This Week’s Monday Night Football brings double the fun! Unlike the first two weeks, Week 3 features a doubleheader with two games running simultaneously and marks the first of four weeks following the trend. Jacksonville Jaguars will start off the night against the Buffalo Bills, while the Washington Commanders will lock horns against the Cincinnati Bengals a while later.
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This twist in the schedule originated from a deal between the NFL and ESPN back in 2021. The sports media firm and ABC signed an agreement with the league to broadcast more games. As a result, additional games were added to the NFL schedule, giving us two Monday night matchups. The 2024 season marks the third year of this new format.
Week 3 will witness the Jaguars trying to better their 0-2 record by fighting it out against the Bills. The Bisons, led by Josh Allen, are on a tirade this season having delivered crushing defeats to the Cardinals and Dolphins in the first two weeks. The game will air on ESPN at 7:30 pm ET.
Shortly after, Jayden Daniels will face Joe Burrow in the Commanders vs. Bengals matchup, set to commence at 8:15 pm ET on ABC and ESPN+. Washington is coming off a 21-18 win over the Patriots, while Cincinnati has yet to clinch their first win this season.
With the doubleheaders starting off this Monday, here is the list of matchups yet to come.
Week 4: Tennessee Titans vs. Miami Dolphins & Seattle Seahawks vs Detroit Lions
The Titans are struggling to cement a win this season, suffering an embarrassing 14-30 defeat at the hands of the Packers this Sunday. QB Will Levis faced the heat after 2 interceptions and hopes to make a comeback against Miami who have a score of 1-1. The matchup will take place on Sep 30.
The second game will feature the Seahawks, currently strong at 2-0, facing the Lions, who are 2-1 with one loss to Tampa Bay.
Week 7: Baltimore Ravens vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers & Los Angeles Chargers vs. Arizona Cardinals
The Ravens will attempt to establish their foothold in the league with only one win so far on Oct 21. Tampa Bay has a better record of 2-1 having suffered a loss against the Broncos in Week 3, but the offense needs more dimensionality if they hope to take on Baltimore.
The Chargers will also try to establish dominance after their first loss against the Steelers while going up against the Cardinals.
Week 15: Chicago Bears vs. Minnesota Vikings & Atlanta Falcons vs. Las Vegas Raiders
On Dec 15, this draft’s No. 1 pick, Caleb Williams, will face off against Sam Darnold of the Vikings, who have been going strong with a perfect record so far. The other game that day will feature the Falcons and Raiders battling to improve their chances of making it to the AFC.
While certainly out of the norm, the NFL doubleheader twist is certainly bringing a frenzy of excitement to Monday Night Football!
