‘Monday Night Football’ double header open thread: Saints at Vikings; Chargers at Broncos

One of the neater, newer NFL traditions is opening the season with a double-header on “Monday Night Football.” I don’t quite understand why they do, and I’m also not sure why I like it, but I do.

The night’s festivities kick off with a game relevant to Detroit Lions fans’ interests. The Minnesota Vikings host the New Orleans Saints for a 7:10 p.m. ET kickoff.

The Vikings are trying to rebound from a disappointing 8-8 season marred with injuries and close losses. The Saint, likewise, are hoping to turn their fortunes around after finishing with a 7-9 record in four of the last five seasons.

Obviously, it would be best to see the Vikings, a fellow NFC North team, take the L tonight, but the Saints could certainly be in playoff contention this year.

The second half of the doubleheader involves the Los Angeles Chargers and the Denver Broncos. While the game has no bearing on the Lions in any real way, it should be an entertaining matchup between two competitive AFC teams. Even if you aren’t interested in the game, it should be interesting to listen to the announcing duo of Rex Ryan and Beth Mowins.

Here is the gameday information for both games:

Saints at Vikings:

Location: U.S. Bank Stadium—Minneapolis, MN
Date: Monday, September 11, 2017
Time: 7:10 p.m. ET
TV: ESPN
Online streaming: WatchESPN
Announcers: Sean McDonough, Jon Gruden, Lisa Salters

Chargers at Broncos

Location: Sports Authority Field—Denver, CC
Date: Monday, September 11, 2017
Time: 10:20 p.m. ET
TV: ESPN
Online streaming: WatchESPN
Announcers: Rex Ryan, Beth Mowins