Monday Night Football 2012: Week-by-Week Matchups, Predictions, TV Info and More

Monday Night Football is one of the greatest traditions in the NFL. Every week, almost a full 24 hours after the final Sunday games have concluded, the league grants fans one more game to whet their appetite for pigskin.

Because of the marquee teams that often participate and the high stakes of fantasy football, MNF is simply must-watch programming.

Let’s take a look at each matchup during the 2012 season and make a prediction on who will win.

*All games will be broadcast on ESPN, live streamed on ESPN3.

September 10: Cincinnati Bengals at Baltimore Ravens, 7 p.m. ET

The first game in ESPN’s season-opening double-header should be an exciting one between two AFC North rivals.

Cincinnati was unable to get a win against Baltimore in 2011 but has vastly improved this offseason and should be ready to compete for the top spot in the division again.

The Ravens are coming off a heartbreaking defeat in the AFC Championship and know that they won’t get another opportunity like that again unless they go out and earn it.

Prediction: Ravens 21, Bengals 17

September 10: Oakland Raiders vs. San Diego Chargers, 10:15 p.m. ET

The Raiders and Chargers close out Week 1 in a game that will have a ton of fantasy implications.

Expect all eyes to be on the offenses of these two teams when they take the field, as players will need Philip Rivers, Darren McFadden and the rest of the stars on these rosters to guide them to victory.

Fortunately for fantasy owners, this game should be a barn burner.

Prediction: Chargers 35, Raiders 32

September 17: Denver Broncos at Atlanta Falcons, 8:30 p.m. ET

Peyton Manning will get his second prime-time showing in as many weeks when he leads his Broncos against the feisty Falcons.

Atlanta QB Matt Ryan will look to jump-start a passing offense that might make Manning’s old Indianapolis Colts squads look pedestrian. He’s got Julio Jones and Roddy White to target, two of the best receivers in the league.

Expect this game to get decided on the offensive end, although these two defenses are feisty and can lock down the best of them.

Prediction: Falcons 27, Broncos 24

September 24: Seattle Seahawks vs. Green Bay Packers, 8:30 p.m. ET

The Seahawks are supposed to be a defensive team in 2012, building off their strong performance on that end of the field last year.

They’ll get a true test against Aaron Rodgers and the high-powered offensive attack of the Packers in Week 3.

While Seattle has a chance to keep this interesting for a few quarters, its lack of an experienced QB will be its downfall.

Prediction: Packers 31, Seahawks 17 

October 1: Dallas Cowboys vs. Chicago Bears, 8:30 p.m. ET

The Dallas players have a lot of expectations on their shoulders this season. Perhaps no team can sympathize with them more than the Bears.

Both missed the postseason in 2011 after compiling 8-8 records, well short of what many experts and analysts pegged them for.

It’s simply unacceptable for these elite, storied franchises to once again sit out of the playoffs, so watch for this contest to be an extremely feisty one.

Prediction: Cowboys 17, Bears 14 

October 8: Houston Texans at New York Jets, 8:30 p.m. ET

This should be a great contest to watch, as the Jets will be making their first of only two MNF appearances this season.

The team is perhaps one of the most entertaining to follow, especially if Tim Tebow pushes Mark Sanchez for the starting job and Rex Ryan is his usual, unfiltered self.

Houston is also no slouch either, making a solid run in the postseason last year without Matt Schaub starting at QB.

Now that he’s back and healthy, the Texans are once again a favorite to win the AFC South and advance deep into the playoffs.

Prediction: Texans 21, Jets 10

October 15: San Diego Chargers vs. Denver Broncos, 8:30 p.m. ET

The Chargers and Broncos will both be making their second Monday Night Football appearance of the season in this game.

If the AFC West is more competitive than it was last year (the Broncos snuck into the postseason with an 8-8 record), and it should be, then this will be a worthwhile matchup.

These are the two favorites to win the divisional crown, so securing a win on national television would be a huge morale boost and advantage down the stretch for the victor.

Prediction: Broncos 28, Chargers 24

October 22: Detroit Lions at Chicago Bears, 8:30 p.m. ET

The Detroit Lions had a breakout year in 2011, but getting destroyed in the first round of the playoffs by the New Orleans Saints wasn’t exactly how they envisioned it ending.

They have enough firepower to get back to the postseason following this campaign, but Detroit must prove it's mentally tough enough.

That is far easier said than done against a powerful, defensive-minded team like the Chicago Bears, especially on the road on Monday Night Football.

