Mandatory Credit: Paul Rutherford-Imagn Images

NFL Games Today – What NFL Preseason Games Are Being Played on Saturday, August 16? NFL Preseason Games Start Time and Where To Watch

NFL Preseason Matchups, Kickoff Times, and Watching Options for August 16, 2025

Mandatory Credit: Paul Rutherford-Imagn Images

NFL preseason Saturday brings a packed schedule of games as teams continue to evaluate rosters and build momentum. With starters seeing limited action, the focus shifts to rookies, backups, and players fighting for roster spots. From the Lions testing their offense against Miami to the Colts sorting out their quarterback situation, every matchup carries storylines worth watching.

Games kick off throughout the afternoon and evening, available across national and regional broadcasts for football fans everywhere. Continue reading for more information on each game, venue, timing and how to watch.

Your Preseason Week 2 lineup 😏

📱: Watch live out-of-market preseason games on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/jODDomjtVW
— NFL (@NFL) August 13, 2025

NFL 2025 Preseason Schedule for August 16th

Here are the games scheduled for Saturday, August 16, 2025, NFL 2025 preseason:

Team 1	Team 2	Time (E.T.)
Miami Dolphins	Detroit Lions	1:00 pm
Carolina Panthers	Houston Texans	1:00 pm
Green Bay Packers	Indianapolis Colts	1:00 pm
New England Patriots	Minnesota Vikings	1:00 pm
Cleveland Browns	Philadelphia Eagles	1:00 pm

Miami Dolphins vs. Detroit Lions

The Detroit Lions host the Miami Dolphins in their third preseason matchup on Saturday, August 16, at 1 p.m. inside Ford Field. Despite dropping their first two preseason matches, including a 34-7 Hall of Fame Game loss to the Chargers, the Lions impressed in joint practices on August 13-14, controlling both sides of the play.

Jared Goff led a sharp offense that consistently broke down Miami’s defense. The Dolphins, meanwhile, will likely rest quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, Tyreek Hill, Jaylen Waddle, and several starters. Though Miami showed flashes on Day 2, Detroit largely dictated the tempo heading into Saturday’s clash.

Was in Detroit for #Dolphins v #Lions joint practice, and Jameson Williams is hitting a different level of electric. Explosive speed, big-play ability — he was a constant problem. Everyone I spoke to (including two Miami coaches) had nothing but high praise for him.

Jamo in for… pic.twitter.com/YYXOsKp4Sn
— Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) August 14, 2025

Carolina Panthers vs. Houston Texans

The Houston Texans will host the Carolina Panthers in a preseason matchup on Saturday, August 16, at 1 p.m. ET at NRG Stadium. Coming off strong joint practices with Carolina, the Texans will look to carry that momentum into live action. With quarterback C.J. Stroud and several starters expected to get meaningful reps, DeMeco Ryans’ team aims to fine-tune execution.

The Panthers, meanwhile, are managing injuries and could hold back key players like Bryce Young and several defensive starters, using the matchup to evaluate depth across the roster.

Tune in. Tomorrow. 🫵 pic.twitter.com/CanAMGI33z
— Houston Texans (@HoustonTexans) August 15, 2025

Green Bay Packers vs. Indianapolis Colts

The Indianapolis Colts will host the Green Bay Packers in their Week 2 preseason matchup on Saturday, August 16, at Lucas Oil Stadium. The spotlight will be on the quarterback competition between Daniel Jones and Anthony Richardson, as head coach Shane Steichen confirmed Jones will start and play a few series before Richardson takes over the remainder of the first half. Meanwhile, Matt LaFleur’s Packers aim to rebound after a 30-13 preseason-opening loss at Lambeau Field and sharpen execution on both sides of the ball.

