| FOR USE AS DESIRED | ||
| NFL-84 11/17/00 |
MNF EXCITEMENT CONTINUES WITH RAMS-REDSKINS
The best season of Monday Night Football ever.
That’s what a lot of observers are saying about the 2000 season so far. And with nine of this year’s 11 MNF games being decided in the final minutes, who would disagree with them?
This past Monday night’s game between Denver and Oakland was the ninth Monday night game of the season to be decided by seven points or less. That’s the second-most seven-point games for an entire season in MNF history…and there are still six left to play!
The record for most Monday-night games decided by seven points or less in a season is 10, set last year. Dating back to last season, 19 of the past 25 (76.0 percent) Monday night games have been decided by seven points or less.
Following are the seasons with the most Monday-night games decided by seven points or less:
| Year | Season |
| 1999 | 10 |
| 2000 | 9* |
| 1988 | 9 |
| 1982 | 9 |
| 1974 | 9 |
*Through 11 games
This Monday’s game could well go down to the wire as well. It pits the 8-2 St. Louis Rams and their No. 1 NFL offense (475.4) against the 6-4 Washington Redskins and their No. 2 NFL defense (255.3).
The Rams’ top-ranked NFL pass offense (358.6) will clash with the Redskins’ top-ranked NFL pass defense (160.8). That matchup could prove to be the key to the game.
The Rams employ some of the most dangerous receivers in the league with ISAAC BRUCE, TORRY HOLT, and AZ-ZAHIR HAKIM combining for 17 touchdowns this season. But the Redskins can counter that threat with outstanding cornerbacks DEION SANDERS, CHAMP BAILEY and DARRELL GREEN (questionable with a calf strain).
Can the Redskins match up with the Rams’ high-powered offense?
"Yes, I think so," says Rams quarterback TRENT GREEN, a former Redskin. "They are deep at corner. They also have two more-than-capable Pro Bowl-type safeties (SAM SHADE and MARK CARRIER). Also, the thing that makes Washington different is that they're four-strong across the board on the defensive line (defensive ends MARCO COLEMAN and BRUCE SMITH, and defensive tackles DANA STUBBLEFIELD and DAN WILKINSON). Those guys can exert pressure without blitzing. That's where it creates problems, because they can drop everybody back in coverage and you still have to worry about the four guys up front. They've been causing problems all year."
2000 MONDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL
| Week 1 | Denver 36 at St. Louis 41 | Rams score on one-yard TD run with 2:58 remaining. Hold off Broncos. |
| Week 2 | New England 19 at N.Y. Jets 20 | Jets score on 28-yard TD pass with 1:55 remaining. Hold off Patriots. |
| Week 3 | Dallas 27 at Washington 21 | Cowboys extend lead with 38-yard FG with 1:46 remaining. Hold off Redskins. |
| Week 4 | Jacksonville 14 at Indianapolis 43 | -- |
| Week 5 | Seattle 17 at Kansas City 24 | Chiefs score on 15-yard TD run with 4:26 left. Hold off two Seahawks’ drives. |
| Week 6 | Tampa Bay 23 at Minnesota 30 | Vikings extend lead with 19-yard FG with 59 seconds left. Hold off Buccaneers. |
| Week 7 | Jacksonville 13 at Tennessee 27 | -- |
| Week 8 | Miami 37 at New York Jets 40 (OT) | Jets overcome 23-point fourth-quarter deficit and win game with 40-yard FG in overtime. |
| Week 9 | Tennessee 27 at Washington 21 | Redskins cut lead to six with 5:42 to play, but can’t catch Titans. |
| Week 10 | Minnesota 20 at Green Bay 26 (OT) | Vikings botch potential game-winning FG in regulation. Packers score on miraculous 43-yard touchdown in overtime. |
| Week 11 | Oakland 24 at Denver 27 | Raiders tie game with 1:06 remaining. Broncos kick game-winning 41-yard field goal with no time left. |