Tag: Amazon Prime

NFL fans learned to appreciate the awful Broncos-Colts TNF game with Bears-Commanders next

Be thankful for the awful football you have because it can always get worse.

Just a quarter into their Thursday night matchup, NFL fans couldn’t believe that the Broncos (-3.5) and Colts were actually selected for a primetime game against one another.

After one quarter, the two teams — with Russell Wilson and Matt Ryan at quarterback, mind you — combined for 88 total yards, six punts on seven possessions, five three-and-outs, and just one third-down conversion. If that sounds terrible just reading from afar, it was even worse to see play out live and in real-time.

Of course, as it often does with poorly-played pro football, it can always get worse. And if you thought the Broncos and Colts setting offense back decades was terrible, the horrific mess also known as Bears-Commanders — scheduled for next Thursday night’s game — truly might be even worse.

That upcoming terrible (and worse) game between Chicago and Washington is how NFL fans made themselves feel better about Denver and Indianapolis “playing” football.

Russell Wilson’s Broncos are an overhyped mess, and they don’t have the horses to fix it

There are too many issues in Denver to consider the Broncos a contender.

Quarterbacks like Russell Wilson don’t simply get traded. It’s not every day a nine-time Pro Bowl signal caller will find themselves on a new team when they’re only 33 years old. Naturally, that kind of profile means said quarterback will have high expectations while wearing their new uniform.

Unfortunately for Wilson and the Denver Broncos — after a blockbuster offseason trade from Seattle that essentially amounts to an entire draft’s worth of picks — they don’t appear capable of living up to the hype. And as Wilson and Denver get set to try and build some momentum against the Colts tonight, it’s fair to wonder whether they can even fix their fatal flaws.

Through four snoozer games in 2022, Russell Wilson has one (1!) multi-touchdown game in the timeless orange crush jersey. On an offense with weapons like Courtland Sutton and the talented-if-not-up-and-down Jerry Jeudy, Wilson has just one game with over 300 yards passing — an ironic (and undoubtedly humiliating) homecoming defeat against the Seahawks.

In other glaring knocks, the veteran:

  • Is 16th in the NFL in passing
  • Has just a 91.1 passer rating (in 2022 pro football, this is not good, to be clear)
  • Has thrown for only four touchdowns (Note: Patrick Mahomes, who Wilson’s Broncos were supposed to upend this season, is coming off a virtuoso three-score performance against the Bucs — what was the NFL’s top defense)

Wilson’s struggles have permeated to the rest of the Broncos’ offense. It’s an attack that doesn’t have any discernible identity … four weeks into the season. Most contenders, like, say, the Chiefs, have a clear niche they like to lean on on offense. Kansas City uses Travis Kelce as a safety valve. Josh Allen has a quarterback power sweep in Buffalo. The Bengals throw the ball up in Ja’Marr Chase’s general vicinity, but it’s assuredly by design. In Baltimore, Lamar Jackson has his own off-tackle run, or he’s gunning it down the seam to Mark Andrews.

By contrast, what does Denver do well? Have Wilson throw a prayer in the middle of the field and hope someone with a Broncos helmet falls under the ball? Well, that’s not working:

Give Sutton 35 targets through four games (tied for 20th in the league)?

I’ve got terrible news! Throwing to a bona fide No. 1 all the time usually only works when you’ve got other downfield options. If that player is the only person defenses have to worry about, you’re just giving a good talent volume for production. It’s not moving the needle. Most everyone the Broncos are chasing in the AFC has other threats. Denver, as constructed, with a struggling Jeudy and a Melvin Gordon who seems determined to fumble every significant carry (four fumbles, two lost, in four games) — does not.

What has to be most alarming for the Broncos isn’t necessarily that Wilson is playing poorly. Any quarterback, no matter how established or talented, is bound for an awful stretch of play. It’s how utterly listless the offense sometimes looks with him at the helm. An early-30s, second-wind Geno Smith should not be running a more coherent attack in Seattle than Wilson in his new digs. But he is.

We’re rapidly approaching the point where we can and should at least broach the subject: Is Wilson washed up? Because this is what a steep decline resembles: A less-mobile quarterback who’s lost a step or two and can’t rip it anymore. Let Russ cook? What kind of meal are we talking about? A Salisbury steak TV dinner with partially frozen gravy and pasty potatoes, or a lemon chicken with roasted potatoes and a divine Sauvignon Blanc? There’s a stark difference between what Wilson and his respective “cooking team” are capable of making palatable.

Poor Nathaniel Hackett, too. The Broncos likely hired him as Aaron Rodgers Bait. When that failed, they brought in Wilson instead. And Hackett is certainly not equipped to help the worse quarterback with beneficial coaching or mentoring. Unless he wants to settle for 60-plus yard field goals on the rare occasion Wilson may put Denver in a position to win. Hackett’s got that aspect down pat.

