Texans vs. Raiders: Start time, TV schedule for ‘Monday Night Football’ in Mexico City’s Estadio Azteca

The NFL will return to Mexico City for the first time since 2005, and the league has a big game in store for the capital city. Two of the AFC’s top teams, the 7-2 Oakland Raiders and the 6-3 Houston Texans, will square off in a Monday Night Football duel.

The Raiders proved their legitimacy in Week 9 when they toppled the Denver Broncos, 30-20, to rise to the top of the AFC West. Their reign lasted only a week before the Kansas City Chiefs slid into first by virtue of an October win over Oakland, but it’s clear Derek Carr and a dynamic offense have the talent to end a 15-year playoff drought.

The Raiders have quality wins over teams like the New Orleans Saints, Tennessee Titans, San Diego Chargers, and Baltimore Ravens, but that resume may not be enough to keep the team afloat in the shark tank known as the AFC West. Three teams in the division have at least seven wins on the season. No other division in the league has more than one.

That makes Monday’s showdown in Mexico paramount to Oakland’s spot in the playoff race. Winning the West likely means a first-round bye and a home game in the divisional round of the playoffs. Finishing second or third means a wild card game and road trips through at least the AFC Championship — assuming it can get that far.

Houston doesn’t have the same level of competition nipping at its heels. The AFC South crowned a 9-7 champion last season. With only the Texans sitting above .500, nine wins may be all it takes to earn the crown once more.

However, the Texans are fighting for legitimacy after some shaky outings have thrown their 6-3 record into question. Houston has the win-loss margin of a playoff team, but a -27 point differential is more in line with the Cincinnati Bengals or the Tampa Bay Buccaneers than the New England Patriots or Raiders. This team has only two victories over teams with winning records, though those wins over the Chiefs and Detroit Lions look better every week.

Otherwise, Houston has crumbled against quality teams. New England stomped it out, 27-0, with its third-string quarterback behind center. Minnesota hasn’t won a game since Oct. 9, but that was a 31-13 beatdown of the Texans. Denver beat up old friend Brock Osweiler in a 27-9 victory four weeks ago.

Osweiler has been complicit in Houston’s struggles. After moving south with a four-year, $72 million contract, the young passer has failed to be the panacea the Texans’ offense hoped he’d be. The former Bronco ranks 30th out of 32 starting quarterbacks when it comes to passer rating, beating out only Blaine Gabbert and Ryan Fitzpatrick. No QB in the league is less efficient: His 5.6 yards per pass attempt is the NFL’s worst.

The Texans will have to hope his time in Denver acquainted him to thin air, because he’ll be playing at an altitude of 7,000 feet on Monday. Osweiler will have opportunities to sling the ball; Oakland has given up more than 280 passing yards per game, the third-worst mark in the league. If the young quarterback can’t succeed on Monday, it could portend doom for Houston’s hope of a long playoff run.

For Mexico City, it’s a measure of validation after watching waves of regular season games take place in England. Local citizens may not have the quantity of NFL live programming the Brits got, but they have a quality game with which NFL London can not compete. The league has never held a game between two teams with winning records in Great Britain.

Time: 8:30 p.m. ET

Place: Estadio Azteca, Mexico City

TV: ESPN

Announcers: Sean McDonough, Jon Gruden, Lisa Salters

Online: WatchESPN