ESPN To Kick-Off MNF With A Doubleheader

The 49th season of Monday Night Football (13th on ESPN) kicks off with a doubleheader on Monday, September 10:

• 7:10 p.m. New York Jets vs. Detroit Lions with Beth Mowins, Brian Griese and reporter Laura Rutledge
• 10:15 p.m, Los Angeles Rams vs. Oakland Raiders with Joe Tessitore, Jason Witten, Booger McFarland and reporter Lisa Salters

In the opener, Sam Darnold – the No. 3 pick in the 2018 NFL Draft – will be the first rookie quarterback to start a season-opener on MNF as the New York Jets go on the road to face Matthew Stafford and the Detroit Lions at Ford Field. The game also marks the head coaching debut for Matt Patricia, who joined the Lions after serving as the Patriots longtime defensive coordinator. MNF last opened the season in Detroit in 2014 (Giants vs. Lions).

The late game will mark the much-anticipated coaching return of Jon Gruden, who served as MNF’s lead analyst the past nine years. Now the Raiders head coach, Gruden’s regular-season debut will feature quarterback Derek Carr facing Todd Gurley and the defending NFC West champion LA Rams under coach Sean McVay, who was mentored by Gruden early in his career.

Rams-Raiders will be the first MNF game in Oakland since the opening week of the 2012 NFL season. ESPN will bookend the 2018 regular season with a return visit Dec. 24 for Broncos-Raiders.

ESPN Deportes will again present MNF games in Spanish this season beginning with the opening night doubleheader on Sept. 10. The Jets-Lions and Rams-Raiders games will also be simulcast in Spanish on ESPN2.

Leading into Jets-Lions, Suzy Kolber will host a special two-hour Monday Night Countdown (5 p.m., ESPN) live from Jack London Square in downtown Oakland with Matt Hasselbeck, Randy Moss, Charles Woodson and Steve Young. Louis Riddick, who will join Kolber and Young during halftime and postgame of both games from Oakland, will also be part of Countdown, as will Adam Schefter, Chris Mortensen and Matthew Berry from ESPN’s Bristol, Conn., studios. This marks the first time Countdown is opening the season from the late game in the doubleheader.

Show Highlights:   Time (ET) Show

• 2:30 p.m. NFL Primetime
• 3:30 p.m. NFL Live
• 5 p.m. Monday Night Countdown Served by Applebee’s
• 6:55 p.m. GMC Monday Night Kickoff
• 7:10 p.m. MNF: New York Jets vs. Detroit Lions
• 10:15 p.m. MNF: Los Angeles Rams vs. Oakland Raiders
• 1:30 am. SportsCenter
• 3 a.m. NFL PrimeTime (re-air)