Many uncomfortable conversations might happen in Denver over the next few months. The more time passes, and the more inept Wilson and the Broncos’ offense look by the week, the more a potential Mile High circus seems inevitable.

The pick: Broncos 21, Colts 13

We’re back to the old standard of Thursday night NFL games. Both of these teams are bad, and both of these teams have quarterbacks on the downswing of their careers. And neither should be on national television at any point through the rest of the season.

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NFL fans adored the Bengals’ chic white-striped uniforms in live action

This was a SHARP look for the Bengals.

Joe Burrow might have worn a floral suit that drew mixed reactions around the NFL world, but it seems everyone loved what the Bengals had cooking otherwise on Thursday night.

For their pivotal matchup with the Dolphins (+3.5) on Thursday Night Football, Cincinnati unveiled some unique white-striped “White Bengal” helmets and uniforms. The helmets specifically are the Bengals’ official alternate this season (which, for what it’s worth, they’re ranked third-best in our official rankings). What’s more, the Bengals even painted their centerfield logo and end zones at their home stadium with matching black and white stripes.

And folks, let’s just say that all looked terrific in real-time before and after the action:

I know the Bengals have a famous orange and black aesthetic. But hoo boy, in this fashionista’s eyes: I’d consider making this new tradition more of a full-time thing.

NFL fans couldn’t believe the astronomically high standards Tony Gonzalez set for Tua Tagovailoa

Gonzalez is a really tough critic!

In his third NFL season, Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa has been no stranger to criticism. Before Miami started the 2022 season, many in the NFL world felt the former Alabama product didn’t have the arm strength to last as a pro.

Now that the Dolphins have started 3-0, buoyed by a blossoming Tagovailoa no less, they’ve begun to open some eyes. One person, Thursday Night Football analyst and Pro Football Hall of Famer Tony Gonzalez, still isn’t quite a fan of Tagovailoa’s play. That might be an understatement.

In the pregame of Miami’s “darling” matchup with the Bengals (-3.5), the NFL legend said that the Dolphins’ passer essentially has to have a perfect, sparkling game every single time he plays.

Uh, alright?

“That’s what the great ones do now.”

No. No, they do not. Not every game, anyway.

Look, I’m not sold on Tagovailoa long-term just yet, either. But to expect the young quarterback to throw for 400-plus yards and six scores in every game is ludicrous and hyperbolic. I’d settle for a clean sheet and more than a few big plays downfield, but that’s just me. Though, I’m not the one setting the impossible bar for a young player trying to mature.

The Dolphins are coming for the Bengals’ crown as NFL darlings on Thursday Night Football

If Miami wants to be the new feel-good story, they gotta beat Joe Cool.

The Bengals weren’t always considered a heavyweight in the current NFL pantheon. For most of the 21st century, they were either a playoff paper tiger (no pun intended) or an outright laughingstock. Then Joe “Cool” Burrow came around and flipped the team’s fortunes virtually overnight as they made a surprise Cinderella run to Super Bowl 56.

A year later, Cincinnati has some new company in the “does the glass slipper fit?” ranks in the form of the Miami Dolphins. During an undefeated 3-0 start, Miami has looked terrific. New head coach Mike McDaniel is pushing all the right buttons and Tua Tagovailoa looks like the franchise quarterback he was drafted to become. And with wins over the Ravens and Bills (that, yes, did involve a bit of luck) — Miami can boast that it’s undoubtedly beaten “legitimate” squads.

But is it sustainable in the long run? And will the Dolphins and Tagovailoa be able to upend Burrow’s Bengals and take a firm pole position as the NFL’s new darlings?

We’re about to get an answer in an oh-so-fitting matchup between the two new AFC powers on Thursday Night Football tonight.

Before this pair and some of their more prominent names settle their differences, it’s worth noting Miami is following essentially the same template as last year’s/this year’s Bengals. They gave their young quarterback weapons and downfield security blankets to help elevate their play.

After the near entirety of Burrow’s rookie 2020 campaign was lost due to a knee injury, the Bengals went out and got him one of the most explosive receivers in pro football — Ja’Marr Chase. The young wideout would join a suddenly gifted supporting cast featuring Tee Higgins and Joe Mixon. While Burrow still hit the deck, er, turf more often than Cincinnati would prefer (it’s a problem that hasn’t gone away), he clicked with his new best friends on offense en route to an AFC title and a Comeback Player of the Year Award.

