Thursday Night Football open thread: Patriots at Rams

The New England Patriots and Los Angeles Rams last met on the biggest stage there is: the Super Bowl. Just a few years removed, and they meet under a different spotlight under very different circumstances.

Thursday Night Football will be a prime opportunity for the Rams to prove that they are worthy of a playoff spot in the NFC. They currently sit atop the NFC West, tied with the Seattle Seahawks, but it is a narrow margin between division leader, Wild Card, and out of the playoffs. After a modest 2019 campaign, the Rams have rebounded nicely and are primed to surpass their 9-7 record. Their offense and defense are both among the league’s best.

The New England Patriots are a very different team from their Super Bowl-winning squad, but things appear on the upswing. After a rocky 2-5 start, the Patriots have rebounded to a 6-6 record. However, they are in danger of missing the playoffs for the first time since 2008—an 11-5 season—and their six losses are their most in a season since 2009. Wow, even when it’s bad for New England, it’s still good. The Cam Newton-led offense is certainly a change from the Tom Brady era, but after a 45-0 drubbing of the Chargers last week at SoFi Stadium, the team is hoping for a repeat on the same field tonight. The question now is whether or not their resurgence has come too late.

Here’s how to watch tonight’s game:

Date: Thursday, December 10, 2020
Time: 8:20 p.m. ET
Location: SoFi Stadium - Inglewood, CA
TV: FOX, NFL Network
Announcers: Joe Buck, Troy Aikman, Erin Andrews & Kristina Pink
Online Stream/Replay: Twitch, NFL Gamepass