Star-Studded Jets and Vikings Square Off on Monday Night Football

This week’s Monday Night Football matchup will have about as much hype as any regular season game could have.
Star-Studded Jets and Vikings Square Off on Monday Night Football
Minnesota QB Brett Favre now has a new and old favorite weapon in wide receiver Randy Moss. (Adam Bettcher/Getty Images)
10/7/2010
Updated:
10/8/2010
<a href="https://www.theepochtimes.com/assets/uploads/2015/07/Vikes105003090_medium.jpg"><img src="https://www.theepochtimes.com/assets/uploads/2015/07/Vikes105003090_medium.jpg" alt="Minnesota QB Brett Favre now has a new and old favorite weapon in wide receiver Randy Moss. (Adam Bettcher/Getty Images)" title="Minnesota QB Brett Favre now has a new and old favorite weapon in wide receiver Randy Moss. (Adam Bettcher/Getty Images)" width="320" class="size-medium wp-image-113737"/></a>
Minnesota QB Brett Favre now has a new and old favorite weapon in wide receiver Randy Moss. (Adam Bettcher/Getty Images)

This week’s Monday Night Football matchup will have about as much hype as any regular season game could have—and not because the Jets will be running their mouths about it.

There are new faces in new places, and old faces in not so new places.

For the Jets, Santonio Holmes makes his debut after serving a league imposed four-game suspension. On defense, Calvin Pace is looking good to return from a broken foot—which occurred in the third week of preseason—to help the Jets pass rush.

“I’m not a 100 percent sure, but I think he can play a full roll,” head coach Rex Ryan said of Pace during his Thursday press conference. “He’s really looking good to me.” 

Darrelle Revis is expected to make his return after missing two weeks with a hamstring injury. He'll square off against the man he pulled the muscle covering in Randy Moss.

Whether or not Revis plays, is up to him.

“The doctors and trainers and everybody feels really comfortable with where Darrelle’s at now, but at the end of the day it’s what’s important for Darrelle also,” Ryan said. “He’s got to feel confident that he can go out and play, especially in that kind of position.”

Moss Returns to Minnesota

Following a midweek trade out of New England, Moss is back to the place where he spent the first six years of his career.

After not catching a ball against Miami on Monday night, Moss has something to prove to the nation along with the Pats organization. Plus, Moss has been known for having big games on Monday night despite his most recent performance.

So Ryan wouldn’t mind Moss taking the night off.

“He missed the buy week, so I’m going to call Brad Childress, and again, your always worried about players safety, your always worried about different things and I just think it’s appropriate that he has a bye week,” Ryan joked.  “I’m going to recommend that he sits out this game.”

<a href="https://www.theepochtimes.com/assets/uploads/2015/07/jt104734061_medium.jpg"><img src="https://www.theepochtimes.com/assets/uploads/2015/07/jt104734061_medium.jpg" alt="Darrelle Revis potentially gets another shot at Randy Moss on Monday.  (Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)" title="Darrelle Revis potentially gets another shot at Randy Moss on Monday.  (Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)" width="320" class="size-medium wp-image-113738"/></a>
Darrelle Revis potentially gets another shot at Randy Moss on Monday.  (Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)

The joke stems from the fact that Moss has the opportunity to play 17 regular season games this year after the trade to Minnesota.

Moss will be catching balls from Brett Favre, who had a year layover in New York in between Green Bay and Minnesota. With the rent-a-hall-of-famer experiment failing down the stretch, and the Jets missing the playoff after an 8–3 start, Jets fans aren’t the biggest Favre fans.

New Targets

The most intriguing part of this game is each quarterback acquiring a big-time new target. Each of which could become the respective quarterbacks favorite target.

Favre has the deep threat he’s been wanting, and it’s one of the best the game has ever seen. Favre’s been coveting Moss since his time in Green Bay, when the Vikings shopped Moss following the 2004 season.

While Moss won’t know the entire Vikings offense, Favre can just tell Moss to do what he does best—go deep.

Mark Sanchez adds a receiver who has the ability to be one of the best in the league in Holmes. Sanchez and Holmes have clicked since mini-camp. Now it’s time to see how they do with the lights on.

Holmes will draw a lot of attention which should help out tight end Dustin Keller get better match ups. Keller’s in the midst of a breakout season with 19 receptions for 254 yards and 5 touchdowns—all of which are team highs.

“I think he’s done a great job,” Ryan said. “He’s been great. He wants to be a complete tight end and I think you see that now.”


Tune in every Friday from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. EDT on WRSU-FM as Matt Sugam cohosts Scarlet Football Fever discussing Rutgers football as well as the N.Y. Jets and Giants.