This year’s NFL preseason was an opportunity for teams to get used to new rules and for the league to see what works and what doesn’t. But this is the final testing weekend.
After Sunday night’s game, the league and teams will have just under two weeks to make adjustments and tweaks before the regular season begins. That likely means you won’t see many star players on the field this week (and if you do, it won’t be for very long), but you might get a better idea of the direction coaches plan to take their teams in the coming months.
The Colts and Bears won their games on Thursday against the Bengals and Chiefs, respectively. Here’s how to best follow the action over the rest of the weekend.
Which NFL teams are playing this week? And which channels are broadcasting the games?
This weekend you have a choice of different football matches to watch each day. Note that most matches will be broadcast in the broadcast region of the teams playing, but may not be broadcast nationwide. (The home team will be listed second.)
Friday, August 23
Jacksonville Jaguars vs Atlanta Falcons7:00 p.m. ET on Fox
Miami Dolphins vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers7:30 p.m. ET on NFL+
San Francisco 49ers vs. Las Vegas Raiders10:00 p.m. ET on NFL Network
Saturday, August 24
Minnesota Vikings vs Philadelphia Eagles1:00 p.m. ET on NFL+
Baltimore Ravens vs. Green Bay Packers1:00 p.m. ET on NFL+
Pittsburgh Steelers vs Detroit Lions1:00 p.m. ET on NFLNetwork
Los Angeles Rams vs Houston Texans1:00 p.m. ET on NFL+
Carolina Panthers vs Buffalo Bills1:00 p.m. ET on NFL+
Los Angeles Chargers vs. Dallas Cowboys4:00 p.m. ET on NFL Network
New York Giants vs. New York Jets7:30 p.m. ET on CBS and NFL Network
Cleveland Browns vs. Seattle Seahawks10:00 p.m. ET on NFL Network
Sunday, August 25
Tennessee Titans vs. New Orleans Saints2:00 p.m. ET on NFL Network
Arizona Cardinals vs. Denver Broncos4:30 p.m. ET on CBS
New England Patriots vs. Washington Commanders8:00 p.m. ET on NBC
How can I watch NFL games for free even if I’m not in my market?
The best way to watch all kinds of network programming on a big screen for free is with a good HD antenna. And if your local team is playing, there’s a good chance CBS, Fox or NBC will be broadcasting the game. To make sure you’re getting the most reliable signal, test the antenna in several locations around your home.
Can I stream NFL games live online if I don’t have a cable subscription?
You certainly can. There are several options, but not all of them work for this week’s games:
peacock
NBC’s streaming service gives you access to multiple games, including all upcoming Sunday night games. You can get a seven-day free trial, after which you pay $8 or $14 monthly. (The free version of Peacock does not include live sports.)
Disney+
Disney’s package from Disney+, Hulu and ESPN+ no longer has a free trial, so you’ll have to pay $15 per month for all three combined (or $25 per month without ads on Hulu).
Hulu with Live TV
The free trial version on this service is no longer offered. It will now cost you $77 per month.
YouTubeTV
After a Free trialyou can expect monthly fees of $73.
Sling TV
Dish Network’s Sling Orange plan costs $40 per month. The more comprehensive Blue plan increases the cost to $55 per month. Unfortunately, the seven-day free trial has been eliminated.
DirecTV Stream
Formerly known as DirecTV Now, AT&T TVNow and AT&T TV, often renamed streaming service costs $80 per month and up after the free trial. (The package with NFL Network costs $99 per month.)
Fubo TV
This sports-oriented cable television service carries broadcast networks in most markets. There is a seven-day free trial, after which there are monthly fees of $80 and up, depending on the channels you choose.
Can I watch NFL games on Amazon?
Not yet. Amazon has the exclusive rights to Thursday Night Football again – but no preseason games will be broadcast on the streaming service, nor will the game from the first week of the regular season. And like last year, no games will be broadcast on Thanksgiving, but there will be on Black Friday. The first duel on Amazon this year is the Buffalo Bills’ clash with the Miami Dolphins on September 12th.
Does the NFL offer special broadcast packages that allow me to watch the games I want to see?
A trio of them.
NFL-App
The NFL-App allows you to stream games that are broadcast locally in your market on Sundays. If you want to watch a game “outside your market,” you have two options.
NFL+
Watch local and away games live and (with the Premium subscription) replays. Expect to pay a $50 fee per season. ($100 for Premium.)
NFL Sunday Ticket
YouTube is once again the home of this channel, with prices starting at $73 per month this year for Sunday Ticket and YouTubeTV, or $449 for Sunday Ticket only (for all non-market games this season).
What is this new kick-off rule all about?
The NFL is conducting a year-long experiment this season in which all members of the kicking and receiving teams (except the kicker and returner) stand within a 10-yard zone on the field. Only the kicker and the two returners are allowed to move until the ball touches the ground or is touched by a returner within the 20-yard zone.
Kicks that reach the end zone in the air can be returned or called a touchback and possession at the 30-yard line. If a ball hits the ground (or a player) before the end zone and enters the end zone, the touchback occurs at the 20-yard line. The kick can still be returned.
Onside kicks can no longer be a surprise, as the trailing team must announce plans for such an attempt – and only in the fourth quarter.
The idea is to make kickoffs more exciting, but there are still some issues that need to be resolved.