Chargers Are No Strangers to Monday Night Football

Another year, another season-opening Monday Night Football for the Chargers.

They once again play the final game of the opening week, this year a road game against the Arizona Cardinals.

This is the third straight year the Bolts will have the late MNF game to begin the season and sixth time since ESPN took over Monday NIght Football and added another game for Week 1 in 2006.

That first doubleheader was against the Oakland Raiders – a great Monday night opponent for the Chargers. In that 2006 game, they trounced the Raiders 27-0. In fact, each of their three MNF wins since then have come against their black-clad division foe to the North.

The Chargers have a 19-19 overall record on Monday night games, dating back to their first appearance in 1970 – a 22-20 loss to the Green Bay Packers at what was then known as just San Diego Stadium.

How much of a change is it to play one of the week’s featured games, especially after watching everyone else play their first game of the season?

Safety Eric Weddle is a fan of playing one of the week’s marquee games, even if it means waiting.

“It gives me more time to think and ponder the game and visualize and prepare,” he said. “I always think Friday Night Lights. It’s the best time to play. Everyone’s watching. I don’t mind it. I just sit around and be lazy. I just think about the plays and think about the game and think about winning.”

For others, the waiting game is no fun. Quarterback Philip Rivers says the leadup is a bit much for him.

“Monday, different from Sunday, seems to take forever,” he said. “Because (playing on) Sunday night you have games to play during the day. Monday, there’s nothing on, nothing to do until 7 o’clock. We should be used to it. We’ve done it a number of times.”

Indeed, the Chargers have been a part of two Monday Night Football games each of the past five years, winning and losing one game each season.

They hosted two MNF games last year, losing to the Houston Texans on opening night and defeating the Indianapolis Colts just a month later.

The last season they didn’t have a game on Monday night was 2004.The year before that they squared off against the Miami Dolphins – significant for two reasons. It was supposed to be a return to San Diego for legend Junior Seau, who had joined the Dolphins that season. But the game was moved to Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe, Ariz., because of wildfires in California. Fans will hope we don’t see a similar problem tonight with the flooding in the Phoenix area.

In the end, it’s just another game once you get on the field.

"We get an extra day to prepare, but we just go about it the same way," said Chargers coach Mike McCoy.

Added Rivers: “The lead up, and the build up to it is the biggest change than anything. Once you’re out there you’re not thinking what night it is and what channel you’re on or what’s going on.”

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