BYE-maggedon concludes on Monday evening with a recreation of nice significance. The Baltimore Ravens want a win to stay one recreation forward of the Cincinnati Bengals for first place within the AFC North. A victory for the New Orleans Saints at dwelling would give them the identical document because the Atlanta Falcons and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Sunday wins by division foes have made victory on this recreation much more paramount for each groups. A loss for both now leaves them weak with lower than half of the season remaining.
The Ravens, and beginning QB Lamar Jackson, have received two consecutive video games and gave the impression to be effectively on their strategy to their first division championship since 2019. They’ve already defeated the second-place Bengals whose greatest participant, Ja’Marr Chase, is on injured reserve for at least two extra weeks with a hip damage. Additionally, the Bengals received smoked final Monday evening by a division rival, the sub-.500 Cleveland Browns.
Positive the Atlanta Falcons had been a recreation forward of the Saints for the NFC South lead, however we’re speaking in regards to the Falcons. A franchise with a novel functionality to lose in probably the most excruciating and ill-timed methods. It occurred once more throughout yesterday’s early slate of video games. Tied 17-all, with 34 seconds remaining in opposition to the Los Angeles Chargers, Austin Ekeler fumbled, and Ta’Quon Graham scooped up solely to drop the ball on the bottom 19 yards later with out being touched. The Chargers recovered and went on to kick the sphere aim.
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That knocked the Falcons out of first place, and the Saints presently maintain the tiebreaker in opposition to them. Sadly for the Saints, Tom Brady sprinkled what water he hadn’t already guzzled from the Fountain of Youth on that elbow, main the Buccaneers on a game-winning landing drive that staved off a fourth consecutive loss for Tampa and stopped the Saints from reaching first place.
Off of a brief apply week, the Bengals disposed of their Week 9 opponent by doing all the pieces moreover actually inserting them in a dumpster. Following the Christian McCaffrey commerce, the Carolina Panthers appeared rejuvenated after a win in opposition to the Buccaneers and an additional time loss to the Falcons. The Bengals moved as quick as doable on Sunday afternoon to destroy any good emotions within the Panthers group by taking a 35-0 halftime lead. This victory pushed the Bengals document again over .500.
Now as a substitute of this Monday Night time Soccer matchup being for dominant positioning in a division, it has became a win that’s essential to set the desk for the again half of the season. The Saints have a monster schedule remaining with street video games in opposition to the San Francisco 49ers and Philadelphia Eagles. Whereas the Ravens schedule is far much less grueling, they’ve fairly a couple of divisional matchups remaining, together with a Week 18 rematch with the Bengals — in Cincinnati.
With each groups coping with accidents to key gamers, that is the kind of win that may purchase them a while whereas they attempt to get again to full energy to make that late playoff push.
An intra-conference primetime matchup at a rowdy Superdome in opposition to two groups with official probabilities at a division. Not a nasty strategy to finish every week with six groups on a bye.