Miami pulled off the same strategy for Tagovailoa this offseason. Many in NFL circles have long wondered whether the former Alabama product had the arm strength to survive as a pro and legitimate field-tilting quarterback. It doesn’t seem like the Dolphins had those same concerns. And so the South Beach higher-ups went out and pulled off a blockbuster trade for Tyreek Hill. They added him alongside Tagovailoa’s former Crimson Tide teammate, Jaylen Waddle. The two playmakers are now both in the top three in the NFL in receiving yards. Most importantly, it doesn’t seem like defenses have an answer for two options that can take the top off the field at any given moment.

As it turns out, the best way to determine whether your quarterback has “it” is by supporting them. And when they have help, they can turn your team into a contender. What a novel concept.

The Bengals and Burrow have struggled somewhat to start the year.

At 1-2, with plenty of season left (14 games!), they can more than get back on track with their high preseason expectations. But make no mistake: Tagovailoa’s Dolphins look revitalized. They know they haven’t been here, in the national spotlight, for a long time. There would be no better way to legitimize their upstart campaign than by knocking down last year’s darling a peg or three.

This brings up one final critical point about this Cincinnati-Miami Thursday night battle: The NFL’s glass slipper can only properly fit one team at a time.

The pick: Bengals 30, Dolphins 24

By the end of the year, I do think both of these squads are firmly in the AFC playoff picture. But for now, I like the battle-tested Bengals and Burrow, at home, better than a Dolphins squad that might be reading their newspaper clippings a bit too much after some huge wins.

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Two games into his Steelers career, it’s already time to pull the plug on Mitchell Trubisky

Two games are plenty to write off the former top pick.

Now and then, it’s suggested a change of scenery could do a struggling veteran NFL player well. They might even thrive in escaping a situation that probably fed into their inconsistencies. It can be heartening, speaks to relatable stories of redemption, and does not apply to Mitchell Trubisky and the Steelers wholeheartedly.

Stop me if you’ve heard this before: Question marks surround Trubisky and an inept offense as he and his team are set to take on Insert Team in a primetime game. You could substitute in “Packers” from Trubisky’s old Bears days or the Browns on Thursday Night Football, and it’d be indistinguishable.

What was true from 2017-2020 in Chicago remains entirely correct: Trubisky isn’t a viable long-term starter in the NFL. And probably never will be.

Now, you might say it’s still too early to write off Trubisky and to let first-round rookie Kenny Pickett give it the old college try. Two games aren’t nearly enough to understand what a player brings to the table. I get it. A short leash does no one under center any favors. Unfortunately, that would only be true if Trubisky wasn’t:

  1. 28 years old (decidedly NOT a young quarterback)
  2. If this wasn’t the very same Trubisky we saw struggle to read defenses for almost half a decade along Lake Michigan.

Such a deficiency doesn’t simply go away because the closest body of water to his new team is now the Allegheny River.

Through just eight quarters of football, Trubisky has been so ineffective as the Steelers’ passer that it bears wondering how anyone believed this experiment would work out in the first place. Right now, the veteran QB is 29th in the NFL in passing yards (362). Some of the players notably ahead of him include:

  • Perennial journeyman Jacoby Brissett (the Browns’ current starter)
  • Daniel “I Will Make The Most Out of Chance No. 4” Jones in New York.
  • Geno Smith. Really

While some of the players just behind Trubisky include the 49ers’ Trey Lance (now injured; played one game in a driving rainstorm) and his replacement in Chicago, Justin Fields (also played one game in a driving rainstorm; has a historic 28 total passing attempts thus far).

Trubisky’s average yards per attempt is 5.1, and his total air yards — a measure of big chunk plays a quarterback creates rather than their receiver getting yards after the catch — is 25th in the NFL with 231 total. This is a far cry from the last instance Trubisky was a starter in 2020 in Chicago when, in 10 games, he managed to finish … 32nd in air yards. It’s wild how Trubisky didn’t magically learn how to challenge defenses downfield in the one year he spent trying to absorb ability by osmosis as Josh Allen’s backup in Buffalo. The more things change, the more they stay the same.

I understand the Steelers’ have a gifted receiving corps capable of making huge plays at any moment. But with that kind of non-threatening output, you might as well just hand off to the running back every play. The quarterback becomes redundant — an offensive conduit no defense is afraid of or has to game-plan for. And you’re wasting that receiving talent, to boot.

As my pal and colleague Christian D’Andrea wrote after Trubisky’s listless 168-yard, one touchdown, one interception performance against the Patriots last Sunday — the Steelers should know better about their quarterbacks, too:

The Steelers are well aware of the damage a passer who can’t throw downfield creates; that pretty much sums up the final two years of Roethlisberger’s career.

Pittsburgh and Mike Tomlin might have a good reason for waiting to throw Pickett in. We’ve seen many young quarterbacks struggle before they were “ready.” But if the Steelers’ best recourse is to let Trubisky take live reps and keep the seat warm for The Future while their offense coughs up dust every week, that noble plan won’t last long.