The throw, the reaction, the celly. pic.twitter.com/yAJmvAC6WF
— Indianapolis Colts (@Colts) August 15, 2025

New England Patriots vs. Minnesota Vikings

The New England Patriots hit the road for the first time this preseason, taking on the Minnesota Vikings at U.S. Bank Stadium on August 16. After back-to-back joint practices earlier in the week, this marks the third clash between the two sides. Minnesota will be without rookie quarterback J.J. McCarthy, leaving Sam Darnold to guide the offense after a strong 2024 campaign.

For New England, all eyes remain on Drake Maye, the Pro Bowl rookie who continues to establish himself as the franchise’s future under center. Both teams enter the Week 2 preseason matchup at 1-0, looking to stay unbeaten.

Back to the details ✍️ pic.twitter.com/L2mCs0EeQg
— New England Patriots (@Patriots) August 15, 2025

Cleveland Browns vs. Philadelphia Eagles

The Cleveland Browns visit the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field on Saturday, August 16, in Week 2 preseason action. Both teams are 1-0 after opening wins, but the spotlight is on unsettled quarterback situations. For Cleveland, fifth-rounder Shedeur Sanders, who impressed in his debut, is sidelined with an oblique injury.

Rookie Dillon Gabriel, returning from a hamstring issue, is a game-time decision, while Tyler Huntley is expected to take snaps after a solid outing against Cincinnati. The Eagles, meanwhile, showcased their depth last week as Tanner McKee threw for 252 yards and two touchdowns, with rookie wideout Darius Cooper emerging as a standout.

Here’s how all 4 Browns QBs have performed through team drills in 14 training camp practices.

Every QB but Flacco has missed time due to injury. pic.twitter.com/qkRK2PTK9N
— ESPN Cleveland (@ESPNCleveland) August 16, 2025

Where to Watch NFL Preseason Games of August 16th

Below is a table detailing the platforms where you can watch the NFL preseason games for Week 2 on August 16, 2025:

Matchups	Time (E.T.)	TV Channel	Streaming
Miami Dolphins vs. Detroit Lions	1:00 pm	NFL Network, CBS, NBC	NFL+, YouTube TV, Fubo TV, Paramount+
Carolina Panthers vs. Houston Texans	1:00 pm	NFL Network	NFL+, YouTube TV, Fubo TV
Green Bay Packers vs. Indianapolis Colts	1:00 pm	NFL Network	NFL+, YouTube TV, Fubo TV, ESPN+
New England Patriots vs. Minnesota Vikings	1:00 pm	NFL Network	NFL+, YouTube TV, Fubo TV
Cleveland Browns vs. Philadelphia Eagles	1:00 pm	NFL Network	NFL+, YouTube TV, Fubo TV

For watching live, besides NFL Network, there are several local affiliates of their respective areas, like CBS4 Miami, Fox 9 Twin Cities, Lion TV Network, ABC13 Houston and NBC4 Milwaukee, among others.
NFL+ offers live streaming of all games. Also, FuboTV and YouTube TV provide comprehensive NFL coverage, along with additional channels such as ESPN, CBS, NBC, and FOX.
Amazon Prime Video and Paramount+ may offer certain games based on regional broadcasts too.

Mandatory Image Credit: Paul Rutherford-Imagn Images

Carolina Panthers

Cleveland Browns

Detroit Lions

Green Bay Packers

Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts

Miami Dolphins

Minnesota Vikings

New England Patriots

NFL

Philadelphia Eagles

Preseason Week 2

Rudra Dubey

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I’m an academic turned sports writer from Raipur, India, specializing in the NFL, MMA, and tennis at The Playoffs. I previously wrote for Sportskeeda and hold a B.A. and M.A. in History. My journey into sports media began far from the field, rooted in the arts and sciences. Funny enough, I didn’t grow up a sports fan; I used to see it all as just noise. But a fateful writing job introduced me to the world of sports, and what began as a gig quickly became a passion. I understood those voices aren’t noise; they’re emotions of true sports fans, and now I am one of them, writing with the same energy I once questioned.