Football is back. Week 1 of the NFL season is underway, and so far, the games and players have lived up to all expectations that fans pinned on them during a long offseason. With the first week of action underway, fans look forward to the final game of Week 1, the Monday Night Football game between the New York Jets and San Francisco 49ers. In this article, we will explain how you can watch that game.
When and where is the Jets vs. 49ers?
The 49ers, fresh off a loss in Super Bowl LVIII, will play their first game of the 2024 season under the lights of a prime-time game. They will host Monday Night Football at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California. The game against the Jets on Monday, Sept. 9, will be at 8:20 p.m. ET.
How to watch Monday Night Football
There are four different ways to watch Monday Night Football on ESPN. The traditional broadcast with Troy Aikman and Joe Buck calling the game will be on ESPN, ESPN+, and ABC. Meanwhile, the beloved ManningCast, featuring Peyton and Eli Manning, will be back on ESPN2.
The ManningCast is a fun and innovative broadcast where the former quarterbacks call the game but not in a traditional fashion. Expert insight and plenty of jokes and funny stories will be on the slate for the broadcast on ESPN2. Former New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick will also be joining the brothers as a featured guest this season. The newly formed trio will be dynamic on the call, and Belichick's presence should lead to plenty of more funny stories and hilarious banter. Additional guests will also appear on the ManningCast.
Date: Monday, Sept. 9 | Time: 8:20 p.m. ET
Location: Levi's Stadium — Santa Clara, California
TV channel: ESPN | Live stream: fuboTV (click for a free trial)
Jets storylines
Last season, the Jets were expected to be Super Bowl contenders because of the acquisition of Aaron Rodgers. That went out the door when Rodgers suffered a season-ending injury only four plays into his stint with the new team. Even so, the Jets still won seven games, and now Rodgers is back to health.
The long-time Green Bay Packers quarterback will now try to get the Jets back in the postseason for the first time since the 2010 season. Rodgers has plenty of talent around him, and they have the potential to make a deep postseason run. Garrett Wilson is one of the best receivers in football, and Mike Williams will likely see action on Monday, albeit in a limited fashion. One of Rodgers' favorite targets from his days with the Packers, Allen Lazard, is even playing for the Jets. The trio makes for one of the better receiving corps in the NFL.
Breece Hall might be the best player of the bunch on offense, though. We ranked the running back as one of the 50 best players in the NFL. The Iowa State product is excellent both on the ground and in the passing game. He hauled in 76 receptions last year, and that number might increase with Rodgers throwing him the ball.
Of course, the state of the quarterback is the biggest question mark in New York. Rodgers is a future Hall of Famer, but he is 40 years old and coming off of arguably the worst injury in sports: an Achilles tear. Regression might be inevitable for the signal-caller, but we've also never not seen Rodgers perform at an elite level. The game against the 49ers will be a big test for Rodgers, and the entire football world will be watching to see if Rodgers still has it.
49ers storylines
While the Jets had desires to reach the Super Bowl last year, the 49ers actually did reach the championship game, but they lost the big one for the second time in five years. Both times, the 49ers fell victim to the dynasty that is the Kansas City Chiefs. San Francisco certainly has the talent to win it all this season, though.
Their roster is stacked on both sides of the ball. Nick Bosa and Fred Warner are megastars on defense, and Brock Purdy has more weapons on offense than any other quarterback in the NFL. Christian McCaffrey is the best running back in the league, and Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk form one of the best receivers duos in the sport. George Kittle and Trent Williams are both even among the best players in the NFL at their respective positions.
Aiyuk was a training camp/preseason holdout for the 49ers, but they were able to lock him up to a new contract. The team will be glad to have him back, as he provides the team with more of a deep threat.
Despite all of that talent, this core of 49ers players hasn't been able to break through and win the Super Bowl, and after all, history only tends to remember the champions. Will this be the year that the 49ers finally take that next step, or will they go down in history as one of the best cores to never win the big one? Regardless, the 49ers season starts with a highly-anticipated clash against the Jets, so make sure to tune into the Monday Night Football game.
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