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Who plays on Monday Night Football? Games, start times for week 7

Vaseline October 22, 2024

The “Monday Night Football” doubleheader returns to ESPN and its network family in Week 7.

The league and its “MNF” broadcast partner, ESPN, are hoping for a repeat of the action from Week 6’s massive AFC East clash between the Buffalo Bills and the New York Jets.

ABC and ESPN will again show two NFL games on Monday evening. A significant portion of each match will overlap, so fans may have to choose whether to watch one match or use multiple screens to see all four teams in action.

The fights should be interesting. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Baltimore Ravens face off in the early game, both teams are 4-2 and looking to stake their claim at the top in their respective divisions. In the later kickoff between the Arizona Cardinals and the Los Angeles Chargers, two sides will be eager to prove that they are play-off candidates in 2024.

Here’s everything you need to know about the two ‘MNF’ matchups in Week 7.

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Who’s playing on Monday Night Football tonight?

There are two games on “Monday Night Football” in Week 7. They are as follows:

Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. Baltimore Ravens

Location: Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, FL

The Buccaneers (4-2) host the Ravens (4-2) to kick off ESPN’s “Monday Night Football” doubleheader. Both teams are off to a strong start in 2024 and will look to continue that momentum.

Tampa Bay enters Week 7 on the heels of an emotional and dominant 51-27 win over the New Orleans Saints. This will be the Buccaneers’ first home game since Hurricane Milton left a trail of destruction across the area and the state of Florida on October 9.

Tampa Bay will look to carry the momentum from the win over the Saints, where they posted a franchise-record 594 yards of total offense.

Meanwhile, the Ravens also enter the primetime battle with an impressive victory. Baltimore defeated the Washington Commanders 30-23. The Ravens have outscored their opponents 1,232 yards to 354 yards. A big reason for their success on the ground is the addition of running back Derrick Henry.

Before Week 7 started, “King Henry” had a league-high eight rushing touchdowns and 704 rushing yards. His teammate, Lamar Jackson, is aiming for a third MVP award early. Jackson has led Baltimore to four straight wins and has been tremendous. He leads the league with eight touchdown passes and rushing yards by a quarterback with 236 yards during the winning streak. Baltimore ranks second in EPA per play and success rate per snap.

Tampa ranks 10th in offensive DVOA and 13th in defensive DVOA. Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield is seventh in EPA per dropback and has used his elite receiving weapons, Mike Evans and Chris Godwin.

Arizona Cardinals vs. Los Angeles Chargers

Location: State Farm Stadium, Glendale, AZ

The Cardinals (2-4) and Chargers (3-2) will face off in a battle between two teams in the West in search of their identity. Los Angeles is off to a solid start under head coach Jim Harbaugh, allowing the sixth-fewest yards per game (289.2) while fielding a top-10 rushing offense.

The Chargers and the entire football community became concerned about Harbaugh last Sunday when he suddenly left the field in the first quarter against the Broncos. It was later learned that Harbaugh’s heart condition was the cause of his brief departure from the field.

Los Angeles is led on the field by Justin Herbert. The 26-year-old signal caller is in his fifth NFL season and is returning to form after an ankle sprain suffered early in the season. The Chargers’ defense has allowed a career-low 4.2 points in the first half of this season.

On the other side is a hungry Cardinals team desperate to get back into the win column. Arizona comes into “MNF” coming off an ugly 34-13 loss to the Green Bay Packers. After scoring 69 points through the first two weeks of the season, the Cardinals’ offense has sputtered and has managed just 64 points in the previous four games.

Star rookie wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. suffered a concussion in week 6 and his absence was clearly felt for the rest of the game. Arizona faces a tough task against the Chargers’ defense, which ranks second in EPA per play allowed and third in defensive DVOA before Week 7 got underway.

The Chargers are moving the ball at the third-fastest rate in the league. This important match on the ground will be one to watch.

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What time is the NFL game tonight?

ESPN is moving up the start time of its “Monday Night Football” games. The games will overlap significantly, but they will not start at the same time.

These are the start times for each game:

Buccaneers vs. Ravens: 8:15 PM ET
Cardinals vs. Chargers: 9:00 PM ET

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Which channel is Monday Night Football on tonight?

Only one game will air on two Disney channels Monday night. In other Monday night doubleheaders, one game will air on ABC and the other on ESPN.

The main Monday night game between the Ravens and Buccaneers will air on both networks. The Cardinals and Chargers stream exclusively on ESPN+.

Buccaneers vs. Ravens

TV channel: ABC, ESPN, ESPN Deportes, ESPN2 (“ManningCast”)

The Buccaneers and Ravens’ “Monday Night Football” matchup will air in Week 7 on ESPN. A simulcast of the match from ESPN will air on ABC for fans to watch.

ESPN’s “ManningCast” will be available to watch again in Week 7. Eli and Peyton Manning will broadcast the games from the comfort of their home on ESPN2, allowing viewers to watch them on that network if they wish.

Cardinals vs. Chargers

Cable TV: N/A
Streaming: ESPN+

The Cardinals-Chargers game will not be broadcast on national television. The game will only be available for streaming on ESPN+. This game is the first-ever exclusive NFL game for ESPN’s streaming service.

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