By Nick Shook | NFL.com
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According to the Gregorian calendar, Wednesday is followed by Thursday. That also means Thursday Night Football is again right around the corner, mere hours from filling televisions screens across the world with exciting NFL action.

But unlike the first eight Thursdays of the season, this day before Friday will be different. This Thursday, the Carolina Panthers face the New Orleans Saints in a battle for NFC South supremacy, and it can be seen on only one network — NFL Network.

In case you haven’t already sat down and tediously navigated your television provider’s virtual guide — or, if you’re stuck in 1997 and still use the old-fashioned TV Guide booklet — Thursday Night Football moves exclusively to NFL Network this week. Live from Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, N.C., the divisional matchup will be the first of eight Thursday night games broadcast solely on NFL Network.

Jim Nantz and Phil Simms will continue to provide the play-by-play and color commentary, with Tracy Wolfson reporting from the sidelines. The pregame show starts at 6 p.m. ET on NFL Network.

The program was simulcast on both NFL Network and CBS for the first eight weeks of the season, and included exciting finishes between rivals, including a game-saving blocked kick to cap a 27-25 victory for the New England Patriots over the New York Jets, and a high-scoring AFC West game between the Denver Broncos and San Diego Chargers. The Thursday-night slate continues this week with New Orleans vs. Carolina before shifting to an AFC North contest between Cleveland and Cincinnati on Nov. 6.

Click here to locate NFL Network channel numbers in your area.