For now, that has changed.

The NFL has started flexing games in and out of prime-time football slots in the latter stages of this year’s schedule. New York’s Week 11 matchup has been moved.

The Jets (3-6) were set to host Indianapolis Colts (4-5) on “Sunday Night Football” at MetLife Stadium. Now they will not.

The league has announced that the Nov. 17 game will now be a 1 p.m. kickoff:

Instead of Jets-Colts, the Cincinnati Bengals (4-5) and Los Angeles Chargers 5-3) do battle in that prime-time football slot.

The reason for the flex likely has to do with the Jets being much further out of the playoff picture than most expected, combined with the Colts recently benching their young starting quarterback in Anthony Richardson.

Jets Wire will continue to provide schedule updates throughout the rest of the 2024 season.

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Texans schedule: Is Houston playing today?

Is Houston playing today? Here’s a look at the schedule and the games to come. 

Will the Houston Texans be on the field today in Week 8 of the NFL football season?

Following a 24-22 loss against the Green Bay Packers in Week 7, the Texans will return to the NRG Stadium this afternoon to face the Indianapolis Colts in a divisional matchup with more than just bragging rights on the line.

Houston will look for its third consecutive win against an AFC South foe while also remaining undefeated at home.

It’s a hotly-anticipated matchup that will feature two former top-five picks in C.J. Stroud and Anthony Richardson. Back in Week 1, Stroud connected twice with Stefon Diggs for touchdown passes. Nico Collins capped off the afternoon with a 100-yard outing on six catches, while Joe Mixon rushed for over 150 yards.

Houston’s defense continues to be a top unit in the NFL, while Indianapolis’ offense is getting healthy at the right time with the return of Jonathan Taylor.  He’s been an Achilles heel for the Texans since 2020, rushing for over 120 yards in three of the previous four matchups.

Here’s how to watch the Texans vs. Colts game today, including time, TV schedule and streaming information:

Cowboys All-Pro linebacker criticizes the referees for Chiefs’ Week 2 victory over Bengals

Dallas #Cowboys All-Pro linebacker criticizes the referees for Kansas City #Chiefs’ Week 2 victory over Cincinnati #Bengals | @EdEastonJr

The Kansas City Chiefs’ victory on Sunday over the Cincinnati Bengals created much controversy amongst fans and players around the league.

The infamous 4th and 16 when Patrick Mahomes threw an incomplete pass intended for wide receiver Rashee Rice, but referees called pass interference on Bengals rookie Daijahn Anthony. The penalty allowed the setup for Harrison Butker’s game-winning field goal.

The result of this play didn’t sit well with Dallas Cowboys linebacker Micah Parsons, who vented on a recent episode of his podcast, ‘The Edge with Micah Parsons.’

“It was very shaky. That game was pretty crazy; a lot of calls went both ways, and I’m going to be honest, I feel like the refs did favor the Chiefs a little bit more,” said Parsons. “But at the end of the day, you can’t put the game in the refs’ hands.”

Parsons’ comments on a game he didn’t participate in are raising eyebrows since, on that same day, his Cowboys were dominated by the New Orleans Saints. The 44-19 loss was one of the more shocking results of Week 2.

Texans Week 1 injury report: Houston gets back DE Will Anderson Jr.

For the first time in over a month, Will Anderson Jr. returned to practice for the Houston Texans.

As practice broke late Wednesday morning at the Methodist Training Center, a welcomed face emerged from the facility with a helmet in hand and ready to take the field.

Houston Texans defensive end Will Anderson Jr. returned to live reps and was a for the first time in nearly a month in preparation for Sunday’s season opener against the Indianapolis Colts at Lucas Oil Stadium. The reigning Defensive Rookie of the Year had been dealing with an ankle injury since the team left for the Hall of Fame game in Canton, Ohio.

While Anderson could need time to ramp back up for full speed, he made it clear during Wednesday’s open locker room that he’ll be suiting up when the Texans take the field against their AFC South foe at noon.

“It felt really good to be around the team again,” Anderson said. “Last week, I just started a little bit. I missed the guys a lot. I’ve been trying to get right. It’s been exciting.”

https://twitter.com/AaronWilson_NFL/status/1831419387896852627/video/1

The No. 3 overall pick of the 2023 draft has already proven he’s the long-term heir apparent to three-time Defensive Player of the Year J.J. Watt. Anderson started off his career with a promising road outing against the Baltimore Ravens.

That sparked a season for the ages down at NRG Stadium for the former Alabama All-American. In 15 games, Anderson totaled seven sacks,  64 quarterback pressures and 22 quarterback hits. He also helped Houston’s defense finish with a franchise record 46 sacks en route to its first division title in four years.

