Jon Gruden's Coaching Return and NFL in Mexico City Highlight ESPN's 2018 'Monday Night Football' Schedule

The 49th season of MONDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL will kick off on ESPN with a doubleheader Monday, September 10 - New York Jets at Detroit Lions (7:10 p.m. ET) and Los Angeles Rams at Oakland Raiders (10:15 p.m. / 7:15 p.m. PT). ESPN's 17-game prime time schedule in 2018 will feature 11 of the 12 playoff teams from 2017, including both the defending SUPER BOWL champion Philadelphia Eagles and AFC champion New England Patriots.

In the MNF opener, the New York Jets face Matthew Stafford and the Detroit Lions at Ford Field. First-year head coach Matt Patricia, formerly the Patriots defensive coordinator, will make his head coaching debut for the Lions, who last opened the NFL season at home on MNF in 2014 (vs. Giants).

In the late game, Jared Goff and the AFC West champion Los Angeles Rams face Derek Carr and the Oakland Raiders in Jon Gruden's first game as head coach for the Silver and Black. Gruden is returning to the NFL sidelines in 2018 after spending the past nine seasons as ESPN's MONDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL analyst. This will be the first MNF game in Oakland since the opening week of the 2012 NFL season.

Beginning in week 2, MNF games will kick off at 8:15 p.m. ET. Suzy Kolber will host the MONDAY NIGHT COUNTDOWN pregame show throughout the season (6 p.m.), as well as halftime and post-game SPORTSCENTER coverage, from the MNF stadium. ESPN's new MNF broadcast team will be announced in the coming weeks.

All MNF games will be streamed live on all devices, including mobile phones, via the ESPN App. Note: fans must receive ESPN's networks as part of their video subscription from an affiliated provider.

ESPN Deportes, ESPN's 24-hour Spanish-language domestic sports network, will again offer a Spanish-language production of MNF games in 2018. The ESPN DEPORTES production will be simulcast again on ESPN2 this fall during the first nine weeks (through Nov. 5).

The week-by-week 2018 MNF schedule:

September: Gruden's Return to the Raiders, Wilson in the Windy City, and Big Ben against the Bucs

· Sept. 10: Season-opening doubleheader - New York Jets at Detroit Lions, led by quarterback Matthew Stafford, followed by the Los Angeles Rams at Oakland Raiders.

· Sept. 17: Russell Wilson and the Seattle Seahawks travel to Chicago to face Mitchell Trubisky and the Bears.

· Sept. 24: Ben Roethlisberger and the AFC North champion Pittsburgh Steelers face Jameis Winston and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa.

October: Mahomes at Mile High, Jimmy G vs. Aaron Rodgers at Lambeau, MNF returns to Buffalo as Brady battles the Bills

· Oct. 1: Patrick Mahomes and the AFC West champion Kansas City Chiefs visit Case Keenum and the Denver Broncos in a key division rivalry game. The Broncos extend the NFL's longest current streak, appearing on MNF for the 27th consecutive season (1992-present).

· Oct. 8: Alex Smith and the Washington Redskins face Drew Brees and the Saints at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans.

· Oct. 15: Jimmy Garoppolo makes his MNF debut as the San Francisco 49ers face Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers at historic Lambeau Field during the Packers' 100th season of football.

· Oct. 22: Eli Manning and the New York Giants travel south to ATLANTA to play Matt Ryan and the Falcons.

· Oct. 29: Tom Brady leads the AFC champion New England Patriots into Buffalo to face the AFC East rival Bills in the first MNF game in Western New York since November 2008.

November: Mariota Meets Dak in Dallas and Deshaun in Houston, MNF in Mexico City

· Nov. 5: Marcus Mariota and the Tennessee Titans, coming off their first playoff appearance since 2008, travel to Arlington, Texas, to face the Dallas Cowboys led by Dak Prescott and Ezekiel Elliott.

· Nov. 12: Manning and the Giants make their second MNF appearance of the season vs. Garoppolo and the San Francisco 49ers at Levi's Stadium as a classic NFC rivalry is renewed.

· Nov. 19: MNF returns to Mexico City for the second time in three years with Chiefs vs. Rams in a battle of 2017 NFL playoff teams at Estadio Azteca. Star cornerback Marcus Peters, now with LA, faces his former Chiefs team after being traded this offseason.

· Nov. 26: In a matchup of top young quarterbacks, Mariota and the Titans battle Deshaun Watson and the Houston Texans in a pivotal AFC South game.

December: SUPER BOWL champion Eagles vs. Redskins, Cousins vs. Wilson in Seattle, Broncos-Raiders 18th MNF meeting on Christmas Eve

· Dec. 3: Smith and the Redskins open December in Philadelphia against Carson Wentz and the SUPER BOWL champion Eagles in an important NFC East rivalry game.

· Dec. 10: Kirk Cousins and the NFC North champion Minnesota Vikings, who advanced to the NFC Championship game last season, travel to Seattle to face Wilson and the Seahawks in a game that could have playoff implications.

· Dec. 17: Brees and the Saints visit Cam Newton and the NFC South rival Carolina Panthers down the stretch. Both teams are coming off identical 11-5 records and a close matchup in last season's NFC Wild Card round.

· Dec. 24: On Christmas Eve, ESPN's MNF regular-season finale will feature its most popular rivalry game as Derek Carr and the Raiders host Von Miller and the Denver Broncos - an NFL-record 18th meeting between the AFC West foes on Monday Night.

ESPN's 2018 MONDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL Schedule

Preseason
Date Time (ET) Teams
Aug. 16 8 p.m. New York Jets at Washington Redskins
Aug. 20 8 p.m. Baltimore Ravens at Indianapolis Colts

Regular Season
Sept. 10 7:10 p.m. New York Jets at Detroit Lions 10:15 p.m. Los Angeles Rams at Oakland Raiders
Sept. 17 8:15 p.m. Seattle Seahawks at Chicago Bears
Sept. 24 8:15 p.m. Pittsburgh Steelers at Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Oct. 1 8:15 p.m. Kansas City Chiefs at Denver Broncos
Oct. 8 8:15 p.m. Washington Redskins at New Orleans Saints
Oct. 15 8:15 p.m. San Francisco 49ers at Green Bay Packers
Oct. 22 8:15 p.m. New York Giants at ATLANTA Falcons
Oct. 29 8:15 p.m. New England Patriots at Buffalo Bills
Nov. 5 8:15 p.m. Tennessee Titans at Dallas Cowboys
Nov. 12 8:15 p.m. New York Giants at San Francisco 49ers
Nov. 19 8:15 p.m. Kansas City Chiefs vs. Los Angeles Rams (Mexico City)
Nov. 26 8:15 p.m. Tennessee Titans at Houston Texans
Dec. 3 8:15 p.m. Washington Redskins at Philadelphia Eagles
Dec. 10 8:15 p.m. Minnesota VIKINGS at Seattle Seahawks
Dec. 17 8:15 p.m. New Orleans Saints at Carolina Panthers
Dec. 24 8:15 p.m. Denver Broncos at Oakland Raiders
Jan. 5-6 TBD NFL Wild Card Playoff Game

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