Two weeks of NFL action are almost in the books, but we have a couple more games left on the slate for Week 2, which will kick off in a unique way on Monday night.
In the past, the NFL has thrown a doubleheader for “Monday Night Football” to close out Week 1 with the late game (usually at 10:15 p.m. ET) with the West Coast clubs. However, they ended last season, opting for two games in Week 18 on the final Saturday of the regular season that flexed teams still fighting for a playoff spot or a division title.
Under the new television contract between ESPN/ABC and the league, that Week 18 broadcast format will remain, but they will also bring back the annual “Monday Night Football” doubleheader in 2022, albeit with a twist.
With ESPN increasing its slate of games from 17 to 23, there will technically be three weeks in which the “Monday Night Football” brand will appear multiple times in 2022, even if it’s not specifically Monday or a true back-to-back doubleheader. .
The first set of games will be played in Week 2, when the Tennessee Titans visit the Buffalo Bills and the Philadelphia Eagles head to Minnesota to play the Vikings on September 19.
Unlike in the past, when we saw 10:00 PM ET kickoffs for Game 2, these matchups will be spread out a bit, but there will be some crossover and they will air on different networks. Titans-Bills will begin at 7:15 pm ET on ESPN and Vikings-Eagles will begin at 8:30 pm ET on ABC. Both networks are under the Walt Disney Company umbrella.
The next “doubleheader” will come in Week 8, but one of those “Monday Night Football” matchups will come Sunday morning when the Broncos take on the Jaguars in London. This game will be broadcast exclusively on ESPN+. Bengals-Browns will then close out the Week 8 slate for a real Monday night showdown.
The final doubleheader comes in that Week 18 Saturday window with playoff hopefuls.
For the complete “Monday Night Football” roster for the 2022 season, click here
