Weekend sports: NFL, NASCAR playoffs, PGA Tour opener pack schedule

MIAMI, Sept. 17 (UPI) — Week 2 of the 2021 NFL season, the third race of NASCAR’s Cup Series playoffs and the first tournament of the PGA Tour season lead the weekend sports schedule. MLB, MLS and college football games also pack the schedule.

Football action started with a college and an NFL game Thursday and continues with a total of 86 games from Friday through Sunday. Two NASCAR races take place this weekend at Bristol Motor Speedway.

Dozens of soccer games between MLS, England’s Premier League, Spain’s La Liga, Italian Serie A, the German Bundesliga and France’s Ligue 1 also take place this weekend.

NFL matchups

The Week 2 NFL slate features nine matchups at 1 p.m. EDT Sunday. Two games air at 4:05 p.m. and two games air at 4:25 p.m.

The Baltimore Ravens host the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday Night Football at 8:20 p.m. on NBC.

The New York Jets host the New England Patriots in one of the 1 p.m. matchups on CBS. The Miami Dolphins also host the Buffalo Bills at the same time in another AFC East division matchup on Fox.

The 1-0 Philadelphia Eagles host the 1-0 San Francisco 49ers at 1 p.m. on Fox. The Carolina Panthers (1-0) host the New Orleans Saints (1-0) in an NFC South matchup at 1 p.m. on Fox.

Tom Brady’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers look to improve to 2-0 when they host the Atlanta Falcons at 4:05 p.m. on Fox.

Russell Wilson’s Seattle Seahawks host Derrick Henry’s Tennessee Titans at 4:25 p.m. Sunday on CBS.

The Week 2 schedule ends with a Monday Night Football battle between the Green Bay Packers and Detroit Lions at 8:15 p.m. EDT Monday on ESPN.

NASCAR playoffs

The first of three NASCAR races this week at Bristol aired Thursday. The schedule continues Friday with the Xfinity Series Food City 300.

The Cup Series Bass Pro Shops Night Race, which airs Saturday, is the main event of the weekend. The races air on NBCSN.

Kyle Busch is the favorite for the third race in the Cup Series Playoffs Round of 16. Martin Truex Jr. was awarded the pole and will lead the 38-car field.

Sixteen of those drivers are part of the playoff field. Seven are former Cup Series champions.

The playoff field shrinks to 12 drivers after Saturday’s race. The field later decreases to eight drivers before the Championship 4 compete in the Cup Series Championship on Nov. 7 in Avondale, Ariz.

Kyle Larson, Denny Hamlin, Joey Logano and defending Cup Series champion Chase Elliott are among the other favorites Sunday at Bristol. Busch is 10th in the Cup Series standings, but is a three-time winner at the event on the half-mile, concrete oval track.

Kevin Harvick won the 2020 Bass Pro Shops Night Race. Truex won the second Cup Series playoff race last weekend at Richmond Raceway.

PGA Tour season starts

The PGA Tour’s 11-day off-season ended when the Fortinet Championship teed off Thursday at Silverado Resort and Spa in Napa, Calif.

Each round of the season-opener airs from 6 to 9 p.m. EDT through Sunday on NBC’s Golf Channel.

World No. 1 Jon Rahm is a heavy favorite in Napa. No. 4 Patrick Cantlay, who claimed the FedExCup title Sept. 5 in Atlanta, is not in the 156-player field.

No. 17 Hideki Matsuyama, the 2021 Masters champion, is the second-highest ranked player in the field. No. 22 Webb Simpson, No. 25 Kevin Na, No. 31 Will Zalatoris and No. 33 Phil Mickelson are among the other top players vying for the title.

Friday

Soccer

Premier League: Leeds at Newcastle at 3 p.m. EDT on NBCSN

MLS: New York Red Bulls at Miami at 7 p.m. EDT on ESPN+

Golf

Fortinet Championship: Second round from 6 to 9 p.m. EDT on Golf Channel

MLB

Dodgers at Reds at 7:10 p.m. EDT on MLB Network (Out of market only)

