Week 9 of the 2021 NFL season gets underway on Thursday, November 4 (8:20 PM ET, FOX/NFL Network/Amazon) as the New York Jets (2-5) visit the Indianapolis Colts (3-5). Indianapolis leads the all-time regular-season series, 42-29, including a 36-7 victory in Week 3 of last season. In that win, cornerbacks T.J. CARRIE and XAVIER RHODES each had an interception-return touchdown, marking the first time since 1970 the Colts recorded two interception-return touchdowns in a single game.
The Jets enter Thursday coming off a 34-31 victory over Cincinnati in Week 8, in a game they trailed by 11 points with under five minutes remaining. Quarterback MIKE WHITE, making his first career start, connected with tight end TYLER KROFT for the 13-yard game-winning score with under four minutes remaining. White completed 37 of 45 pass attempts (82.2 percent) for 405 yards and three touchdowns for a 107.9 rating in the win, marking the most completions ever by a quarterback in his first career start. He also joined CAM NEWTON (422 yards on September 11, 2011) as the only quarterbacks since 1950 to pass for at least 400 yards in their first career start. White became the first Jets quarterback to surpass 400 passing yards in a game since VINNY TESTAVERDE in 2000 (481 yards, vs. Baltimore, 12/24/00).
Rookie running back MICHAEL CARTER led the team with a season-high 172 scrimmage yards (95 receiving, 77 rushing) and added a rushing touchdown last week, marking the most scrimmage yards by a rookie running back in a game this season. Carter aims for his third game in a row with at least 100 scrimmage yards and his 505 scrimmage yards this season (279 rushing, 226 receiving) are the fourth-most among all rookies. Fellow running back TY JOHNSON totaled a season-high 86 scrimmage yards (71 receiving, 15 rushing) and had his first touchdown reception of the season in Week 8. He has a touchdown in two of his past three games. Wide receiver JAMISON CROWDER set season highs in catches (eight) and receiving yards (84) last week and he aims for his sixth in a row on Thursday with at least five catches and third in a row on Thursday Night Football with at least 90 receiving yards.
Linebacker C.J. MOSLEY had 10 tackles last week and leads the team with 55 tackles this season. He has at least eight tackles in five of his six games in 2021. Defensive lineman SHAQ LAWSON recorded a key interception late in the fourth quarter last week, marking the first interception of his career and the first of the season for the Jets defense. Defensive lineman QUINNEN WILLIAMS recorded a sack in Week 8 and leads the team with 4.5 sacks on the season.
Indianapolis enters Week 9 having scored at least 30 points in three consecutive games and at least 25 points in five consecutive games. Last week, quarterback CARSON WENTZ passed for 231 yards and three touchdowns, his fifth straight game with at least two touchdown passes. He is one of five quarterbacks in the league with three or fewer interceptions this season, minimum 200 attempts. In his past four starts on Thursday Night Football, Wentz has 12 touchdowns (11 passing, one rushing) with one interception for a 108.1 rating.
Running back JONATHAN TAYLOR totaled 122 scrimmage yards (70 rushing, 52 receiving) and a rushing touchdown last week and he enters Thursday ranked second in the league with 649 rushing yards. He has at least 100 scrimmage yards and a rushing touchdown in five consecutive games, the longest active streak in the NFL, and can become the first player to accomplish the feat in six straight games in a single season since Pro Football Hall of Famer LADAINIAN TOMLINSON (eight straight games in 2006). Wide receiver MICHAEL PITTMAN had a career-high 10 catches for 86 yards and his first-career two-touchdown game last week and he aims for his third in a row with at least 85 receiving yards and a touchdown reception.
Linebacker DARIUS LEONARD is the only player in the league with at least three forced fumbles (three) and two interceptions (two) this season. He aims for his sixth in a row with at least seven tackles. Defensive tackle DEFOREST BUCKNER leads the team with four sacks and has recorded a sack in each of the past three games. Cornerback KENNY MOORE recorded his second interception of the season in Week 8 and had a sack in the teams’ 2020 meeting.
FOX will broadcast 10 Thursday Night Football games between Weeks 5-15 (excluding Thanksgiving night). Thursday’s game is slated to be simulcast via NFL Network, distributed in Spanish on FOX Deportes and streamed on Amazon Prime Video.
The game will feature Joe Buck, Pro Football Hall of Famer Troy Aikman, Erin Andrews and Kristina Pink on the call for FOX. The Amazon broadcast features Andrea Kremer and Hannah Storm, and the Amazon Scout’s feed is called by Bucky Brooks, Daniel Jeremiah and Joy Taylor.
