If your schedule is too busy to watch a lot of NFL football, one of the best barometers of how the Chicago Bears are doing is the Twitter/X feed of professional wrestler Seth Rollins. When the Bears win a game, he loves football. When they lose, he announces he hates it.
Seth Rollins has hated football a lot this year.
The Bears are dead last in the NFC North, but they could work their way up the standings in tonight’s game against the Carolina Panthers, one of only two teams in the NFL with a worse record than the Bears.
So is this week’s game a match for the ages? Probably not. Will Taylor Swift make a cameo? Also no.
Bears fans are loyal, though. So here’s how to watch the matchup and what you can expect from Thursday night games tonight and moving forward.
Which NFL teams are playing on Thursdays this season?
Here’s who’s playing where and when. (The home team is listed second.)
Thursday, Nov. 9
Carolina Panthers vs Chicago Bears, 8:15 p.m. ET on Amazon Prime
Thursday, Nov. 16
Cincinnati Bengals vs Baltimore Ravens, 8:15 p.m. ET on Amazon Prime
Thursday, Nov. 23
San Francisco 49ers vs Seattle Seahawks, 8:20 p.m. ET on NBC
Friday, Nov. 24
Miami Dolphins vs New York Jets, 3:00 p.m. ET on Amazon Prime
Thursday, Nov. 30
Seattle Seahawks vs Dallas Cowboys, 8:15 p.m. ET on Amazon Prime
Thursday, Dec. 7
New England Patriots vs Pittsburgh Steelers, 8:15 p.m. ET on Amazon Prime
Thursday, Dec. 14
Los Angeles Chargers vs Las Vegas Raiders, 8:15 p.m. ET on Amazon Prime
Thursday, Dec. 21
New Orleans Saints vs Los Angeles Rams, 8:15 p.m. ET on Amazon Prime
Thursday, Dec. 28
New York Jets vs Cleveland Browns, 8:15 p.m. ET on Amazon Prime
Can I watch NFL Thursday night games for free on broadcast television?
Probably not, unless you live in Charlotte or Chicago. Thursday night games are only viewable over the air if you’re in the broadcast zones of the two teams who are playing. If not, you’ll need an Amazon Prime account.
Can I stream NFL Thursday night games live online if I don’t have an Amazon Prime account?
You cannot. Amazon has exclusivity to virtually all Thursday night games. (The only exception will be on Thanksgiving.) Other streaming services can’t carry them.
What changes has Amazon brought to 2023 NFL games?
Amazon is using machine learning this season to identify pivotal situations, letting fans read the play and track open receivers in real time. It will also guide viewers how fourth-down decisions are made. Meanwhile, a feature called Field Goal Target Zones overlays multiple lines on the field that show the statistical likelihoods that a kicker will make a field goal.
If you join the game in progress, a Rapid Recap feature lets you catch the action you missed before you jump into the livestream, streamlining the viewing process.
The broadcasts will also feature many of the twists from last year, including overlaying stats and game updates using its “X-Ray” technology, much like it offers information on which actors are in a scene during a film or TV show.
Who is Amazon’s broadcast team?
Al Michaels, who has called both Monday Night Football and Sunday Night Football, handles Amazon’s play-by-play calls, while Kirk Herbstreit takes on color commentary duties. An alternate stream for younger audiences, with the YouTube troop Dude Perfect replacing the standard play-by-play and color commentary team, is also available.
Does the NFL offer any viewing packages to watch the Thursday night games?
The NFL App will let you stream games that are being broadcast locally in your market as well as any played in prime time.