Athletics at Angels at 9:38 p.m. EDT on YouTube

College football

UCF at Louisville at 7:30 p.m. EDT on ESPN

Maryland at Illinois at 9 p.m. EDT on FS1

NASCAR

Xfinity Series Food City 300 at 7:30 p.m. EDT on NBCSN

Saturday

Soccer

Bundesliga: VfL Bochum at Bayern Munich at 9:30 a.m. EDT on ESPN+

Premier League: Crystal Palace at Liverpool at 10 a.m. EDT on Peacock Premium

Premier League: Arsenal at Burnley at 10 a.m. EDT on NBCSN

Premier League: Southampton at Manchester City at 10 a.m. EDT on USA

La Liga: Athletic Bilbao at Atletico Madrid at 10:15 a.m. EDT on ESPN+

Premier League: Everton at Aston Villa at 12:30 p.m. EDT on NBC

MLS: DC United at Atlanta at 3:30 p.m. EDT on ESPN+

MLS: Columbus at New England at 7 p.m. EDT on ESPN+

MLS: NYCFC at Cincinnati at 7:30 p.m. EDT on ESPN+

MLS: Nashville at Toronto at 7:30 p.m. EDT on ESPN+

MLS: San Jose at Austin at 8 p.m. EDT on ESPN+

MLS: Los Angeles Galaxy at Minnesota at 8 p.m. EDT on ESPN+

MLS: Dallas at Houston at 9:30 p.m. EDT on ESPN+

MLS: Seattle at Salt Lake at 9:30 p.m. EDT on ESPN+

College football

Nebraska at Oklahoma at noon EDT on Fox

New Mexico at Texas A&M at noon EDT on SEC Network

Cincinnati at Indiana at noon EDT on ESPN

Virginia Tech at West Virginia at noon EDT on FS1

Coastal Carolina at Buffalo at noon EDT on ESPN2

Michigan State at Miami at noon EDT on ABC

Northern Illinois at Michigan at noon EDT on Big Ten Network

Purdue at Notre Dame at 2:30 p.m. EDT on NBC

Alabama at Florida at 3:30 p.m. EDT on CBS

Kent State at Iowa at 3:30 p.m. EDT on Big Ten Network

Georgia Tech at Clemson at 3:30 p.m. EDT on ABC

Tulsa at Ohio State at 3:30 p.m. EDT on FS1

Florida State at Wake Forest at 3:30 p.m. EDT on ESPN

USC at Washington State at 3:30 p.m. EDT on Fox

Georgia Southern at Arkansas at 4 p.m. EDT on SEC Network

Mississippi State at Memphis at 4 p.m. EDT on ESPN2

South Carolina at Georgia at 7 p.m. EDT on ESPN

Stony Brook at Oregon at 7:30 p.m. EDT on Pac-12 Network

Auburn at Penn State at 7:30 p.m. EDT on ABC

Virginia at North Carolina at 7:30 p.m. EDT on ACC Network

Tulane at Ole Miss at 8 p.m. EDT on ESPN2

Oklahoma State at Boise State at 9 p.m. EDT on FS1

Arizona State at BYU at 10:15 p.m. EDT on ESPN

Iowa State at UNLV at 10:30 p.m. EDT on CBSSN

Fresno State at UCLA at 10:45 p.m. EDT on Pac-12 Network

MLB

Indians at Yankees at 1:05 p.m. EDT on MLB Network (Out of market only)

Tigers at Rays at 4:10 p.m. EDT on MLB Network (Out of market only)

Phillies at Mets at 7:15 p.m. EDT on Fox

Cubs at Brewers at 7:15 p.m. EDT on Fox

Golf

Fortinet Championship: Third round from 6 to 9 p.m. EDT on Golf Channel

NASCAR

Cup Series Bass Pro Shops Night Race at 7:30 p.m. EDT on NBCSN

Sunday

Soccer

Premier League: Manchester United at West Ham at 9 a.m. EDT on NBCSN

Premier League: Chelsea at Tottenham Hotspur at 11:30 a.m. EDT on Peacock Premium

Bundesliga: FC Union Berlin at Borussia Dortmund at 11:30 a.m. EDT on ESPN+

MLS: Chicago at Montreal at 1 p.m. EDT on ESPN+

Serie A: AC Milan at Juventus at 2:45 p.m. EDT on beIN Sports

Ligue 1: Lyon at PSG at 2:45 p.m. EDT on beIN Sports

La Liga: Real Madrid at Valencia at 3 p.m. EDT on ESPN+

MLS: Orlando at Philadelphia at 4 p.m. EDT on ESPN+

MLS: LAFC at Portland at 7:30 p.m. EDT on ESPN+

MLS: Vancouver at Colorado at 9 p.m. EDT on ESPN+

NFL

Broncos at Jaguars at 1 p.m. EDT on CBS

Bills at Dolphins at 1 p.m. EDT on Fox

49ers at Eagles at 1 p.m. EDT on Fox

Rams at Colts at 1 p.m. EDT on Fox

Raiders at Steelers at 1 p.m. EDT on CBS

Bengals at Bears at 1 p.m. EDT on Fox

Texans at Browns at 1 p.m. EDT on CBS

Saints at Panthers at 1 p.m. EDT on Fox

Vikings at Cardinals at 4:05 p.m. EDT on Fox

Falcons at Buccaneers at 4:05 p.m. EDT on Fox

Titans at Seahawks at 4:25 p.m. EDT on CBS

Cowboys at Chargers at 4:25 p.m. EDT on CBS

Chiefs at Ravens at 8:20 p.m. EDT on NBC

MLB

Dodgers at Reds at 1:10 p.m. EDT on TBS

Braves at Giants at 4:05 p.m. EDT on MLB Network (Out of market only)

Phillies at Mets at 7:08 p.m. EDT on ESPN

Golf

Fortinet Championship: Final round from 6 to 9 p.m. EDT on Golf Channel