The pick: Browns 17, Steelers 10

Neither of these teams boast very explosive offenses, but the Browns have one of the NFL’s premier offensive lines and Nick Chubb. They’ll bowl over their rivals in a decisive and clinical low-scoring affair.

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NFL fans turned Roger Goodell and Jeff Bezos sitting together during ‘Thursday Night Football’ into an instant meme

Fans had LOTS of jokes about Bezos-Goodell.

During the Chiefs (-4.5) and Chargers matchup on Thursday night, the NFL made its formal debut on a streaming service. With the first edition of Thursday Night Football on Amazon Prime, it was certainly a different experience for Al Michaels and some fans.

One of the more notable moments from the streaming broadcast was NFL commissioner Roger Goodell sitting and having a conversation with Amazon chairman Jeff Bezos in a suite at Arrowhead Stadium. (Note: Amazon was part of a major broadcast rights shuffle when it paid for exclusive rights to Thursday Night Football in the spring of 2021.)

You just knew that Goodell and Bezos would eventually be seen together after that agreement:

Whatever those two are talking about, it definitely doesn’t all have to do with the thrilling action on the field.

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NFL fans thought Kirk Herbstreit announcing Chiefs-Chargers on ‘Thursday Night Football’ was so strange

Herbstreit working NFL games full-time doesn’t feel right yet.

With NFL broadcasts experiencing a game of musical chairs before the 2022 season started, some new TV partnerships and booth assignments will take some time for fans to get used to. Take Joe Buck and Troy Aikman calling games on ESPN for Monday Night Football as one example.

A completely fresh and new pairing for the 2022 season is Al Michaels and Kirk Herbstreit working Thursday Night Football on Amazon Prime. Michaels had previously been the long-time play-by-play for Sunday Night Football, while Herbstreit still works for ESPN as their lead color commentator for college football games.

Thursday night saw Michaels and Herbstreit make their respective debuts on Amazon together for a huge matchup between the Chiefs (-4.5) and Chargers:

Phew, man. Now that I think about it seeing Michaels and Herbstreit in the booth for an NFL game together is indeed kind of weird. I’m sure it’ll take no time for Herbstreit to ingratiate himself as a full-time NFL analyst, but it’s just not something you’re used to at first watch.

Los Angeles Chargers vs. Kansas City Chiefs, live stream, preview, TV channel, time, odds, how to watch TNF

The Los Angeles Chargers will meet the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 2 on Thursday Night Football at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium.

The Los Angeles Chargers will meet the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 2 on Thursday Night Football at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium.

The Chargers are coming off their first win of the season after knocking off the Raiders 24-19, Justin Herbert and company will look to make it two in a row tonight. As for the Chiefs, they put up the most points in week one with a 44-21 win over Arizona. Patrick Mahomes threw for 5 touchdowns and over 360 yards in his season debut as he is looking in mid-season shape.

This will be a great start to the NFL season, here is everything you need to know to watch and stream the game this evening.

Los Angeles Chargers vs. Kansas City Chiefs

  • When: Thursday, September 18
  • Time: 8:15 p.m. ET
  • TV Channel: Amazon Prime
  • Live Stream: Prime Vido (watch now)

How to watch the TNF this season

Prime Video is the exclusive home of Thursday Night Football, streaming 15 regular-season games throughout the 2022 NFL season. Each week, pregame coverage begins at 7:00 PM ET, with kickoff set for 8:15 PM ET

If you are an Amazon Prime member, you already have full access to all of Prime Video’s offerings. If not, you can easily sign up for a free 30-day trial and begin watching immediately.

NFL Football Odds and Betting Lines

NFL odds courtesy of Tipico Sportsbook. Odds were last updated Thursday at 12:00 p.m. ET.  

Los Angeles Chargers vs. Kansas City Chiefs (-4.5)

Over/Under: 53.5 

See more at Sportsbookwire.com

Want some action on the NFL? Place your legal sports bets on this game or others in CO and NJ at Tipico. 

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Here’s who’s joining Richard Sherman on Amazon Prime’s Thursday Night Football studio show

Who’s joining Richard Sherman as a TNF analyst? We go over it.

One of the more significant changes to the NFL broadcasting schedule this year is that Thursday Night Football games will now be broadcast on Amazon Prime. (Be sure to check with your local bar or restaurant on whether they will show these games!)

It is the first time a pro football broadcast series will be primarily shown over a streaming service. And with a loaded slate of games, TNF certainly appears to be quite interesting moving forward.

Aside from Al Michaels and Kirk Herbstreit calling matchups in the booth, a bunch of familiar faces will also analyze TNF games in the studio.

Let’s dive into who will be breaking down the respective Thursday night matchups every week on Amazon Prime.