For the Broncos, it's a routine exhibition (excuse me, preseason) game.

For Ron Jaworski, tonight's Denver-San Francisco clash on ESPN is a major step in his broadcasting career.

The former Philadelphia Eagles quarterback makes his broadcasting booth debut on Monday Night Football with Mike Tirico and Tony Kornheiser.

Jaworski (referred to as "Jaws" by his ESPN pals) replaces veteran Joe Theismann, who's been shuffled off to the radio side and also is writing an occasional ESPN online column.

You probably remember the uneasy on-air commentary chemistry provided by Theismann and Kornheiser last season.

How uneasy?

Envision Hillary Clinton and Rudy Giuliani hosting a politically oriented New York ice cream social.

ESPN is beating the drums loudly for Jaworski, who, after joining the network in 1990, has built his career around an ability to explain NFL games and players in an "X's and O's" style while working in the ESPN studios.

Bob Rauscher, MNF's senior executive producer, predictably praised Jaworski recently before TV critics in Los Angeles, saying: " 'Jaws' will bring passion and insight into the game, along with unparalleled knowledge of the sport."

Jaworski, saying he's "paid his dues" after 17 seasons, feels his analytical style will easily transfer into the Monday Night Football booth.

"Everybody has an opinion on every single play, every single player," Jaworski said. "My job is to provide insight based on my ongoing studies on tape of all the NFL games."

Not surprisingly, Jaworski praised his friend Kornheiser, saying the two "will mesh well together."

A promotional video clip featuring Jaworski and Keyshawn Johnson, who'll work on the ESPN studio show, seems to indicate that Jawor-ski believes a player's performance on the field could offset any negative off-the-field activities.

While not disagreeing with the NFL's recent crackdown policy, Jaworski said, following the film clip, that if an NFL player has great talent, a coach should take a chance on him even if there might be some doubt about the player's activities away from the gridiron.

Jaworski said coaches have to win to keep their jobs. "They (the players) are not a bunch of choirboys. I think coaches, when they evaluate players, ask, 'Can that guy help us win?' "

Jaworski added that personnel research should be done on NFL players to show any character flaws.

Will his commentary be elaborated on regularly in the MNF booth?

PROGRAMMING NOTES: Tonight's ESPN coverage (6 p.m.) will be simulcast locally on CBS 4 under NFL rules that stipulate a local station, for a fee, can pick up the NFL contest on cable.

Such scheduling procedures will allow KWGN-Channel 2, Denver's first TV station (July 1952) to broadcast its first-ever Broncos game, on Dec. 13, when Denver plays the Texans in Houston.

That game will originate on cable's NFL Network, a tiered sports outlet with viewership much lower than that of ESPN and not available to regular cable subscribers.

THE WALKER FILE: Evidently, Javon Walker has saved his memories surrounding the shooting death of teammate Darrent Williams for HBO.

The Broncos wide receiver last week deflected local media questions about the horrific events of early Jan. 1, saying he wants only "to talk about football now."

However, Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel (8 p.m. Tuesday) is billboarding an "exclusive" interview with Walker in which he provides correspondent Andrea Kremer with "an emotional and reflective interview" about events when the limousine in which he and Williams were riding was peppered with gunshots.

Williams collapsed and died in Walker's arms.

According to HBO, the interview marks the first time Walker has discussed at length his view about what happened.

Real Sports offers another interview, also not screened, that should interest anyone connected with the NFL, including Jaworski.

Gumbel queries Adam "Pacman" Jones, the Tennessee Titans defensive back who has been banned for the 2007 season because of off-the-field activities.

A WIRED EVENT: To say that NBC Sports will provide full coverage of next August's Beijing Summer Games is a decided understatement.

The network plans more than 3,600 hours total coverage, with much of that time to be provided on a continuing basis on a Web site, nbcolympics.com.

On the traditional TV side, NBC and its cable channels will offer about 1,400 hours of coverage - up from the 1,200 hours offered in the 2004 Athens Summer Games.

Dusty Saunders writes periodically about sports broadcasting. Contact him at tvtime@comcast.net.

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