Monday Night Football: Eagles Host Bears

Michael Vick and the Philadelphia Eagles will host Jay Cutler and the Chicago Bears in a marquee NFC matchup on ESPN’s Monday Night Football November 7, at 8:30 p.m. ET. A year ago in one of the most impressive individual performances in MNF history, Vick threw four passes for touchdowns and ran in two more in the Eagles’ 59-28 rout of the Redskins. Monday’s game marks the 50th MNF appearance for the Eagles franchise.

Mike Tirico will call the game with analysts Jon Gruden and Ron Jaworski and sideline reporter Suzy Kolber. At 7 p.m., Chris Berman hosts a 90-minute Monday Night Countdown with analysts Cris Carter, Mike Ditka, Tom Jackson, Keyshawn Johnson, and NFL Insiders Chris Mortensen and Adam Schefter. Host Stuart Scott, analysts Trent Dilfer, Steve Young, contributor Rick Reilly and reporter Rachel Nichols will join the show from Philadelphia.

ESPN’s 2011 Monday Night Football Schedule

The 42nd season of Monday Night Football will kick off on ESPN with a doubleheader Monday, September 12 – New England Patriots at Miami Dolphins (1 a.m. CET) and Oakland Raiders at Denver Broncos (4:15 a.m. CET) – and will continue with a total of 17 prime-time games. Following a successful season that delivered the 16 biggest cable household audiences of the year, ESPN’s MNF schedule will feature all 12 playoff teams from 2010, including both the defending Super Bowl champion Green Bay Packers and AFC champion Pittsburgh Steelers.

In the first game of the nationally televised ESPN week 1 doubleheader, wide receiver Brandon Marshall and the Dolphins will host divisional foe Tom Brady and the defending AFC East champion Patriots. The second game will pit Tim Tebow and the Broncos against the Raiders in Denver as the longtime AFC West rivals face one another for an NFL record 15th time under the Monday Night lights.

Play-by-play commentator Mike Tirico and analysts Jon Gruden and Ron Jaworski will call the Patriots-Dolphins opener, and the MNF games each week at 8:30 p.m. ESPN Deportes, ESPN’s 24-hour Spanish-language domestic sports network, will continue to offer a Spanish-language production of MNF games during the 2011 NFL season. Additional MNF “game around the game” content will be available throughout the day across ESPN’s multimedia platforms.

ESPN’s MNF Schedule Highlights:

• Appearances by both Super Bowl teams – Green Bay Packers vs. Minnesota Vikings (11/14); and Pittsburgh Steelers at San Francisco 49ers (12/19);
• Nine of 17 MNF games involve divisional matchups, including Redskins at Cowboys (9/26), Vikings at Packers (11/14), Falcons at Saints (12/26);
• Nine NFL teams with multiple MNF appearances

Redskins-Cowboys renew their rivalry in September:

• Sept. 12: Season-opening doubleheader – Patriots at Dolphins and Raiders at Broncos. Denver continues NFL’s longest current streak of 20 consecutive seasons playing on MNF (1992-present);
• Sept. 19: Second-year quarterback Sam Bradford and the St. Louis Rams face Eli Manning and the New York Giants;
• Sept. 26: A classic NFC East matchup featuring Tony Romo and the Dallas Cowboys hosting the Washington Redskins, the teams’ 14th meeting all-time on MNF.

MNF returns to Motown and Halloween night in Kansas City:

• Oct. 3: Peyton Manning and the AFC South champion Indianapolis Colts travel to Tampa to face Josh Freeman and the Buccaneers. ESPN’s Gruden will call his first MNF game at the stadium he once called home as the Bucs’ coach;
• Oct. 10: Jay Cutler and the defending NFC North champion Chicago Bears play Matthew Stafford and the upstart Lions as Detroit returns to MNF for first time in a decade (since Oct. 8, 2001).
• Oct. 17: The Dolphins travel North for a divisional matchup to face Mark Sanchez and the New York Jets, who advanced to the AFC Championship game last season;
• Oct. 24: Ray Lewis and the Baltimore Ravens go head-to-head against Maurice Jones-Drew and the Jacksonville Jaguars.
• Oct. 31: Matt Cassel and the AFC West champion Chiefs host Phillip Rivers and the San Diego Chargers on Halloween night in Kansas City;

Quarterback spotlight in November with Cutler, Vick, Rodgers, Brady and Brees on MNF:

• Nov. 7: In a big city NFC brawl on Broad Street, Jay Cutler and the Bears play Michael Vick and the defending NFC East champion Philadelphia Eagles;
• Nov. 14: Super Bowl MVP Aaron Rodgers and the champion Green Bay Packers host Adrian Peterson and the Minnesota Vikings at Lambeau Field in a key NFC North clash;
• Nov. 21: AFC contenders meet when Cassel, the former Patriots back-up, returns with the Chiefs to New England to play Brady and the Pats;
• Nov. 28: It’s a homecoming for Eli Manning when the Giants go marching into New Orleans to face Drew Brees and the Saints.

Falcons-Saints finale to again decide NFC South?:

• Dec. 5: The Chargers travel to Jacksonville to play Jones-Drew and the Jaguars;
• Dec. 12: In a rematch of the week 17 game in 2010 that decided the NFC West, the Rams face the Seattle Seahawks at Qwest Field;
• Dec. 19: Ben Roethlisberger and the defending AFC champion Pittsburgh Steelers face the San Francisco 49ers in a matchup of tradition-rich NFL franchises;
• Dec. 26: With hopes of recapturing the division from their NFC South rivals, Brees and the Saints host Matt Ryan and the Atlanta Falcons in the MNF season finale.
  