The Texans should feel great about their overall pass rush with a healthy Anderson. Free agent addition Danielle Hunter set a tone in the preseason with a sack and two pressures against Justin Fields and the Pittsburgh Steelers. Houston also still has Derek Barnett and Jerry Hughes, both of whom excelled as rotational options last season.

Here’s a look at the full injury report for the Texans and Colts after Wednesday’s practice:

Houston Texans

Player Injury Wednesday Thursday Friday Game status
DB MJ Stewart Knee DNP

DNP: Did not practice

LP: Limited participation 

FP: Full participation

Indianapolis Colts

Player Injury Wednesday Thursday Friday Game status
WR Josh Downs Ankle DNP
K Matt Gay Hernia DNP

 

One guaranteed win and loss on the Falcons’ 2024 schedule

Examining one game the Falcons are guaranteed to win and one they will likely lose in 2024

The 2024 NFL season is still a few months away but that won’t stop us from looking ahead and making a few predictions. The Atlanta Falcons have a tough stretch of games to open the year before their schedule eases up down the stretch.

After examining all 17 games, we’ve picked out one guaranteed win and one guaranteed loss on the Falcons’ 2024 schedule.

Guaranteed win: Vs. New York Giants (Week 16)

New York is undoubtedly one of the worst teams in football at the moment and their offseason didn’t inspire a lot of confidence going forward. I gave them the nod over a team like the Panthers is because Carolina tends to play the Falcons tough regardless of record.

The Giants appear to be significantly behind the Dallas Cowboys and Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC East. Quarterback Daniel Jones is on shaky ground and since this matchup comes late in the season, the Falcons are more likely to be vying for a playoff spot. Plus, this game will be played at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. For these reasons, I like the Falcons to defeat the Giants in Week 16.

  • Falcons’ record vs Giants: 14-12-0

Guaranteed loss: Vs. Kansas City Chiefs (Week 3)

The Kansas City Chiefs have built a mini-dynasty by winning three Super Bowls over the last five seasons. Quarterback Patrick Mahomes is in his prime and the team added some new weapons over the offseason. Not to mention, Atlanta’s new quarterback, Kirk Cousins, has a notoriously bad record when it comes to playing in prime-time games.

The Falcons’ secondary has a new starting cornerback and their pass rush didn’t improve much on paper. For these reasons, I believe Kansas City will defeat Atlanta in Week 3.

  • Falcons’ record vs Chiefs: 3-7-0

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Panthers WR Adam Thielen comments on matchup vs. Chiefs in Week 12

Ed Easton Jr. spoke to American Century Championship participant Adam Thielen about the #Panthers’ Week 12 matchup against the #Chiefs. | @EdEastonJr

The 2024 regular-season schedule for the Kansas City Chiefs has many twists and turns because of the timing of their prime-time games. Each matchup will feature top-tier NFL players, including their Nov. 24 game against Carolina Panthers star wide receiver Adam Thielen.

Ahead of the American Century Championship celebrity golf tournament next month, Chiefs Wire’s Ed Easton Jr. spoke to Thielen, who will be taking part. Topics included the Panthers’ Week 12 game against the Chiefs and his mentality against the defending champions.

“I wouldn’t say it’s a different game. That’s what I think is so great about the NFL — every game means and matters so much,” Thielen said. “Whether you’re playing the worst team in the NFL or you’re playing the very best, every game matters so much that you can’t treat them differently. You’ve got to show up every day. You’ve got to show up every game. I’ve been a part of really good teams that have lost a really bad team that year, and I have been a part of the opposite last year; I think we were the worst record in the NFL, and we beat Houston.”

Thielen started all 17 games last season, his first season in Carolina, and had 103 catches for 1,014 yards and four touchdowns. The Panthers finished with a 2-15 record as the team continues to rebuild under quarterback Bryce Young.

“Every game, you got to show up, and you got to play your best ball, and I think it just creates that atmosphere that there’s no slacking,” said Thielen. “It’s not like college, where you can just show up and you play this FCS school, and you can roll them. No, that’s not the case in the NFL. So, which I think is cool.”

Thielen will join many other NFL players at the American Century Championship, including Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, whose brother Jason will make his first appearance at the event. It will be held at Lake Tahoe from Wednesday, July 10 through Sunday, July 14 and will air on NBC, with special coverage on Peacock and the Golf Channel. The 54-hole tournament raises funds for local and national charities with a purse of $750,000, including a $150,000 first prize.

Check out the website for more information about the American Century Championship.

