Rams at Raiders on Monday Night Football makes a ton of sense

The Los Angeles Rams will play the Oakland Raiders to kick off the Monday Night Football schedule and the 2018 regular season.

Credit the National Football League where credit is due, and especially the schedulers for making the easy layup. The Los Angeles Rams at the Oakland Raiders in the second half of the Monday Night Football opening weekend doubleheader is smart on a lot of levels.

First. It’s the obligatory nod to former ESPN Monday Night Color guy and Raiders coach Jon Gruden.

Second, it offers some great storylines with Gruden versus former assistant Sean McVay, a team rising in California in the Rams, and one finding itself in the Raiders.

It’s also a great measuring stick for LA fresh from the preseason, as Oakland won’t likely be an easy rollover.

As for viewers, the Raiders are always a TV draw. Add Gruden to the mix and the Rams who look to be loaded for a Super Bowl run, and the Monday Night Football nightcap on opening night could be a slam dunk for the NFL and ESPN.

For LA fans, It will also be the first look at players like Marcus Peters, Aqib Talib, and Ndamukong Suh as well as the high expectations rolling out in real time.

The Rams kicked off this same nightcap game for the Mother Ship in 2016. The Rams first game back in Los Angeles saw them open that season against the San Francisco 49ers and promptly get shutout 28-0.

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It ended up being one of 12 losses that year.

Don’t expect the same as the Rams look to be embarking on a season where the Super Bowl may be in play. It’s also the first of five games that will feature them in the prime time window.

Los Angeles got off to a hot start last season, destroying the Indianapolis Colts 46-9.

They’ll look for the same this year.