Brad Nessler and Trent Dilfer to Call Raiders-Broncos on ESPN’s Monday Night Football

Aussender: ESPN
Second Game of Season-Opening Doubleheader at 10:15 p.m. ET on Sept. 12

ESPN play-by-play voice Brad Nessler and NFL studio analyst Trent Dilfer will call the Oakland Raiders at Denver Broncos, the second game of ESPN’s season-opening Monday Night Football doubleheader on September 12 at 10:15 p.m. ET (8:15 p.m. MT). Both commentators also worked together a year ago to call the Chargers-Chiefs season-opener.

Nessler is making his third appearance in the MNF booth. During the first year of ESPN’s season-opening doubleheader (2006), he worked alongside Jaworski and former NFL head coach Dick Vermeil – a pairing that earned much praise from viewers – to call the Chargers-Raiders. He has served as a play-by-play commentator for college football and basketball since joining ESPN and ABC in 1992. This fall, Nessler will team with Todd Blackledge to form one of ESPN’s top college football commentator teams. He is also entering his first season as the lead play-by-play voice for NFL Network’s eight-game late season package.

The season-opening game will be Dilfer’s second MNF appearance. The Super Bowl-winning quarterback is a studio analyst for a variety of ESPN programs -- NFL Live, NFL PrimeTime, SportsCenter, and Audibles. Following his appearance in the MNF booth, Dilfer will appear on Monday Night Countdown each week this season from the site of the MNF game where he will provide analysis alongside fellow analyst Steve Young and Stuart Scott.

Senior coordinating producer Tim Corrigan, ESPN’s lead NBA producer who has overseen ESPN’s season-opening MNF doubleheader game the past five seasons, and director Mike Schwab, will oversee production of the Oakland-Denver matchup. The MNF reporter will be named at a later date. The Raiders-Broncos will follow the New England Patriots-Miami Dolphins telecast (7 p.m.) when the MNF commentator team of Mike Tirico and analysts Jon Gruden and Ron Jaworski makes its regular season debut.

Other ESPN NFL programming and production updates …

Josina Anderson joins ESPN as Chicago-based bureau reporter

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SportsCenter Fantasy Draft Special on Thursday at 7 p.m.

ESPN will televise its fifth annual SportsCenter Fantasy Draft Special on Thursday, Aug. 18, at 7 p.m. The program will feature analysis and debate from a number of ESPN analysts and experts, including Matthew Berry, Tim Hasselbeck and ESPN.com sports injury expert Stephania Bell. SportsCenter’s Robert Flores will host. Other highlights include: a look at overall fantasy draft strategy, ranking players by position, a review of the impact of injury when drafting a player, sleeper picks and rookie impact, and mock draft analysis.

MNF Preseason: Chicago Bears at New York Giants Monday at 8 p.m.

ESPN’s Monday Night Football preseason schedule continues Monday, Aug. 22, with Jay Cutler and the Chicago Bears visiting Eli Manning and the New York Giants. Play-by-play commentator Mike Tirico and analysts Jon Gruden and Ron Jaworski will call the game at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN with sideline reporter Suzy Kolber. The game will also be available via espnnetworks.com and the WatchESPN App.

The Bears-Giants game will be preceded by a one-hour Monday Night Countdown with host Chris Berman, Cris Carter, Mike Ditka, Tom Jackson, Keyshawn Johnson, Chris Mortensen and Adam Schefter in studio.