Bengals’ lowest win probability next season comes vs. these two contenders

These are the games the Bengals have the smallest chance of winning.

We recently looked at how the Cincinnati Bengals fare on ESPN’s win probability metrics for each game of the upcoming season.

Two of the games on the schedule stick out as tied for the least likely wins.

The first should be obvious — that Week 2 encounter with the Kansas City Chiefs on the road. It’s so early in the season and against such a proven contender, plus the unknowns of the new-look Bengals offense and Joe Burrow’s health, that percentages were never going to look kindly on it.

More notable, though, is that Week 10 game against the Baltimore Ravens, one of the wildest examples of rare rest features of the schedule really working against the Bengals.

There, the Bengals have just a 38 percent win probability, mostly because of the fact the team has to turn around and play the game on just a handful of days of rest after playing the Las Vegas Raiders on November 3.

That November 7 kickoff is in Baltimore against a likely-contending Ravens team that also comes off a short week, but gets to stay home for both of those games over a short stretch.

Plus, considering the trouble the Bengals had in Baltimore last year, it’s no wonder the percentage isn’t all that great.

The next lowest win probability percentage is Cincinnati’s Monday night game in Week 14 (December 9) against the Dallas Cowboys at 41 percent.

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NFL seems to admit it slightly owes Bengals on upcoming schedules

One of those close to the creation of the schedule admits they can’t keep doing this to the Bengals.

Here’s an interesting one about the 2024 NFL schedule for the  Cincinnati Bengals — those in charge know a certain recurring theme will need to change eventually.

That schedule gives the Bengals a second Thursday night game in Baltimore in a row, which didn’t treat the team so well last season, to say the least.

But those who help craft the schedule say that can’t and/or won’t keep happening.

“That’s probably one we’ll keep an eye on moving forward,” Mike North, the NFL’s vice president of broadcast planning said, according to Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com. “We probably shouldn’t play Bengals-Ravens in Baltimore on a short week year after year after year. But like I say, every one of these AFC North games matter. You end up hosting Cleveland instead. I imagine at some point Baltimore will come your way at night.”

While it’s nice to hear those at the controls know this is a possible issue, the Bengals still suffer for the second consecutive season in a row.

This time, the Bengals play that Thursday primetime game in Baltimore after playing against Las Vegas just a few days prior on Sunday.

It’s a brutally short turnaround, and the fact it’s in Baltimore puts the Bengals at a big disadvantage, yet it isn’t the standalone issue with the schedule, given some of the rare rest hiccups that hurt the team next season.

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Bengals are one of NFL’s ‘top-tier teams’ on 2024 schedule

Some interesting insight into why the Bengals have so many big games next season.

The Cincinnati Bengals appear in five primetime games next season on the initial 2024 NFL schedule, with roughly half their games sitting in a national-type spotlight given the presence of late-afternoon kickoffs.

It’s just more proof the Bengals have become a hot commodity for the league during the Joe Burrow era.

Actually hearing it from those in charge of the schedule is always interesting, though.

Mike North, the NFL’s vice president of broadcast planning, told Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com the following about Cincinnati’s prominent spot on the schedule next season:

“Every time a fan interacts with the National Football League, they’re telling us what they care about. Whether watching television, listening to a podcast, buying a hat or jersey, putting a player on their fantasy team, following someone on Instagram, and the Bengals are getting to be one of those top-tier teams our fans care about week in and week out.”

What’s interesting is how North talks about the late-afternoon kickoffs, too. While not “primetime” games, he told Hobson that those 4:25 p.m. ET kickoffs do 28-30 million people, compared to 16-18 million for a Monday night game.

So, looking at Cincinnati’s schedule that way, it’s pretty clear just how much the league values the Bengals as an attraction right now, which is all based on fan response in the first place.

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How Bengals compare vs. AFC North in terms of rest on schedule

One team in the AFC North tops the NFL in rest advantage next season…and it sure isn’t the Bengals.

The Cincinnati Bengals suffering a setback when it comes to measured “rest” on the 2024 NFL schedule has already been pretty well examined by this point.

What’s interesting, though, is seeing how the Bengals compare in this area to some of their AFC North rivals.

That’s especially the case when, as pointed out by Warren Sharp, the Baltimore Ravens rank better than the rest of the league in this metric.

While those Ravens stand at +16 in the metric, the Bengals are all the way down the board at minus-two.

Pittsburgh and Cleveland are between the two extremes at +2.

A look at the rankings:

The unique challenges the NFL has presented the Bengals with the schedule doesn’t mean the season is a concerning one by any means, but it is worth examining at this point of the offseason.

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