MNF And CBS Football On Monday Fallout
There were two games last night. One was officially known as Monday Night Football with a marquee game pitting the Baltimore Ravens and the New Orleans Saints against each other, while the second game on Monday that was just football played on a Monday, saw AFC East rivals the New York Jets and the Buffalo Bills face off.
Both games were interesting. The Bills blew out the Jets, 38-3. The Ravens and Saints kept things a little closer, with the Ravens beating the Saints 34-27. Both games had some pretty big implications. Let’s tackle the Jets and Bills first.
The Bills desperately needed a win to stay in playoff contention and boy did they get it. Kyle Orton only passed for 230 yards, which held the problems he has as a franchise quarterback to a minimum. In fact, he threw no interceptions in the game. On the ground, the Bills spread the ball around utilizing multiple tailbacks to get yardage.
It of course helped the Bills that the Jets played about as badly as a team could play. Quarterback Michael Vick was seven for 19 for 76 yards and had an interception. Geno Smith was eventual put in the game in the third quarter and did not fare much better. If Rex Ryan was on the hot seat last year, he is sitting on a lit stove this season.
On the official Monday Night Football, the game was a little closer.
Even at 4-7 it is difficult to count a team led by Drew Brees out of playoff contention. However, the door are quickly closing on the Saints and their loss to the Ravens may be the nail in the coffin. Brees played well throwing for 420 yards and three touchdowns, but the Saints defensive line was virtually nonexistent.
The Ravens’Justin Forsett rushed for 182 yards and had two touchdowns. Joe Flacco felt nearly no pressure, taking only one sack, and had plenty of time to allow plays to develop.
The big takeaways from Mondays game are this: The Jets’ wheels have officially come off and the Saints’ wheels are beginning to do the same. Meanwhile, the Ravens are beginning to seal the deal on a playoff run and the Bills kept their post season hopes alive.
