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Who’s Playing on Sunday Night Football? Game, Start Time for Week 3

Vaseline September 23, 2024

NBC showcased a matchup between two rising quarterbacks in Week 2 of its “Sunday Night Football” schedule. Now, it returns to a more proven duo in a battle of potential playoff contenders.

The Kansas City Chiefs hit the road to take on the Atlanta Falcons, a battle between teams that started the season playing in opposite directions.

The Chiefs are coming off two close wins over the Baltimore Ravens and Cincinnati Bengals. Each game came down to its final play, with Isaiah Likely’s toe denying Baltimore a chance to tie Kansas City at the end of regulation in Week 1 and Harrison Butker’s 51-yard field goal in Week 2 to give the Chiefs a one-point victory over the Bengals.

NFL games: Chiefs show that the gap between them and other contenders is still quite large

The Falcons are also coming off a thrilling win, as they pulled out a final-minute victory over the Philadelphia Eagles on “Monday Night Football” in Week 2. Kirk Cousins continues to make progress in his recovery from a torn Achilles tendon, and his ability to connect with Drake London and Darnell Mooney on the final drive should give Atlanta fans hope as the team hopes for a second straight upset.

Here’s everything you need to know about the “Sunday Night Football” game for Week 3.

Who’s playing on Sunday Night Football tonight?

The Falcons (1-1) host the Chiefs (2-0) on NBC’s third official “Sunday Night Football” broadcast of the season. Kansas City enters the game as favorites to win, but Atlanta will be no easy target, as evidenced by its 22-21 win over visiting Philadelphia last week.

The Chiefs enter Week 3 with some concerns at running back. Starter Isiah Pacheco was placed on IR after suffering a fractured fibula, while normal backup Clyde Edwards-Helaire is on the NFI list. That leaves Samaje Perine and Carson Steele as the top runners, so quarterback Patrick Mahomes will be relied upon to carry the offense.

CHIEFS RB DEPTH CHART: How Isiah Pacheco’s injury and Kareem Hunt’s visit could impact KC’s defense

Mahomes hasn’t been as spectacular early in the season as fans have come to expect. He’s thrown just three touchdowns compared to three interceptions through two games, and his 91.9 passer rating and 47.1 QBR rank 15th and 19th in the NFL, respectively. That won’t reassure the Falcons, however, as the two-time MVP will eventually find form, especially with Rashee Rice, Travis Kelce and Xavier Worthy at his disposal.

That said, perhaps the biggest advantage the Chiefs have over the Falcons comes on defense. Chris Jones will likely apply heavy pressure on Cousins from the inside, which could pose problems for the 36-year-old quarterback. He doesn’t appear to have full range of motion as he recovers from a torn Achilles tendon, so he may not be able to get away from the pressure up the middle as easily as usual.

The Eagles couldn’t take advantage of Cousins’ weakness; the Chiefs are better positioned to do so.

The good news for Falcons fans is that Cousins has started to gel with teammates Drake London and Darnell Mooney, so the passing game should only get better as he settles into Zac Robinson’s offense. Still, the Falcons will likely rely more on Bijan Robinson to catalyze their offense in Week 3, as the Chiefs are allowing 129.5 rushing yards per game to start the season.

The Chiefs may be legitimate favorites, but they certainly can’t write off the Falcons. Atlanta is trying to keep pace with the New Orleans Saints and Tampa Bay Buccaneers in a surprisingly competitive NFC South race.

What time is the NFL game tonight?

Date: Sunday September 22nd
Time: 8:20 PM ET

The Falcons vs. Chiefs game kicks off at 8:20 p.m. ET, the start time for most of NBC’s “Sunday Night Football” broadcasts during the 2024 NFL season.

NBC will also begin airing its pregame show – “Football Night In America” – at 7 p.m. ET. Maria Taylor will host that program along with a host of NBC talent, including Jason Garrett, Tony Dungy, Devin McCourty and Matthew Berry.

NFL STATS CENTRAL: The latest NFL scores, schedules, odds, stats and more.

What channel is Sunday Night Football on tonight?

“Sunday Night Football” will air on NBC in 2024, as it has since the network acquired the rights to the program in 2006.

People who canceled their cable subscriptions can still watch the game on NBC’s streaming service Peacock or on Fubo, which has a free trial.

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