2009 Monday Night Football Preseason Schedule
Tirico, Jaworski and Kornheiser to Call Four-Game Slate in August
ESPN will kick off its 2009 Monday Night Football preseason schedule with a rematch of Super Bowl XLIII when the defending champion Pittsburgh Steelers host the Arizona Cardinals Thursday, August 13 at 8 p.m. ET. ESPN's commentator team of Mike Tirico (play-by-play) and analysts Ron Jaworski and Tony Kornheiser will call four NFL preseason games during the month of August � one on Thursday and three on Mondays � in anticipation of their regular-season debut on Monday, Sept. 14. All MNF preseason games will begin at 8 p.m. ET.
Quarterback Kurt Warner and wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald � who played collegiately at the University of Pittsburgh � will lead the defending NFC champion Cardinals against Ben Roethlisberger and the Steelers at Heinz Field in the first meeting between the two teams since their epic Super Bowl game in February.
On Monday, Aug. 17, Eli Manning and the NFC East champion New York Giants will host the Carolina Panthers, winners of the NFC South in 2008, at Giants Stadium.
A week later, the Baltimore Ravens will host the New York Jets at M&T Bank Stadium on Monday, August 24. Jets first-year head coach Rex Ryan was the defensive coordinator for the Ravens last season, which reached the AFC Championship Game behind top young quarterback Joe Flacco and perennial Pro Bowl linebacker Ray Lewis.
On Aug. 31, ESPN will close out its preseason schedule when Pro Bowl running back Adrian Peterson and the Minnesota Vikings face wide receiver Andre Johnson and the Houston Texans at Reliant Stadium.
ESPN Deportes, ESPN's 24-hour Spanish-language domestic sports network, will once again offer a Spanish-language production of MNF preseason and regular season games in 2009. The commentator team will include �lvaro Mart�n (play-by-play), Ra�l Allegre (analyst) and John Sutcliffe (sideline reporter).
ESPN's Monday Night Football 2009 NFL Preseason Schedule:
Date Time (ET) Teams
Thursday, Aug. 13 8 p.m. Arizona Cardinals at Pittsburgh Steelers
Monday, Aug. 17 8 p.m. Carolina Panthers at New York Giants
Monday, Aug. 24 8 p.m. New York Jets at Baltimore Ravens
Monday, Aug. 31 8 p.m. Minnesota Vikings at Houston Texans
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