This is going to be a key contest between two fierce NFC North rivals.

Prediction: Lions 27, Bears 21

October 29: Arizona Cardinals vs. San Francisco 49ers, 8:30 p.m. ET

No surprise, the NFC West is projected to be one of the league’s weakest divisions. This is its only divisional matchup scheduled on MNF, and it should be a fairly one-sided contest.

San Francisco is simply the class of the division, while Arizona isn’t even sure what to make of its quarterback situation and plans to start John Skelton in Week 1.

Who knows who will be under center for the Cardinals come Week 8?

Prediction: 49ers 28, Cardinals 10

November 5: Philadelphia Eagles at New Orleans Saints, 8:30 p.m. ET

This might be the highest-scoring Monday Night Football game of the season.

Both the Eagles and Saints possess some of the best offensive weapons in the league and should be clicking on all cylinders by the time this contest takes place.

Michael Vick and Drew Brees will be the two players to watch, and both should account for a number of scores.

How those quarterbacks perform will be the difference between a win and loss here.

Prediction: Saints 42, Eagles 38

November 12: Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Kansas City Chiefs, 8:30 p.m. ET

The Steelers should be in the thick of the competition for the AFC North crown by the time this matchup comes around.

They will absolutely dominate a weaker K.C. team that simply doesn’t have the firepower or defensive prowess to hang with Pittsburgh, especially if Rashard Mendenhall is back and healthy in the Pitt backfield.

This may not be the most exciting game, but it should be an easy victory for the Black and Yellow.

Prediction: Steelers 14, Chiefs 7

November 19: Chicago Bears at San Francisco 49ers, 8:30 p.m. ET

Chicago is making its third MNF appearance of the season, and it's bound to win at least one of them.

Considering that the Bears are predicted to lose the first two, they’ll need to pull off a victory again San Fran to avoid an embarrassing sweep on national television.

The Bears have the talent and the weapons on offense to get past a defensive stalwart like the 49ers, but they’ll have to put it all together on the defensive end in order to make a win happen.

Prediction: Bears 20, 49ers 13

November 26: Philadelphia Eagles vs. Carolina Panthers, 8:30 p.m. ET

Cam Newton will likely be the focus of this contest.

If he’s having a sophomore slump, expect it to be the topic of conversation. And if Newton is dominating, expect his elite play in back-to-back years to take center stage.

However, the Eagles will likely be fighting for a postseason spot this late in the season and have the veteran leadership to beat an upstart team like Carolina in a must-win situation.

Andy Reid and Michael Vick will get the job done here.

Prediction: Eagles 28, Panthers 17

December 3: New York Giants at Washington Redskins, 8:30 p.m. ET

The G-Men will be fighting to keep their postseason hopes alive in this game against the ‘Skins.

How Robert Griffin III fares in 2012 will be a major factor in who comes away with the victory in this intense rivalry match.

If he’s the Rookie of the Year candidate that many expect him to become, Washington has a real chance of pulling off a shocking upset.

Prediction: Redskins 17, Giants 13

December 10: New England Patriots vs. Houston Texans, 8:30 p.m. ET

The Super Bowl runners-up will be rolling through the season by the time this Week 14 contest comes around. They have the easiest schedule in the league and could quite possibly have just a loss or two by kickoff.

Because of that, there is a chance that coach Bill Belichick takes it easy on some of his starters and key players that will be necessary for a postseason run.

The Texans could take advantage of this and steal an important game from a tough opponent at home.

Prediction: Texans 24, Patriots 21

December 17: New York Jets at Tennessee Titans, 8:30 p.m. ET

The Jets are likely going to have Tim Tebow starting by this game and could be attempting to make a surprise playoff appearance as a Wild Card in the AFC.

The Titans are going to be out of contention, as they simply don’t have the experience or personnel to make a postseason run in 2012.

Look for the Jets to take this game with a miraculous last-minute victory thanks to Tebow’s heroics, which will give the talking heads plenty to discuss going into the final weeks of the season.

Prediction: Jets 15, Titans 14

December 22: Detroit Lions vs. Atlanta Falcons, 8:30 p.m. ET

There is a great chance that a postseason spot is going to be on the line in this game. Even if both the Falcons and Lions are guaranteed to get in, there is a chance it could impact seeding for the playoffs.

Don’t be surprised to see a tooth-and-nail battle in the final Monday Night Football contest of the season.

Prediction: Falcons 24, Lions 21