NFL Week 3: Who Plays on Thursday Night Football?

By Dan Schmelzer | Sep 19, 2016

Dec 13, 2015; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Texans defensive end J.J. Watt (99) rushes against New England Patriots tackle Sebastian Vollmer (76) during the game at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports /

Who is playing on Thursday Night Football for NFL Week 3 of the 2016 season?

The weekly Thursday Night Football game will kickoff the NFL Week 3 slate of the 2016 NFL season. This should be a fun game between two major AFC contenders.

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For the Thursday Night Football matchup in Week 3, the New England Patriots will play host to the Houston Texans. Both teams enter this game at 2-0, with the winner of this matchup quickly to become among the favorites in the conference.

The Patriots’ quarterback situation is undoubtedly the number one story here. Jimmy Garoppolo has played incredible in the absence of Tom Brady, but he suffered an AC joint injury that caused him to leave their Week 2 game in the first half.

Garoppolo is unlikely to start on Thursday night, but the injury may not have been as bad as originally thought. The Patriots not looking to add another quarterback to the mix has to be a good sign towards Garoppolo’s health.

Third-round rookie Jacoby Brissett played well in the absence of Garoppolo, but the Patriots’ offense immediately became much more predictable. The Pats made it as easy as possible on Brissett, showcasing LeGarrette Blount and the rushing attack. Also, Brissett only made safe throws, primarily off of play action.

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Brissett played well, but he has limited upside as the Patriots’ starting quarterback. He is extremely unlikely to come in and lead this team to victory by himself. That being said, never count out Bill Belichick and company.

They will undoubtedly put together a strong game plan that will put Brissett in a strong position to succeed. Also, if star tight end Rob Gronkowski can make his return from injury, that would obviously be a huge boost to Brissett and company.

The Texans’ defense will look to make life on Brissett as difficult as possible on Thursday. Their pass rush led by J.J. Watt, Whitney Mercilus and Jadeveon Clowney will be the key for the Texans’ defense in this one.

Brissett against Watt and company will undoubtedly be interesting, but there is just as much intrigue when the Texans have the ball. Brock Osweiler has been solid through two games with Houston, and the entire offensive attack has some serious upside.

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DeAndre Hopkins, Lamar Miller and Will Fuller make up a great collection of offensive weapons for Osweiler. They have a chance for a big game against an up-and-down Patriots’ defense.

This will be an extremely fun matchup between two great AFC teams. Be sure to check this one out. The Patriots and Texans will kickoff NFL Week 3 action on Thursday night at 8:25 p.m ET. This Week 3 game will be shown live on both CBS and the NFL Network. It will also be streamed live online on Twitter.