Thursday Night Football open thread: 49ers at Titans

The NFL enters the final stretch with three weeks of regular season action left to play. To kick off the week, the San Francisco 49ers and Tennessee Titans square off on Thursday Night Football.

Both teams have playoff aspirations, but they also face stiff competition within their division. The 49ers are 8-6, but that’s only good for third in the tough NFC West, as the Rams and Cardinals are both tied at 10-4. With a Wild Card spot being their best bet, San Francisco will want to add a few wins to distance themselves from other Wild Card competitors. They started the season slow with a 2-4 record, but they’ve found their footing in recent weeks, winning five of their last six.

As for the Titans, it seemed like the AFC South would be a cakewalk for them, but the Colts have fought hard to put themselves in a competitive spot. Just a single game ahead of the Colts, the 9-5 Titans have struggled without Derrick Henry, losing three of their previous four games. A playoff berth should be in play for the Titans regardless of their final three games, but they would certainly prefer to have home field advantage. The top-seeded Chiefs are just 10-4, so the Titans could pull ahead with some timely wins.

Here’s how to watch tonight’s game:

Date: Thursday, December 23, 2021
Time: 8:20 p.m. ET
Location: Nissan Stadium—Nashville, TN
TV: NFL Network
Announcers: Kevin Burkhardt, Greg Olsen, Pam Oliver, & Kristina Pink