Trevor Lawrence has arrived. “The Prince that was Promised” had a disappointing rookie season in which he led the league in interceptions during a tumultuous year in Jacksonville, marred in part by the chaotic coaching tenure of Urban Meyer.
But lately, the Jaguars are seeing the upside that led to Lawrence being drafted first overall in 2021. Lawrence has powered the Jaguars to huge wins against playoff-hopeful teams like the Ravens, Titans and Cowboys in the past four games, and all of a sudden, Jacksonville is knocking on the door of the AFC South.
As they look to bolster their playoff hopes, they will hit the road to face the Jets in “Thursday Night Football” as New York also hopes to stop its slide out of the playoff picture.
New York’s defense has remained one of the best in the league, having allowed only an average of 17.4 points per game over the past five games since the bye week. However, the offense has sputtered. The Jets scored a whopping 31 points against the Bears in Week 12, but have averaged just 13.5 points in the other four games, all of which have been losses.
NFL POWER RANKINGS: Where Jaguars, Jets stand entering Week 16
On Thursday, the red-hot Jaguars offense will face a Jets defense hoping to keep the team afloat in an increasingly contentious AFC wild-card race.
Here’s everything to know about the Jaguars vs. Jets matchup ahead of Amazon’s Thursday night NFL broadcast.
Who plays on ‘Thursday Night Football’ tonight?
- Matchup: Jaguars vs. Jets
- Location: MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, N.J.
When the initial “Thursday Night Football” schedule was released at the beginning of the year, Jaguars-Jets might not have been one many would have circled on their calendars, let alone have it be one of the most important games Amazon has carried in its first year with the primetime slot.
Bolstered by the emergence of Lawrence, the Jaguars are red-hot, winning four of their past six games, including two straight against the AFC South-leading Titans and the NFC’s top wild card Cowboys. All of a sudden, the Jaguars, who began the year 2-6, are 6-8, a game back of the Titans in the AFC South and two games behind the Dolphins and Chargers in the wild-card race.
The Jets, on the other hand, are trending in the wrong direction. New York began the season 7-4 and looked to be in a strong position to seal a wild-card spot. But New York has lost its past three games to the Vikings, Bills and Lions, and now finds itself on the outside looking in.
This will be an interesting game for several reasons. Lawrence has excelled in the past six games, with a quarterback rating of 111.2, 1,680 passing yards, 14 passing touchdowns and only one interception, while completing 70.4 percent of his passes. During that span, he has performed well even against top passing defenses like Dallas and Baltimore. The Jets rank sixth in passing defense defense-adjusted value over average (DVOA), and could give Lawrence another major test.
On the other side, the Jets had hoped to get quarterback Mike White back for the game after he missed the most recent loss to the Lions. That won’t happen, however, as he was ruled out for the game. Zach Wilson, the pick one spot behind Lawrence in the 2021 NFL Draft, completed only 51.4 percent of his passes for 317 yards with two touchdowns and an interception in the defeat, and will get another shot to try and re-establish himself as the team’s starter.
What time is the NFL game tonight?
- Date: Thursday, Dec. 22
- Time: 8:15 p.m. ET
The Jaguars vs. Jets game will begin at approximately 8:15 p.m. ET on Thursday. That’s the same time that every one of Amazon’s “Thursday Night Football” games will begin in 2022.
MORE: Why is ‘Thursday Night Football’ only on Amazon in 2022?
What channel is Thursday Night Football on tonight?
- TV channel (Jacksonville): WJAX 47, CBS 47
- TV channel (New York): WNYW 5, Fox 5
- Live stream: Amazon Prime Video | DAZN (in Canada)
Amazon Prime Video continues to be the home of “Thursday Night Football” and will be long-term as part of the streaming platform’s 11-year deal with the NFL. The massive contract makes Amazon the NFL’s exclusive broadcast partner for the event, so fans will need an Amazon Prime subscription to watch the game.
That said, the NFL took steps to ensure that those without subscriptions will still be able to watch each contest if they are in the local markets of the teams playing. That means local fans in Jacksonville and New York can still find the game on their television sets. Fans in the Jacksonville market will find it on CBS, while New York-based fans will find it on Fox.
Amazon has put a lot of resources into its weekly broadcast. Legendary play-by-play man Al Michaels will be on the call for the game with Kirk Herbstreit, who is in his first season as an NFL color commentator. Kaylee Hartung is the sideline reporter. A studio crew of host Charissa Thompson and former players Tony Gonzalez, Richard Sherman, Andrew Whitworth and Ryan Fitzpatrick handles pregame, halftime and postgame coverage. Marshawn Lynch has a segment on the pregame show.
Viewers in Canada will be able to watch the game on DAZN.
NFL live stream for ‘Thursday Night Football’ game
- Live stream: Amazon Prime Video
If you want to watch “Thursday Night Football” in 2022, you will need a subscription to Amazon Prime. It will be the exclusive streaming home for “TNF” for the next 11 years, and the games will only be broadcast on over-the-air TV in the local markets of the participating teams.
NFL schedule Week 16
Jaguars vs. Jets is just the first gift NFL fans get to open up early this holiday weekend. Saturday is loaded with a slate of pivotal playoff matchups, including a clash between the Giants and Vikings, Seahawks and Vikings, Bengals and Patriots, Commanders and 49ers and Cowboys and Eagles.
There will be five more games carried on national television over NFL Week 16 after Jaguars-Jets. Saturday will see the Raiders and Steelers play on NFL Network in prime time. Then, on Christmas, there are three nationally broadcast games, starting with Packers-Dolphins at 1 p.m. ET on Fox, then Broncos-Rams at 4:30 p.m. on CBS and Buccaneers-Cardinals at 8:20 p.m. on NBC.
The week wraps up with Chargers-Colts on ESPN on “Monday Night Football.”
Below is the full schedule for Week 16 of the 2022 NFL season. Nationally broadcasted games are in bold.
Week 16
Thursday, Dec. 22
| Game | Time (ET) | TV channel |
|---|---|---|
| Jaguars at Jets | 8:15 p.m. ET | Amazon |
Saturday, Dec. 24
| Game | Time (ET) | TV channel |
|---|---|---|
| Bills at Bears | 1 p.m. | CBS, fuboTV |
| Saints at Browns | 1 p.m. | CBS, fuboTV |
| Texans at Titans | 1 p.m. | CBS, fuboTV |
| Seahawks at Chiefs | 1 p.m. | Fox, fuboTV |
| Giants at Vikings | 1 p.m. | Fox, fuboTV |
| Bengals at Patriots | 1 p.m. | CBS, fuboTV |
| Lions at Panthers | 1 p.m. | Fox, fuboTV |
| Falcons at Ravens | 1 p.m. | Fox, fuboTV |
| Commanders at 49ers | 4:05 p.m. | CBS, fuboTV |
| Eagles at Cowboys | 4:25 p.m. | Fox, fuboTV |
| Raiders at Steelers | 8:15 p.m. | NFL Network, fuboTV |
Sunday, Dec. 25
| Game | Time (ET) | TV channel |
|---|---|---|
| Packers at Dolphins | 1 p.m. | Fox, fuboTV |
| Broncos at Rams | 4:30 p.m. | CBS, fuboTV |
| Buccaneers at Cardinals | 8:20 p.m. | NBC, fuboTV |
Monday, Dec. 26
| Game | Time (ET) | TV channel |
|---|---|---|
| Chargers at Colts | 8:15 p.m. | ESPN, fuboTV |