Jacob Kupferman/Getty Images. Pictured: Carolina Panthers star running back Christian McCaffrey.
The Panthers will look to stay unbeaten on Thursday Night Football against the Texans, who are hoping to remain perfect against the spread, albeit with a rookie quarterback under center.
Carolina appears to be taking big step forward in its second year under head coach Matt Rhule and offensive coordinator Joe Brady. Quarterback Sam Darnold looks more comfortable (yet, not perfect) and has loads of talent at the skill positions to work with, something he never had in New York. And defensive coordinator Phil Snow, who was Rhule’s DC at Temple and Baylor, has his defense looking mighty impressive through two weeks.
The Texans will turn to rookie Davis Mills at quarterback after they lost previous starter Tyrod Taylor, who was placed on the Injured Reserve list.
Here’s everything you need to know about how to watch Thursday Night Football.
Texans vs. Panthers Start Time
- Date: Thursday, Sept. 23
- Time: 8:20 p.m. ET
This game will kick off the same time as all other Thursday Night Football games this season, which are five minutes later than Monday Night Football (8:15 p.m. ET) and the same time as Sunday Night Football (8:20 p.m. ET).
Neither team is scheduled to be back in primetime the remainder of the season, but if the Panthers keep winning, it’s likely they’ll be flexed into a Sunday Night Football spot. Their meeting with the Bills on Dec. 19 doesn’t have a set time yet.
How to Watch Thursday Night Football
- TV: NFL Network
- Stream: NFL.com/NFL app (cable subscription required)
Thursday Night Football is undoubtedly the most difficult NFL primetime game to find, because it changes slightly week to week.
NFL Network and its accompanying online streams will have all 18 Thursday Night Football games. However, 11 other TNF games will also be broadcast on FOX and streamed on Amazon Prime.
The FOX and Prime streams don’t start until Week 5, though. So, Texans vs. Panthers will be broadcast on NFL Network and the NFL app only (cable subscription required, with NFL Network as part of the package).
Here is the full schedule for the remainder of the season.
| Week | Matchup | TV Channel & Stream |
|---|---|---|
| 3 | Texans vs. Panthers | NFL Network |
| 4 | Bengals vs. Jaguars | NFL Network |
| 5 | Seahawks vs. Rams | Fox, NFLN, Amazon |
| 6 | Eagles vs. Bucs | NFL Network |
| 7 | Browns vs. Broncos- | Fox, NFLN, Amazon |
| 8 | Cardinals vs. Packers | Fox, NFLN, Amazon |
| 9 | Colts vs. Jets | Fox, NFLN, Amazon |
| 10 | Dolphins vs. Ravens | Fox, NFLN, Amazon |
| 11 | Falcons vs. Patriots | Fox, NFLN, Amazon |
| 12 | Saints vs. Bills | Fox, NFLN, Amazon |
| 13 | Saints vs. Cowboys | Fox, NFLN, Amazon |
| 14 | Vikings vs. Steelers | Fox, NFLN, Amazon |
| 15 | Chargers vs. Chiefs | Fox, NFLN, Amazon |
| 16 | Titans vs. 49ers | NFL Network |
| 16 | Packers vs. Browns | Fox, NFLN, Amazon |
| 16 | Cardinals vs. Colts | NFL Network |
Texans vs. Panthers Odds
- Texans +8
- Panthers -8
- Total: 43.5
The Texans-Panthers odds have moved significantly after Houston quarterback Taylor was ruled out for several weeks. That makes way for Mills, a third-round rookie quarterback, to make his first career start.
Mills went 8 of 18 for 102 yards last week in relief of the injured Taylor. He was the No. 1 quarterback prospect in the Class of 2017 and went to Stanford, though he started just 14 games in an injury-riddled career. Still, evaluators saw enough to think highly of him.
Panthers News
The Panthers beating the Jets by five points in their opener didn’t inspire playoff-level confidence, but they dominated most of that game.
Then in Week 2, Carolina made a statement by dismantling the Saints, 26-7, holding New Orleans to just 3.0 yards per play. Remember, many people thought this Carolina defense would be the worst in the league entering last season.
Darnold hasn’t been perfect at quarterback, but he’s been much better than he was in New York. He’s averaging a solid 8.0 yards per attempt, completing 68.5% of his passes and has a 3/1 TD/INT ratio.
He’s got weapons all over the field, too. Christian McCaffery is healthy again and commanding a massive target share, while D.J. Moore continues to develop into a No. 1 receiver. Robby Anderson and Terrace Marshall haven’t had big games yet, but they should be coming soon. And against a porous Houston defense, this whole offense could feast.
Texans News
Expected to be the worst team in the NFL, Houston is actually 2-0 against the spread, with a win over the Jaguars in Week 1 and a 10-point loss to Cleveland in Week 2.
Still, it’s going to be a long season for the Texans. We project them as an underdog in every game the rest of the season, and they had the lowest win total in the NFL before the season.
Not having the safety net of Taylor at quarterback hurts, too. Mills has always been physically gifted, but was seen as a project coming out of college.