Bengals vs. Jets Livestream: How to Watch NFL Week 3 From Anywhere in the US

The New York Jets pulled off a miracle comeback against the Cleveland Browns last week and are 1-1 on the year as they get ready to host the Cincinnati Bengals. The Bengals appear to be suffering a Super Bowl hangover and enter Week 3 without a win, losing their first two games on last-second field goals. Joe Flacco is set to quarterback the Jets again, with starter Zach Wilson sidelined with a knee injury. The Bengals’ beleaguered offensive line will need to do a better job of protecting Joe Burrow if they’re going to move the ball against the Jets defense led by disruptive tackle Quinnen Williams.

The game will be shown on CBS in the Cincinnati and New York/New Jersey areas on live TV streaming services, but there may be cases where you’re blocked because of an internet location glitch or just want an added layer of privacy for streaming. There’s an option that doesn’t require subscribing to something like NFL Sunday Ticket or NFL Plus, or searching the internet for a sketchy website: a virtual private network, or VPN.

Now playing:
Watch this:

What It’s Like Playing VR Football: NFL Pro Era Hands-On

8:17

Here’s how you can watch the game from anywhere in the US with a VPN. 

Read more: NFL 2022: How to Watch, Stream Every Game Live Without Cable

Bengals vs. Colts: When and where?

For Week 3 of the NFL season, the Jets are hosting the Bengals at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. ET (10 a.m. PT). 

How to watch the Bengals vs. Jets game online from anywhere using a VPN

If you find yourself unable to view the game locally due to incorrectly applied blackout restrictions, you may need a different way to watch the game — that’s where using a VPN can come in handy. A VPN is also the best way to stop your ISP from throttling your speeds on game day by encrypting your traffic, and it’s also a great idea if you’re traveling and find yourself connected to a Wi-Fi network, and you want to add an extra layer of privacy for your devices and logins.

With a VPN, you’re able to virtually change your location on your phone, tablet or laptop to get access to the game. So if your internet provider or mobile carrier has stuck you with an IP address that incorrectly shows your location in a blackout zone, a VPN can correct that problem by giving you an IP address in your correct, nonblackout area. Most VPNs, like our Editors’ Choice, ExpressVPN, make it really easy to do this.

Using a VPN to watch or stream sports is legal in any country where VPNs are legal, including the US and Canada, as long as you have a legitimate subscription to the service you’re streaming. You should be sure your VPN is set up correctly to prevent leaks: Even where VPNs are legal, the streaming service may terminate the account of anyone it deems to be circumventing correctly applied blackout restrictions.

Looking for other options? Be sure to check out some of the other great VPN deals taking place right now.

Sarah Tew/CNET

ExpressVPN is our current best VPN pick for people who want a reliable and safe VPN, and it works on a variety of devices. It’s normally $13 per month, and you can sign up for ExpressVPN and save 49% plus get three months of access for free — the equivalent of $6.67 per month — if you get an annual subscription. 

Note that ExpressVPN offers a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Livestream the Bengals vs. Jets game in the US

This week’s Bengals vs. Jets game is on CBS, so in addition to a VPN you’ll need a live TV streaming service that carries a local CBS affiliate that is broadcasting the game. The least expensive such service is Paramount Plus. You’ll need to be subscribed to Paramount Plus’ Essential or Premium plans to be able to watch the game (or an older “limited commercials” plan), and you’ll need to switch your VPN to the Cincinnati or New York/New Jersey areas. 

Numerous other live TV streaming services carry local CBS stations as well, namely YouTube TV, Hulu Plus Live TV, DirecTV Stream and FuboTV. They all cost more than Paramount Plus, but they also carry more channels, including football-specific channels like Fox, ESPN, NFL Network and RedZone. Check out our live TV streaming channel guide for details.

Quick tips

• With three variables at play — your ISP, video streaming provider and VPN — experience and success may vary. 
• VPNs don’t have a connection in every market. For example, neither ExpressVPN nor Surfshark have an option to switch your location to Cincinnati. However, they both have multiple connection points in the New York and New Jersey area.
• If you don’t see New York as a default option for ExpressVPN, try using the “search for city or country” option.