Who plays on Monday Night Football tonight in Week 15? The Pittsburgh Steelers head to Paul Brown Stadium to face off against the Cincinnati Bengals. Can Pittsburgh break out of their two-game slump after their impressive start to the season?
Here is more information on where, when, and how you can watch tonight’s NFL game. We also provide a preview and prediction of the divisional showdown and a 2020 Monday Night Football Schedule breakdown.
Who plays on Monday Night Football tonight?
- Game: Pittsburgh Steelers at Cincinnati Bengals
- Location: Cincinnati, Ohio at Paul Brown Stadium
How to watch tonight’s game | Start time, TV channel, and live stream
- Date: Monday, December 21st
- Time: 8:15 PM ET
- Channel: ESPN
- App: ESPN/ESPN App, NFL app, and Yahoo Sports app
Monday Night Football tonight Week 15 | What to expect from the Steelers and Bengals
This is the second consecutive AFC North divisional showdown featured on Monday night football. The Steelers come into this game on a two-game losing streak after winning the season’s first eleven games.
While the Week 13 loss to Washington was surprising, the loss last week to Buffalo was rough. Receivers were dropping passes, QB Ben Roethlisberger played below average, and the running game was nowhere to be found. Buffalo’s defense held Pittsburgh to 224 total yards of offense.
The Bengals’ defense is not nearly as good; their defense surrenders 131.7 yards on the ground and 26 points per game. On the flip side, while the Steelers did lose, they only gave up 26 points, and the defense is still playing well. They have the No. 1 scoring defense in the league, allowing 18.2 points per game.
Everything is there for Pittsburgh. They just need to refocus and settle in before their postseason journey. A shot at the No. 1 seed is looking more and more unlikely, however, with the Kansas City Chiefs’ 32-29 victory over the New Orleans Saints moving them to 13-1.
Can the Bengals actually do anything?
Things haven’t been too great in Cincinnati recently. After losing 2020 first overall pick Joe Burrow for the season, backup Brandon Allen went down with a bone bruise. This means that Ryan Finley will make the start Monday for the Bengals. Finley has played in just three NFL games to date.
There are many holes up and down the Cincinnati roster, whether due to injury, rebuilding status, youth, or inexperience. It makes sense why this team is 2-10-1. The Bengals will tumble to the finish line. Let’s just hope they don’t sustain any more serious injuries, as losing players now could mean missing time in 2021.
My prediction? The Steelers correct course and get back on track with their winning ways against the Bengals. The rushing offense finds some traction after only being able to muster up 47 yards in Week 14. Roethlisberger and the receivers get out of the funk, and the offense has a good day while the defense feasts on a subpar offense.
Score Prediction: Steelers win 31-10
Week 15 NFL Power Rankings & NFL Recap
Make sure to check out some of our other NFL articles. Senior NFL Analyst Matt Williamson (former NFL Scout and ESPN Analyst) released his NFL Power Rankings Week 15 following Sunday’s action. This week, Williamson has the Steelers ranked eighth following three bad games, and the defense is getting worn out by the offense’s inability to move the ball and score. Meanwhile, the Bengals are the worst team in the league, losing five in a row and eight of their last nine tilts.
We also have Mike Tanier’s weekly NFL Recap breaking down trending topics from Week 15’s action-packed slate. Tanier dives head-first into the highlights from Week 15’s ups and downs.
Full 2020 MNF schedule
Want to know who plays Monday Night Football for the remainder of the 2020 season? Here’s the full MNF schedule for 2020. All Monday night games begin at 8:15 PM ET. All games will be aired live on ESPN. You can also live stream the games from your ESPN or NFL app.
Monday Night Football September Schedule
Monday, September 14: Steelers at Giants
Final Score: Steelers 26, Giants 16
Monday, September 14: Titans at Broncos
Final Score: Titans 16, Broncos 14
Monday, September 21: Saints at Raiders
Final Score: Saints 24, Raiders 34
Monday, September 28: Chiefs at Ravens
Final Score: Chiefs 34, Ravens 20
Monday Night Football October Schedule
Monday, October 5: Falcons at Packers
Final Score: Falcons 16, Packers 30
Monday, October 12: Chargers at Saints
Final Score: Chargers 27, Saints 30
Monday, October 19: Cardinals at Cowboys
Final Score: Cardinals 38, Cowboys 10
Monday, October 26: Bears at Rams
Final Score: Bears 10, Rams 24
Monday Night Football November Schedule
Monday, November 2: Buccaneers at Giants
Final Score: Buccaneers 25, Giants 23
Monday, November 9: Patriots at Jets
Final Score: Patriots 30, Jets 27
Monday, November 16: Vikings at Bears
Final Score: Vikings 19, Bears 13
Monday, November 23: Rams at Buccaneers
Final Score: Rams 27, Buccaneers 24
Monday, November 30: Seahawks at Eagles
Final Score: Seahawks 23, Eagles 17
Monday Night Football December Schedule
Monday, December 7: Bills at 49ers
Final Score: Bills 34, 49ers 24
Monday, December 14: Ravens at Browns
Final Score: Ravens 47, Browns 42
December 21*: Steelers at Bengals
Monday, December 28*: Bills at Patriots
*It’s 2020, so the Monday Night Football schedule is subject to change after Week 15!