The Baltimore Ravens headed to New Orleans to face off in Week 9 on Monday Night Football. Of course, we all knew the likely outcome, but quarterback Andy Dalton has shown flashes of elite football, so we were all wondering if he could hold his own against a healthy Ravens’ defense. Unfortunately, MNF disappointed us, once again, regarding the entertainment value provided. NFL MNF Week 9.
I hate to be a negative Nancy, but there’s only been one game that has been exciting to watch on MNF this season. Unless, of course, you are a fan of the winning team or your fantasy players had surprising performances. Those two things aside, most people are turning the game off somewhere in the third quarter.
Let’s take a look at what happened in Week 9 of MNF.
MNF Game Recap
First Half Bores
To sum up the first quarter, wide receiver Chris Olave caught a nice throw from Andy Dalton. Quarterbacks Lamar Jackson and Andy Dalton were sacked. It wasn’t until 13:37 when the rookie tight end Isaiah Likely caught a bomb from Jackson to put the first score on the board.
The first quarter came to a close with the Ravens up 7-0. Alvin Kamara, bless his little heart, tried to help his team but just couldn’t make his way down the field. The Ravens’ defense read the Saints’ offense like a book.
The second quarter looked more promising than the second but still turned up very little in the entertainment category. Lamar was Lamar. He broke tackles, got out of the pocket, picked up first downs and ran his heiney off. Jackson handed the ball off to running back Kenyan Drake, then Mr. Reliable, Justin Tucker, kicked the extra point to put the Ravens up 14-0 with two minutes left in the half.
It looked like the Saints were finally putting something together as they ran and received the ball with big plays but couldn’t get the rock into the end zone. Wil Lutz came onto the field and kicked the ball through the uprights for three points as time expired to end the half.
Second Half Domination NFL MNF Week 9
Andy Dalton and the Saints went into the locker room visibly irritated that they couldn’t come together and make anything happen.
After a long drive by the Ravens, they settled for a field goal with the first score of the second half with 8:26 left on the clock in the third quarter. It felt like a decade until the next score was put on the board. Watching Dalton scramble around the field as he tried to connect with his receivers was excruciating. Finally, Wil Lutz returned to the field again and kicked a 37-yard field goal.
The third quarter belonged to Tucker and Lutz, the only two players to score.Â
The fourth quarter was fairly quiet until 6:29 into the game when the Ravens sent Justin Tucker back to the field for a successful 41-yard field goal.Â
Unfortunately for the Saints, Andy Dalton’s throw was tipped in the air, and the ball landed in the hands of Ravens’ Justin Houston. That turnover ended the Saints’ momentum. Again, the Ravens pounded the rock down the field, and it was Kenyan Drake, again, with the touchdown.
With roughly four minutes left in the game, Dalton was finally able to connect with a receiver. Juwan Johnson caught the ball and ran for 41 yards into the end zone. