NFL fans will be treated to a Super Bowl 55 rematch on “Monday Night Football” in Week 9.
The Kansas City Chiefs will be playing the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for just the second time since Tom Brady and Co. crushed them 31-9 in the big game.
Of course, the Buccaneers are no longer led by Brady, who is now a color commentator for Fox’s NFL coverage. Baker Mayfield is in charge of their offense and hopes to lead the team to the postseason for a third consecutive year under Todd Bowles’ leadership.
Meanwhile, the Chiefs are the NFL’s last remaining undefeated team despite numerous offensive injuries. Rashee Rice, Hollywood Brown, and Isiah Pacheco remain out, but Andy Reid’s squad has found a way to keep winning as it pursues an unprecedented Super Bowl three-peat.
Here’s what to know for tonight’s “Monday Night Football” game:
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The Chiefs (7-0) are playing host to the Buccaneers (4-4) on “Monday Night Football” in Week 9.
The Chiefs are standing as the NFL’s lone remaining unbeaten team, but they haven’t been quite as sharp offensively as fans are accustomed to.
Patrick Mahomes is on pace for the best completion percentage of his career (68.4 percent) but is also on track for a career-high in interceptions. He entered Week 9 tied for the league lead in interceptions with nine in just seven games. He hasn’t yet had a game without an interception, so he will be looking to avoid mistakes against a porous Buccaneers defense.
Kansas City’s receivers have a good matchup against a Tampa Bay secondary, allowing 255.4 passing yards per game, the fourth-most in the NFL. Travis Kelce has rebounded from a slow start to the season and should continue to be Mahomes’ No. 1 weapon, while DeAndre Hopkins will look to improve upon his two-catch, 29-yard debut with the Chiefs.
As usual, the Chiefs will rely on Steve Spagnuolo’s defense, which ranks fifth in the league in terms of points and yards allowed this season.
The Buccaneers are no cakewalk for the Chiefs defense, as Tampa Bay ranks fourth in scoring (29.4 points per game) and yards (389.5 per game) in the NFL. Baker Mayfield is to thank for a lot of that, but the Buccaneers will be undermanned offensively without Chris Godwin (ankle) and Mike Evans (hamstring) available for the game.
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That means Mayfield will continue to rely on tight end Cade Otton as his No. 1 target. Otherwise, he will spread the ball around and rely on his team’s backfield-by-committee approach to keep the offense moving.
The Buccaneers must win to avoid falling too far behind in the NFC South race. They entered Week 9 a game back of the Falcons in the standings, but their deficit is more akin to a two-game deficit since Atlanta swept the season series against them.
There is only one “Monday Night Football” game in Week 9, which will begin at the same time as usual: 8:15 p.m. ET.
ESPN’s Joe Buck (play-by-play) and Troy Aikman (color commentary) will be on the call for the game. Lisa Salters returned to her sideline reporter role in Week 8 after a brief absence, and she is also expected to be in action for Week 9.
Pre and post-game analysis for “Monday Night Football” will occur in the ESPN studio with analysts Adam Schefter, Alex Smith, Larry Fitzgerald, Ryan Clark, Marcus Spears, and Jason Kelce.
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ESPN and ABC will carry “Monday Night Football” broadcasts throughout the 2024 season.
Fans who prefer to stream football games can watch “MNF” with an ESPN+ subscription or with Fubo, which offers a seven-day free trial.
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