ESPN's 2011 Monday Night Football Schedule

Preseason
Date	Time (CET)	Teams
Aug. 11	2 a.m.	Seattle Seahawks at San Diego Chargers
Aug. 15	2 a.m.	New York Jets at Houston Texans
Aug. 22	2 a.m.	Chicago Bears at New York Giants
Aug. 25	2 a.m.	Washington Redskins at Baltimore Ravens
Regular Season
Sept. 12	1 a.m.	New England Patriots at Miami Dolphins
	4:15 a.m.	Oakland Raiders at Denver Broncos
Sept. 19	2:30 a.m.	St. Louis Rams at New York Giants
Sept. 26	2:30 a.m.	Washington Redskins at Dallas Cowboys
Oct. 3	2:30 a.m.	Indianapolis Colts at Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Oct. 10	2:30 a.m..	Chicago Bears at Detroit Lions
Oct. 17	2:30 a.m.	Miami Dolphins at New York Jets
Oct. 24	2:30 a.m.	Baltimore Ravens at Jacksonville Jaguars
Oct. 31	2:30 a.m.	San Diego Chargers at Kansas City Chiefs
Nov. 7	2:30 a.m.	Chicago Bears at Philadelphia Eagles
Nov. 14	2:30 a.m..	Minnesota Vikings at Green Bay Packers
Nov. 21	2:30 a.m.	Kansas City Chiefs at New England Patriots
Nov. 28	2:30 a.m.	New York Giants at New Orleans Saints
Dec. 5	2:30 a.m..	San Diego Chargers at Jacksonville Jaguars
Dec. 12	2:30 a.m.	St. Louis Rams at Seattle Seahawks
Dec. 19	2:30 a.m.	Pittsburgh Steelers at San Francisco 49ers
Dec. 26	2:30 a.m.	Atlanta Falcons at New Orleans Saints

Monday Night Football: Jets at Patriots

In one of the marquee matchups of the entire NFL schedule, Tom Brady and the New England Patriots (9-2) will host Mark Sanchez and the New York Jets (9-2) in a battle of the AFC’s top teams on Monday Night Football on Dec. 6 at 8:30 p.m. ET on ESPN America, ESPN and ESPN HD. The winner of this critical game will take the lead in the AFC East with just a month left in the regular-season. Mike Tirico and analysts Jon Gruden and Ron Jaworski will call the game, and Michele Tafoya and Suzy Kolber will provide updates on the teams from Gillette Stadium.

Monday’s telecast will begin with a Frank Gifford vignette highlighting then-Jets head coach Bill Parcells’ return to Foxboro Stadium Oct. 19, 1998, to face his former Patriots team for the first time on Monday night. Dubbed Tuna Bowl III, the Jets beat their AFC East rivals 24-14 and Parcells went on to lead New York to its first division title since the AFL-NFL merger in 1970.

Monday’s game marks just the fourth time two teams with 9-2 records or better are playing each other on MNF, and the first time since 1990. All three previous occasions featured the San Francisco 49ers under quarterback Joe Montana: Bears (10-2) vs. 49ers (10-2), 1987; Giants (9-2) vs. 49ers (9-2), 1989; and Giants (10-1) vs. 49ers (10-1), 1990.

Additionally, ESPN NFL analyst and former All-Pro Patriots linebacker Tedy Bruschi will be honored by his former team at halftime.  Bruschi’s 189 regular-season games played are the most by a Patriots linebacker.  He retired in 2009 after being part of nine postseason appearances, eight division titles, five conference championships, and three Super Bowl titles.

ESPN’s “game around the game” will begin with ESPN Radio/ESPN2’s Mike and Mike in the Morning live from Showcase Live at Patriot Place at 6 a.m.  Studio coverage will begin at noon on SportsCenter, followed by NFL Live at 3:30 p.m. and NFL PrimeTime at 4 p.m.  The 90-minute Monday Night Countdown pregame will begin at 7 p.m. with host Chris Berman and analysts Cris Carter, Mike Ditka, Tom Jackson, Keyshawn Johnson, Chris Mortensen, and NFL Insider Adam Schefter. Stuart Scott and analysts Matt Millen and Steve Young will contribute from the stadium.

Monday Night Football: Tennessee Titans at Jacksonville Jaguars

Vince Young and the Tennessee Titans will face Maurice Jones-Drew and the Jacksonville Jaguars in a key AFC South division matchup on ESPN’s Monday Night Football Oct. 18 at 8:30 p.m. ET on ESPN and ESPN HD. Mike Tirico and analysts Jon Gruden and Ron Jaworski will call the game, and Michele Tafoya and Suzy Kolber will provide updates throughout the day from EverBank Field.

Monday’s telecast will begin with a Frank Gifford vignette highlighting the last time the Titans and Jaguars met on Monday night, when Steve McNair and Eddie George led Tennessee to a 27-13 victory in the franchise’s MNF debut in 2000.

ESPN’s “game around the game” studio coverage will begin at noon on SportsCenter, followed by NFL Live (3:30 p.m.) and NFL PrimeTime (4 p.m.). The 90-minute Monday Night Countdown pregame will begin at 7 p.m. with host Chris Berman and analysts Cris Carter, Mike Ditka, Tom Jackson, Keyshawn Johnson, Chris Mortensen, and NFL Insider Adam Schefter. Stuart Scott and analysts Matt Millen and Steve Young will contribute from the stadium.