What we learned from Monday Night Football games

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What we learned from 'Monday Night Football' games Published: Sep 09, 2019 at 03:47 PM *A super finish in the Superdome, and a confident win in the Coliseum. The season-opening "Monday Night Football" doubleheader had it all. * *Let's start in New Orleans, where a back-and-forth fourth quarter that featured three lead changes and three scores in the game's final minute finished on the leg of kicker , who knocked in a game-winning 58-yard field goal with zeroes on the clock. * Result aside, this was 's game. The quarterback was battered and bruised by a ferocious defensive front (more on that later), entering the medical tent twice in the first half with an apparent back injury and receiving treatment from a staffer throughout the second half. Despite the hits he took, Watson grew more poised as the game wore on. His connection with was in midseason form (8 rec, 111 yards, 2 TDs), most notably on Houston's last-ditch drive. "We knew we weren't out of the game," Hopkins said later of Houston's late six-point deficit. "We knew it was just a couple of plays, especially with a quarterback like Deshaun." The QB with five fourth-quarter comebacks to his name last season, Watson "drove" the 75 yards in just two plays and 13 seconds to steal the lead with under Matthew Robertson Jersey a minute to go. Houston had not scored since early in the third quarter, but with time running out, Watson uncorked his two best balls of the night to pull the ahead -- a 38-yard strike to Hopkins on the sideline and a picture-perfect deep score to , whom Houston acquired in a trade just days ago. All this with an unsettled back and an unsettled line. If not for the comeback king on the other sideline, Watson would have been hailed as Monday night's hero. Hell, he still is. The keep marching on, doing the same things that took them within a no-call of the . , playing his first game without in New Orleans, was as slippery as ever, racking up 169 total yards on 20 touches. His new backfield mate, , was used sparingly. Despite the presence of tight end , was ' top target once again (10 rec, 123 yards). Brees, 40 years young, posted the 116th 300-yard pa sing game of his career, launching just six of his 43 attempts more than 15 yards through the air. The signal-caller saved his best for last, marching New Orleans into field-goal range in three pa s plays with 37 seconds on the clock and just one timeout at his disposal. None of the plays went out of bounds, but thanks to two spikes and a timeout with two seconds left, was afforded the opportunity to knock in his career-long game-winner. It was the game-sealing drive under pre sure that one expects from a future first-ballot Hall of Famer in Brees, and a sign that this year in New Orleans might different than the last. This time, Brees and the finished. Houston invested heavily in protecting Watson when it sent first-round picks (plural) to Miami for a franchise left tackle in (and Stills). Did the investment pay off in his first week on the job? Depends. Tunsil was as advertised on Watson's blind J T Miller Kids Jersey side, but he couldn't patch wounds along an offensive line without its starting left guard and playing for the very first time in a game, preseason or regular season. Watson was under furious pre sure all night, often from up the middle, and took six sacks and 11 QB hits, escaping even more due to his preternatural elusivene s. Houston led the league in sacks allowed last season with 62. One game into 2019, the are well on the way to exceeding that number. With time and practice will come better communication along the refurbished front, but that was not the case on Monday evening. Have you guys seen ? I could've sworn was the one who was no longer on the . In his first game without Clowney acro s from him on Houston's defensive line, Watt did not show up on the stat sheet. No tackles, no sacks, no QB hits, no nothing -- the first time in his 105-game career Watt has enjoyed an oh-fer, per NFL Research. He forced one holding call on right tackle , but other than that, Ramczyk and the ' top-five offensive line handled Watt and Houston's pa s rush. Brees was sacked just once, which compared to his quarterbacking compatriot acro s the sideline was clean living. Without Clowney in the ' front seven, Houston will need to look to other names to put pre sure on opposing quarterbacks, a suming Watt is playing like the three-time Defensive Player of the Year that he is. When he's not, like on Monday night, Clowney's absence will be magnified. For the first time in what felt like the longest time, the found themselves able to make the storyline about actually playing football. Following a win of the coin to s, Jon Gruden wanted