ESPN to Broadcast Iconic 'Monday Night Football' Games During Coronavirus Hiatus

ESPN is opening up its vault of epic matchups and running back some of Monday Night Football's most notable broadcasts.

As the network continues to rework its on-air lineup in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, ESPN announced it will re-air classic matchups Monday for the next five weeks beginning March 30. The re-broadcasts will include ways to support COVID-19-focused organizations, according to a press release from the network:

"The highest-scoring game in MNF history – a 54-51 shootout from November 2018, featuring Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs against Jared Goff and the Los Angeles Rams – will be the first featured game this Monday. Other matchups include the New Orleans Saints’ Superdome reopening game after Hurricane Katrina in 2006 (April 6), Brett Favre’s first game against the Green Bay Packers in 2009 (April 13), and an improbable Dallas Cowboys road win over the Buffalo Bills in 2007 (April 27)."

Each airing will begin at 8:00 p.m. ET and will be preceded by an hour of Peyton's Places, an ESPN+ show that follows former quarterback Peyton Manning as he traces the roots of football's history around the country, interviewing some of the game's most notable and interesting figures. 

The schedule kicks off with the 2018 matchup between the Kansas City Chiefs and Los Angeles Rams in Mexico City followed by the Atlanta Falcons at the New Orleans Saints in the first game held at the Superdome following Hurricane Katrina. It will then feature the Green Bay Packers vs. Minnesota Vikings from 2009 featuring Brett Favre's first game against his longtime team and will wrap up with the 2005 Indianapolis Colts taking on the New England Patriots in Foxborough and the 2007 matchup between the Dallas Cowboys and Buffalo Bills.

Re-airing classic games has become a staple for various sports networks with mostly positive reviews as players and coaches have been able to live-tweet along with the broadcasts and provide behind-the-scenes information, like when Kansas men's basketball coach Bill Self gave a detailed account of the 2008 national championship game. 

With NFL players unable to continue training at team facilities, it'll be exciting to see who chimes in during the re-airing of classic games and what new is learned from watching them again.