Tonight will see our final planned edition of Friday Night Football in the 2021 season as we kick off Week 3 of the NFL preseason. Let’s take a look at which games we can look forward to on Friday Night Football tonight.
Is there preseason Friday Night Football tonight?
The third and final edition of Friday Night Football in the 2021 NFL preseason will see four games take place. Only one of the four games is nationally televised (NFL Network), with the remaining games being covered locally.
Indianapolis Colts at Detroit Lions | 7 PM ET | Local
This is an intriguing matchup between two teams with plenty still to answer. Carson Wentz may be back in practice, but there is no guarantee he will be ready for Week 1. Therefore, Sam Ehlinger and Jacob Eason are still competing for a potential starting role this season.
For the Lions, they are settled at QB, but there are things to work on all over the roster. All eyes will be on rookie tackle Penei Sewell after his outings have raised concerns through the first two weeks. With a new head coach, the entire roster will be under scrutiny heading into Week 3 of the preseason.
Pittsburgh Steelers at Carolina Panthers | 7:30 PM ET | Local
Tonight’s Friday Night Football game will be the fourth the Steelers have played, having also played in the Hall of Fame Game vs. the Dallas Cowboys. They should have most of their roster questions figured out now, but players still have an opportunity to stake a claim for a roster spot or a starting role.
For the Panthers, they are a relative unknown entering this season. We have not seen much of Sam Darnold in this offense, but the other QBs on the roster have shown major inconsistencies. The Panthers have a young roster, and there will be a fierce battle for roster spots this week.
Philadelphia Eagles at New York Jets | 7:30 PM ET | Local
Week 2 of the preseason did not go to plan for the Eagles, getting hammered 35-0 by the Patriots. They need to show a little more fight this week, especially those on the roster bubble.
The Jets had a promising showing from Zach Wilson last week, but the performance was less than stellar once he left the game. Additionally, the Jets suffered several injuries last week, so there will be a delicate balance in tonight’s Friday Night Football game between getting more time on the field and protecting players.
Minnesota Vikings at Kansas City Chiefs | 8 PM ET | NFL Network
The Vikings have not shown well in this preseason, and their roster depth is a major concern. In fact, both teams will be looking to make sure their roster depth is up to par. The Chiefs’ lack of depth was exposed in the Super Bowl last year. That is why this game remains crucial even if we don’t see many starters.
Friday night NFL preseason games in Week 3
All times Eastern.
- Colts at Lions | 7 PM | Local
- Eagles at Jets | 7:30 PM | Local
- Steelers at Panthers | 7:30 PM | Local
- Vikings at Chiefs | 8 PM | NFL Network