the ball to start Monday's game. And his offense -- yes, his Antonio Brown-le s offense -- responded marvelously with performing as phenomenally as he ever has. Carr was perfect in Oakland's opening salvo, going 5-for-5 for 58 yards, including an 8-yard score to -- the team's No. 1 receiver for three days running now. It was the start the wanted -- and perhaps needed. And that held true from the first emphatic drive to the final seconds that ticked away with a grinning Gruden embracing the front row of the Black Hole in the glow of a 24-16 win. As much as anyone, the onus was on Carr and he responded to the challenge and sparkled (22-of-26 for 259 yards, one TD, 121.0 rating). Williams (six catches, 105 yards, TD) likewise proved he can be a top target. And for the Gruden-helmed franchise, it was a sigh of relief and a fist pump for an exciting win. They triumphed despite the distractions, scrutiny and fallout from the Brown roller coaster going off the rails and likely more impre sive, though it won't garner the same attention, they carried on despite cornerback . This was exactly what the needed. Two debuts. One underwhelming lo s. Vic Fangio's first game as a head coach and 's initial outing as the ' starting quarterback were equally flat and unfulfilling. Flacco was immobile and erratic with his throws, often coming up short as he tried to navigate a offense that was shut out in the first half and held out of the end zone until Flacco found in the fourth quarter to make the game feel closer than it really had for the majority of the night. At the end of the night, Flacco's stat line looks fine -- 21-of-31 for 268 yards, the TD and no picks. But that didn't tell the story. There was little fire until it was too late. Fangio's debut was as puzzling as it was disappointing. All the excitement and anticipation to see how fearsome a Fangio-coached defense with and was for naught in a listle s premiere. There were no sacks. There were no QB hits. Chubb looked out of place dropping back in coverage. The tallied no takeaways. The question was whether Flacco could provide a solution for a long lackluster offense. Instead, both sides of the ball are now cause for concern in Denver. At the forefront of the ' first-round rookie trio, from the outset, was running back . Oakland established the run and balance on offense, feeding the ball to Jacobs even if it wasn't racking up yards. At least it was keeping the gue sing. On the night, Jacobs scored twice and proved to be a workhorse (he had 23 carries for 85 yards with only three carries going to other backs). Following the game, Jacobs told NFL Network's MJ Acosta he was disappointed in himself because he left a lot of big runs on the table. After his debut, it's hardly difficult to prognosticate a lot of big runs are left ahead. Jacobs' first-round brethren -- defensive end and safety -- likewise made their presence felt. Ferrell helped quell thoughts of a rally with a fourth-quarter sack that led to a questionable Fangio decision to kick a field goal and keep a two-score deficit at two scores. His debut included three tackles, a tackle for a lo s and a batted pa s, while Abram (five tackles) established himself as the dangerous presence in centerfield most believed he could be. In their first chance, the rookies responded, provided further glimpses of hope for an illuminated Silver and Black future and, above all else, contributed to a winning debut. A pa s rush has arrived in Oakland. In the aftermath of a turbulent offseason the are mindful of moving on from, it almost seems like an afterthought that one of the prevailing problems for Oakland has been providing its defense with a pa s rush. Though the themselves deserve some credit for their offensive woes on Monday night, the defense was stingy and impre sive in Greg Mckegg Jersey allowing only one touchdown (which didn't come until the fourth quarter). burst through for a sack early in the second quarter, only to have it negated by an illegal contact call. Four plays later, notched the ' first sack of 2019 after a dismal 2018 in which they mustered 13 -- dead last by a mile in the NFL. Naturally, Mayowa added another sack to become the first Raider to have multiple sacks in a game since late in the 2017 season. Ferrell added another and the ' three sacks were every bit as much a cause for notice as the finishing with none was a cause for concern. Last season came and went without the tallying more than two sacks in a game, and they started with three to begin 2019. The days of a punchle s pa s rush are steadily dwindling. *-- Grant Gordon * This article has been reproduced in a new format and may be mi sing content or contain faulty links. Please use the Contact Us link in our site footer to report an i sue.
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