Monday Night Football Week 2: How to watch Buccaneers–Texans and Chargers–Raiders
How to watch: schedule, TV, and streaming
Week 2 brings a double dose of primetime football, with two windows and two very different vibes. The early game puts the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on the road against the Houston Texans, followed by a late-night AFC West rivalry tilt as the Los Angeles Chargers visit the Las Vegas Raiders.
- Buccaneers at Texans — 7:00 PM ET, NRG Stadium (Houston) — ABC and ESPN
- Chargers at Raiders — 10:00 PM ET, Allegiant Stadium (Las Vegas) — ESPN
Both games stream on ESPN+ as part of ESPN’s expanded package. For cord-cutters, ABC is available over the air in many markets, while ESPN and ESPN+ cover cable, satellite, and streaming audiences. The two-game slate continues the league’s push to make Monday Night Football a weekly event with broader reach and staggered kickoffs that don’t force fans to choose just one.
ESPN’s 2025 plan features 25 total MNF games spread across ABC, ESPN, and ESPN+. Expect more weeks like this with layered windows, simulcasts, and a bigger national footprint. The early slot gets the casual crowd on broadcast TV, the late slot keeps the diehards up with a divisional knife fight under the dome in Vegas.
Storylines and matchups that matter
Bucs–Texans has some recent heat. Their 2023 meeting was chaos in the best way, capped by a rookie masterpiece from C.J. Stroud, who threw for 470 yards and five touchdowns and led a last-minute drive to beat Tampa Bay. That game turned into a track meet, and both sides come into 2025 with offensive confidence and no fear of pushing the ball downfield.
Houston’s rise under a young core has been built on clean quarterback play, spacing, and tempo. The Texans like to stress your rules—quick game to set up shot plays, tight ends involved in the seams, and backs who can catch. Tampa Bay’s answer usually starts up front. If the Bucs can win with four and muddy the pocket without blitzing, they’ll force Houston into longer third downs and make the ball come out on time. If not, Houston can get back to those chunk gains that flipped the 2023 meeting.
Watch third-down defense on both sides. Tampa Bay’s offense often finds rhythm when it stays on schedule, leaning on intermediate routes and play action to keep the chains moving. Houston’s defense loves to fly downhill, but that aggression is vulnerable to misdirection and screens. If Tampa Bay gets the screen game going early, it can slow the Texans’ pass rush and steal easy yards.
Field position might quietly swing this one. In Houston, that usually means kickoffs carry well, and special teams can tilt a close game. If either team starts stacking drives that begin near midfield, expect red-zone trips to follow. The Bucs’ red-zone play calling tends to get creative—motion, bunch looks, rub routes. Houston’s counter is usually to force throws outside the numbers and rally to the ball. First red-zone stop could set the tone.
Flip to the nightcap: Chargers–Raiders rarely disappoints. The stadium will be loud, the energy chippy, and every yard contested. It’s also a first on this stage for new Raiders head coach Pete Carroll, whose teams typically bring speed, tackling, and a clear defensive identity. That tone setting matters against a Chargers offense that likes to dictate tempo and test you vertically.
Las Vegas adds a wild card with rookie running back Ashton Jeanty. He’s a patient runner with sudden burst and a knack for making the first defender miss. If the Raiders can get him touches early—zone runs, swings, screens—they can loosen the Chargers’ front and slow down the pass rush. The Chargers, meanwhile, tend to feast when games become pass-heavy and predictable. If they get a lead and crank up the pressure packages, life gets tough for a young back and a new system.
In the trenches, keep an eye on how the Raiders’ offensive line handles stunts and simulated pressure. The Chargers like to disguise five-man looks and then drop out, baiting quick throws into tight windows. If the Raiders’ protection holds up and they stay balanced on first down, they’ll have shot opportunities off play action. If not, expect a lot of third-and-long and a long night for the home side.
Explosives will decide the late game. The Chargers can flip the field in a snap, and they usually build in a few deep shots per half to keep safeties honest. Las Vegas’s best counter is to win the middle of the field—crossers, posts, and in-breakers that punish two-high shells. If those hits connect, the Raiders can control pace and keep their defense fresh into the fourth quarter.
Both matchups also carry early-season stakes that aren’t trivial. The Texans are trying to prove last year’s leap wasn’t a one-off. Beat a rugged Tampa Bay team at home in primetime, and that message gets loud. The Bucs are looking to stack wins while they refine their offense; they usually become a tougher out as the year goes on, so banked September wins matter.
In the West, small cracks become large gaps fast. A divisional loss in Week 2 can force you to chase all season. If the Chargers want to be taken seriously as contenders, stealing one in Vegas is the kind of result that shows staying power. For the Raiders, a statement under bright lights—with a new coach and a rookie weapon featured—can change how the rest of the month feels.
One last note for viewers: with the staggered windows, you can actually catch both games in full. The early kick should wrap during halftime or early in the third quarter of the late game, and ESPN’s studio coverage typically bridges any overlap with highlights and context. If you’re streaming, switch tabs at the horn and you won’t miss a snap.
Two games, two different tones: one high-powered rematch with real offensive fireworks potential, one divisional grinder that could come down to a final drive in the desert. Settle in.
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