Who is playing Thursday Night Football tonight? (October 12, 2023)

It's officially the start of a new week in the NFL, as Thursday nights are now the kickoff to the weekend of action.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers fans can't wait for Sunday to get here, as this week marks the long-awaited return of the creamsicle uniforms. It's the first time since 2012 that the Bucs are wearing their throwbacks, and everything about the game is going to be next-level.

Originally the main excitement about the game was the return of the creamsicles, but now it's a late-afternoon battle between a pair of first-place teams. Detroit comes to town having out-performed its lofty preseason expectations to control the NFC North.

Tampa Bay is in a similar situation, going from prime tank candidates to a team that is 3-1 and looking like a real playoff contender. We're only six weeks into the season, but the Bucs have a chance to prove themselves against one of the best teams in the NFC.

Before we get there, though, we must get through Thursday Night Football.

Thursday Night Football Week 5: Chiefs vs. Broncos

While the Bucs and Lions are meeting on almost even plains, the gap between Kansas City and Denver couldn't be wider. The Rocky Mountains are smoother than how the Broncos season has gone so far this season, which is objectively hilarious given all they did to get in this sitiation.

It's also subjectively delicious for Buccaneers fans who are enjoying watching Sean Payton twist in the wind.

Denver has mortgaged its entire future on Russell Wilson and Sean Payton, and the result so far has been a one-win season that featured the team being on the wrong side of the second-worst loss in NFL history.

For the sake of context, here's what the Broncos gave up:

• 3 first round picks
• 3 second round picks
• 1 fifth round pick
• $245M to Russell Wilson (with $165M guaranteed)
• $100M to Sean Payton

Denver is locked into this thing for five years, and can't get out of the Russ deal without basically crippling their future even further. The gamble on Payton might end up working out, but it's a long uphill battle to breaking even, let alont doing antyhing special.

Meanwhile, the Chiefs are having a down year by their standards and are still 4-1 and in control of the AFC. Things are going so smoothly that the whole Travis Kelce-Taylor Swift saga has taken centerstage.

That's what the Broncos are up against tonight, so buckle up for a bumpy ride.

It's probably not going to be a good game, but it's a short week and weird things have happened on Thursday night. The Chiefs have already lost on Thursday night this season and weren't coming off a short week, losing the first game of the season to Detroit.

Thursday Night Football schedule and results 2023

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