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Who plays on Monday Night Football? Game, start time for week 5

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ESPN and its family of networks have been airing “Monday Night Football” doubleheaders for the past two weeks, but that will come to an end in Week 5.

NFL fans are treated to just one game to close out the first weekend in October. The good news for those who want multiple viewing options is that ESPN's “ManningCast” will be back. So if the game performs like some of the NFL's recent primetime hits, that could add some entertainment value.

With Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce set to be in action on Monday night, it's hard to imagine Week 5's “Monday Night Football” game not living up to the hype.

Find out everything about the “MNF” matchup in Week 5 here.

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Who's playing on Monday Night Football tonight?

The Chiefs (4-0) host the Saints (2-2) in a matchup of teams that are dealing with some injury issues on offense.

Kansas City's injury problem is better known as they lost No. 1 outside hitter Rashee Rice to a potentially season-ending knee injury. The Chiefs were already without veteran receiver Hollywood Brown due to a sternoclavicular injury, so they will now have to rely on first-round rookie Xavier Worthy and players like JuJu Smith-Schuster and Justin Watson to shore up their receiver room.

The Chiefs will also be without top running back Isiah Pacheco, so Mahomes and Kelce will play a big role as Kansas City's two most proven position player talents.

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New Orleans' key offensive injury has occurred a little more frequently under the radar. Center Erik McCoy suffered a groin injury early in the team's Week 3 game against the Philadelphia Eagles. and the team's offensive performance declined without him. They increased their averages from 45.5 points and 405.5 yards in the first two games of the season to 18 points and 292.5 yards in the next two contests.

Of course, McCoy's absence wasn't the only reason for this decline, but it certainly played a big role.

With that in mind, the Chiefs and Saints could be in for a defensive battle on “Monday Night Football.” It's up to Mahomes and Derek Carr to lead their undermanned offenses to victory, with some believing Andy Reid's Chiefs have the better chance of emerging victorious.

The Chiefs haven't started 5-0 since the 2018 NFL season, which was Mahomes' first as a starter. A win over the Saints would continue the team's march toward a potential No. 1 seed in the AFC and give them an easier chance to pull off an unprecedented three-peat Super Bowl.

What time is the NFL game tonight?

“Monday Night Football” begins at 8:15 p.m. ET, the usual start time for the program throughout the 2024 NFL season. There is no “MNF” doubleheader in Week 5, so it will not be a game with a 7 p.m. kickoff: 30 p.m. ET, as was the case in weeks 3 and 4.

What channel is Monday Night Football on tonight?

  • Cable TV: ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN Deportes
  • Streaming: Fubo

“Monday Night Football” airs Week 5 on ESPN. There will not be another game broadcast on ABC, nor will there be a simulcast of the ESPN game on the network.

However, ESPN's “ManningCast” will return in Week 5. Eli and Peyton Manning will break down the game from the comfort of their own home on ESPN2 so viewers can watch it on that channel on demand.

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By Vanessa

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