NFL schedule leaks: Lions host Jets on MNF in Week 1
By Conor Dorney
NFL schedules for the 2018 season are beginning to leak and one report speculates on what could be the year’s first game on Monday Night Football.
While NFL fans have already known for quite some time which teams their favorite clubs will play in 2018, today is the day we all find out the exact times and dates to put them in our calendars.
One game that always comes with intrigue is the league’s first Monday Night Football matchup and, according to Brian Costello of the New York Post, that game will feature the Detroit Lions hosting the New York Jets.
The game will reportedly take place on Sept. 10 and marks the first time that Gang Green has played on MNF since a 41-10 loss at the hands of the Indianapolis Colts near the end of the 2016 season. The Lions, meanwhile, last played on MNF in Week 9 of 2017, beating Green Bay by a score of 30-17. Detroit currently leads the all-time series between the two teams 7-6, with the last matchup being a 24-17 Lions victory at MetLife in 2014.
Though certainly not the sexiest of matchups, the Jets-Lions opener will still have plenty of storylines. The Lions have a new head coach in former Patriots defensive coordinator Matt Patricia, and the Jets could very well be debuting their new franchise quarterback by way of next week’s NFL Draft, where they hold the third-overall selection.
Next: Every NFL Team's Best Draft Pick Of All-Time
In addition to personnel changes on the field, Monday Night Football will be rolling out a brand new broadcast crew after the departures of Sean McDonough and Jon Gruden, though their replacements have yet to be announced.