While head coaches, players and general manager rightly stress every game is important, those played on Thursday, Sunday and Monday night have a different aura to them.
The latter of those days, in particular, carries an almost unique mystique and Monday night games often tend to be a special occasion.
This year promises to be just as exciting, with an intriguing mix of Super Bowl contenders and divisional rivalries behind played in front of the ESPN cameras which, as has been the case since its inception in 1970, will broadcast Monday Night Football.
Week 1 of the NFL regular season features two Monday night games, with the New Orleans Saints hosting the Houston Texans and the Oakland Raiders welcoming the Denver Broncos in an all-AFC West affair.
The Saints will also feature on Monday Night football in Week 15, when they will host the Indianapolis Colts at the Mercedes Benz Superdome.
The second week of regular seasons sees two of the most-talked about teams in the offseason collide, as the Cleveland Browns travel to New Jersey to take on the New York Jets.
In Baker Mayfield and Sam Darnold—the first and third overall pick of the 2018 NFL draft—the two franchises possess two of the most exciting young quarterbacks in the league.
As if that wasn’t enough, the Browns have recruited superstar receiver Odell Beckham Jr., while the Jets have landed three-time Pro Bowl running back Le’Veon Bell.
For the first time in years, Cleveland goes into the season with high expectations and it will feature again on Monday Night Football in Week 5, when it travels to San Francisco to play the 49ers.
The graphic below, provided by Statista, illustrates how the salary cap in the NFL has increased over the last 16 years.
The Jets will also feature again on Monday Night Football, hosting reigning Super Bowl champions and AFC East rivals New England Patriots in Week 7.
The Washington Redskins host the Chicago Bears in Week 3, while two AFC North arch-rivals collide in Week 4 as the Pittsburgh Steelers welcome the Cincinnati Bengals.
Pittsburgh will also play at home in front of ESPN’s cameras in Week 8 against the Miami Dolphins, while the Green Bay Packers resume their NFC North rivalry against the Detroit Lions in Week 6.
One of the NFL’s most prestigious rivalries takes center stage in Week 9, as the New York Giants host the Dallas Cowboys at MetLife Stadium.
Big Blue will also feature on Monday Night Football in Week 14 against another NFC East rival, taking on the Eagles in Philadelphia.
Week 10 sees the San Francisco 49ers host the Seattle Seahawks, while two Super Bowl contenders collide the following week when the Los Angeles Chargers play the Kansas City Chiefs in Mexico City.
Speaking of Super Bowl contenders, the Los Angeles Rams welcome the Baltimore Ravens in Week 12, before the Minnesota Vikings travel to Seattle to face the Seahawks a week later.
The Vikings will also be in action in the final Monday Night Football of the season, when they host the Green Bay Packers in a NFC North showdown in Week 16.
Here’s the complete Monday Night Football schedule for the upcoming season (all times ET).
Week 1—Houston Texans @ New Orleans Saints, 7:10 p. m. , ESPNWeek 1—Denver Broncos @ Oakland Raiders, 10:20 p. m. , ESPNWeek 2—Cleveland Browns @ New York Jets, 8:15 p. m. , ESPNWeek 3—Chicago Bears @ Washington Redskins, 8:15 p. m. , ESPNWeek 4—Cincinnati Bengals @ Pittsburgh Steelers, 8:15 p. m. , ESPNWeek 5—Cleveland Browns @ San Francisco 49ers, 8:15 p. m. , ESPNWeek 6—Detroit Lions @ Green Bay Packers, 8:15 p. m. , ESPNWeek 7—New England Patriots @ New York Jets, 8:15 p. m. , ESPNWeek 8—Miami Dolphins @ Pittsburgh Steelers, 8:15 p. m. , ESPNWeek 9—Dallas Cowboys @ New York Giants, 8:15 p. m. , ESPNWeek 10—Seattle Seahawks @ San Francisco 49ers, 8:15 p. m. , ESPNWeek 11—Kansas City Chiefs @ Los Angeles Chargers, 8:15 p. m. , ESPNWeek 12—Baltimore Ravens @ Los Angeles Rams, 8:15 p. m. , ESPNWeek 13—Minnesota Vikings @ Seattle Seahawks, 8:15 p. m. , ESPNWeek 14—New York Giants @ Philadelphia Eagles, 8:15 p. m. , ESPNWeek 15—Indianapolis Colts @ New Orleans Saints, 8:15 p. m. , ESPNWeek 16—Green Bay Packers @ Minnesota Vikings, 8:15 p. m. , ESPN
