The NFL preseason games continued on TV Friday with three intriguing encounters on the schedule. Thursday saw the NFL preseason officially kick off with two games, but that was simply the hors d’oeuvre to a full weekend of action. Friday, we got another appetizer with a further three NFL games, building into the full entreé of action on Saturday.
Now that Friday’s slate of games has come to an end, here is the NFL schedule for games being played on Sunday, August 15. If you missed a minute of Friday night’s matchups, make sure to check out our recaps of the Cowboys vs. Cardinals and the Bills vs. Lions.
Were there NFL games on Friday?
The football action kicked off Friday at 7 PM ET as two games began simultaneously. The Buffalo Bills at the Detroit Lions was the nationally televised game, with the Tennessee Titans and Atlanta Falcons being shown locally.
Those games were then followed by the second nationally televised contest of the night between the Dallas Cowboys and Arizona Cardinals. With a 10 PM ET kickoff, that was a game for the late-night football fans on the East Coast. Meanwhile, that game served as the primetime offering for those on the West Coast.
TV schedule for the NFL games for Friday
What time and channels could you watch the NFL games Friday?
Buffalo Bills at Detroit Lions
- Time: 7 PM ET
- TV Channel: NFL Network
- Live Stream:
- SlingTV
- YouTubeTV
- Hulu
- NFL Game Pass
Tennessee Titans at Atlanta Falcons
- Time: 7 PM ET
- TV Channel: WKRN (Tennessee markets), FOX 5 (Atlanta markets)
- Live Stream:
- AT&T TV
- fuboTV
- Hulu
- Sling TV (Atlanta markets only)
- YouTube
- PS Vue
- NFL Game Pass
Dallas Cowboys at Arizona Cardinals
- Time: 10 PM
- TV Channel: NFL Network
- Live Stream:
- SlingTV
- YouTubeTV
- Hulu
- NFL Game Pass
Bills at Lions prediction
The focus on this NFL game today is likely to be on the Lions. The Bills are returning a similar-looking unit to the 2020 season. Therefore, expect to see the majority of the Bills’ backups on the field during this game.
In contrast, the Lions look markedly different in 2021. They have a new head coach, a new QB, and a new WR group. It would not shock me if we see the first-team unit play a decent number of snaps together in some of these preseason games.
As a result, the outcome of this game likely leans in favor of the Lions. The Bills have a backup QB competition to delineate, so they will likely play hard (but potentially in vain). Current NFL odds have this as a pick ’em, but my lean is towards the Lions edging this one.
Titans at Falcons prediction
The only local game on the NFL TV schedule today is another game where one team has little to figure out while the other team has a lot. The Titans have a few changes offensively, but their core is similar. Defensively, they have a few more question marks, but again, familiar faces are returning.
Meanwhile, the Falcons have a new head coach and several moving parts on both sides of the ball. While we may not see Matt Ryan and the top wide receivers much in this game, we could see a lot of the other first-team options.
Much like with the Lions game, the fact we could see more of the Falcons’ first-choice units on the offensive line and the defense should mean they have a better chance to come away with a victory. The odds currently have this as a pick ’em as well.
Cowboys at Cardinals prediction
The final NFL game today has the feeling of a low-scoring game. The Cowboys do not need to risk much of their first-team offense, and while the Cardinals look set to play their starters initially, it might not be for long.
Contrastingly, on defense, both teams have work to do. The Cardinals have two young playmakers in the center of their defense and some competition at cornerback. Likewise, the Cowboys also have youth in the middle of the field and competition at cornerback. Thus, we could see both first-team defenses for a good chunk.
The total in this one is set at 39, which feels too high given the uncertainty over how much of the first-team offenses we will see. In terms of the spread, the Cardinals are 1-to-2-point favorites. If we see a couple of drives out of Murray, they could open up a lead their defense holds onto.
Ben Rolfe is a Senior Managing Editor at Pro Football Network and is also a member of the Fantasy Sports Writers Association (FSWA). You can find him on Twitter @BenRolfePFN.