While many of our expectations for teams have changed in the first quarter of the 2026 NFL season, at least one thing remains the same: "Thursday Night Football" on a Thursday night.
Week 5 will feature
the fourth edition of the official "Thursday Night Football" broadcast on Amazon Prime Video.
Why isn't it the fifth edition in Week 5? The quirk of the Week 1 game in Australia taking place on a Thursday means that Al Michaels, Kirk Herbstreit and the rest of the Amazon Prime crew will only be on the call for a fourth time as Week 5 begins.
Every "Thursday Night Football" game so far this season has been notable. There was the first regular-season game (and win) for the Buffalo Bills at their new Highmark Stadium in Week 2. Week 3 featured the first home-opening loss for the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field since 2012. Last week, the Cleveland Brownstook sole possession of first place in the AFC North (if only briefly) with a win over the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Here's what to know about this week's matchup and NFL schedule:
Watch Thursday Night Football with Prime Video
Is there a Thursday Night Football game tonight?
Yes, there is a "Thursday Night Football" game on Oct. 8.
The Dallas Cowboys are hosting the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the Week 5 edition of "Thursday Night Football." It's the first matchup between the two NFC teams since 2024.
Dallas is fresh off its second win of the season: an exciting comeback victory over the Texans in which the Cowboys trailed most of the game. Quarterback Dak Prescott had his best statistical outing of the season, throwing for 335 yards and a touchdown on 32-of-45 passing (71.1% completion rate).
The Buccaneers are still looking for their first win of the season. After quarterback Baker Mayfield went down with a thumb injury in Week 4, undrafted free agent Jalon Daniels became the first rookie quarterback to make a start in 2026 in Week 5. The Kansas product threw for 148 yards, a touchdown and two interceptions in Tampa Bay's loss to the Packers.
This week's "TNF" game is scheduled for its usual kickoff time of 8:15 p.m. ET and will air nationally on Amazon Prime Video. Local fans for each team will be able to watch the game on a local cable network.
Watch Cowboys vs. Buccaneers with Prime Video
NFL Week 5 schedule
Here's a look at the Week 5 schedule (all times Eastern):
Thursday, Oct. 8
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Dallas Cowboys, 8:15 p.m., Amazon Prime Video
Sunday, Oct. 11
- Philadelphia Eagles at Jacksonville Jaguars, 9:30 a.m., NFL Network
- Cincinnati Bengals at Miami Dolphins, 1 p.m., Fox
- Las Vegas Raiders at New England Patriots, 1 p.m., CBS
- Minnesota Vikings at New Orleans Saints, 1 p.m., Fox
- Cleveland Browns at New York Jets, 1 p.m., CBS
- Indianapolis Colts at Pittsburgh Steelers, 1 p.m., CBS
- Houston Texans at Tennessee Titans, 1 p.m., CBS
- New York Giants at Washington Commanders, 1 p.m., Fox
- Chicago Bears at Green Bay Packers, 1 p.m., Fox
- Denver Broncos at Los Angeles Chargers, 4:05 p.m., CBS
- Detroit Lions at Arizona Cardinals, 4:25 p.m., Fox
- San Francisco 49ers at Seattle Seahawks, 4:25 p.m., Fox
- Baltimore Ravens at Atlanta Falcons, 8:20 p.m., NBC
Monday, Oct. 12
- Buffalo Bills at Los Angeles Rams, 8:15 p.m., ESPN/ABC
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Is there a Thursday Night Football game tonight? NFL Week 5 schedule
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