Saturday Night Football tonight is an incredibly important matchup between two AFC East teams. The winner of this match will either lock up the division or solidify a playoff spot as a wild card team. Let’s look at who is playing tonight, what time the game starts, and how you can watch it.
Who Plays on Saturday Night Football Tonight?
Teams
Miami Dolphins at Buffalo Bills
Location
Highmark Stadium, Orchard Park
Saturday Night Football tonight is a prime-time clash between the Miami Dolphins and Buffalo Bills. The AFC East is still technically up for grabs, and this game will be huge for the playoff picture. A win for Miami would put them just one game behind Buffalo in the standings, but it would also give them the season sweep of the Bills.
The problem? Miami needs to travel into Buffalo during a snowstorm. The forecast from The Weather Channel is calling for a 65% chance of snow at kickoff, with 11 MPH winds and the real-feel temperature at 20 degrees. Based on the forecast, nearly one inch of snow is expected to fall during the game. That is not exactly what you want to see when your QB is already going through his toughest stretch of the season.
MORE: Full Dolphins vs. Bills Weather Forecast
After spending much of the year in NFL MVP conversations, Tua Tagovialoa has fallen back down to Earth — hard. Last week during a loss to the Chargers, Tua went 10 for 28 passing with only one touchdown. The 35.7% completion percentage was the worst of his career. Now, he will try and bounce back in the middle of a blizzard.
The narrative surrounding Tua is that he struggles in cold weather. If we look at the four coldest games Tua has played in, the numbers definitely support that narrative. His average passer rating in those four games was a disappointing 61.4.
When head coach Mike McDaniel was asked about the prospect of playing in the cold, he didn’t seem all that concerned.
“In all of those circumstances, you inevitably have to play cold games. Philosophically, I think it’s important to acknowledge before the day of the game what it is. But at the same time, it’s a football game where the elements are the same for both people. I think that’s a way of emphasizing something but not obsessing about something, was my objective.”
Meanwhile, Buffalo is coming into this one on a four-game winning streak and is fresh off two divisional wins against the Patriots and Jets. Although the offense hasn’t been lighting the world on fire like many expected, they are still finding ways to win. That will be an important feature for a game that will be heavily impacted by the weather.
PFN’s Betting Director BJ Rudell broke this game down for his Week 15 picks and predictions. As touchdown favorites, he thinks the Bills will be able to get the win here.
“The Bills have won nine of their last ten home games against the Dolphins. The only Miami win during that stretch came on a 206-yard rushing effort by Jay Ajayi. I don’t see Raheem Mostert going over 65 yards in wintry conditions against Buffalo. For that matter, Tua Tagovailoa and the passing game could struggle to gain traction — literally and figuratively.
Miami prevailed at home in their first matchup this season. But this is a more one-dimensional offense these days. Tyreek Hill has to come up big . . . or else.
Pick the Bills to avenge their early-season defeat by more than a touchdown.”
What Time Is Saturday Night Football Tonight?
Date: Dec. 17, 2022
Start time: 8:15 p.m. ET
Saturday Night Football tonight kicks off at 8:15 p.m. ET. The announcers for this game will be Kevin Kugler and Mark Sanchez.
TV Channel and Live Stream for Saturday Night Football
TV channels: NFL Network, CBS (Local)
Live stream: NFL+, CBS Sports App
Want to stream NFL games at home or on the go this season? Check out fuboTV, a streaming platform that provides you with live sports across multiple devices. Additionally, make sure to check out our comprehensive guide on how to live stream NFL games.