Courtesy: ESPN
ESPN has announced the broadcast schedule for the opening week of the National Football League’s 2017 – ’18 season.
The network will open Week 1 with Samantha Ponder and Rex Ryan making their debut appearances on Sunday NFL Countdown Sept. 10. The three-hour program will air at 10 a.m. ET on ESPN and will also feature appearances by analysts Matt Hasselbeck, Randy Moss and Charles Taylor. Also expected to appear for the broadcast will be ESPN Insiders Chris Mortensen, Louis Riddick, Adam Schefter and senior fantasy sports analyst Matthew Berry.
Sal Paolantonio will have all of the latest pre-game reports on the Eagles-Redskins matchup while Diana Russini is scheduled to report on the Raiders – Titans showdown. ESPN Radio will carry the prior game live Sunday at noon as part of a double header schedule that also includes a live broadcast of the Colts and Rams at 4 p.m.
Jeff Darlington and Dan Graziano will report on matchups between the Jags and Texans and the Steelers and Browns respectively.
Josina Anderson will be on site for the Seahawks and Packers while Jim Trotter will have all of the latest pre-game headlines from the site of the Giants – Cowboys matchup. Graziano’s appearance and that of Russini will be debut appearances for each reporter on Sunday NFL Countdown.
Monday Night Football rounds out ESPN’s Week 1 NFL coverage with a special double header schedule on Sept. 11. The first game on the night will see the Vikings playing host to the Saints in Minneapolis while Denver will host San Diego in the night’s second game.
Sean McDonough will have the call for the night’s lead-off game and will be joined in the booth by Jon Gruden for more commentary. Lisa Salters will be on the sidelines with all of the latest news and interviews throughout the game.
Beth Mowins will make her MNF debut as she calls the night’s second game, which is set to start at 10:15 p.m. ET. She will be joined by Ryan for additional commentary. ESPN Deportes’ Sergio Dipp will be on the sidelines for all of the game’s latest news and interviews.
ESPN2 will carry a Spanish simulcast of MNF while both games will be streamed online via the ESPN app.
Before Monday night’s first kickoff, Suzy Kolber will host a two-hour edition of Monday Night Countdown beginning at 5 p.m. ET. She will be joined by Matt Hasselbeck, Randy Moss, Charles Woodson and Steve Young live from US Bank Stadium for additional commentary.
ESPN NFL Insiders Chris Mortensen, Adam Schefter and Louis Riddick will join them live from ESPN’s studios in Bristol, CT. Features reporter Michelle Beisner-Buck will be in Denver and will present a profile on former Chargers Public Relations Director Bill Johnston.
Johnson made the difficult decision during the offseason to vacate his position with the team so that he could stay in San Diego as his wife battles Huntington’s Disease, which she has battled since 1999. According to the Mayo Clinic, Huntington’s Disease is a genetic disease that causes brain cells to degenerate over time, causing problems with the patient’s “functional abilities” and “usually results in movement, thinking and psychiatric disorders.”
Along with all of its coverage on television and radio, ESPN Magazine’s brand new 2017 NFL Preview Issue, due to hit newsstands Sept. 8 will have projections for every team in the league. Fantasy Football Now will have up-to-the-minute reports from every game Sunday, too.
More information on ESPN’s Week 1 NFL coverage is available online along with all of the latest NFL headlines at:
Website: http://www.espn.com/nfl
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/NFLonESPN
Twitter: http://twitter.com/ESPNNFL
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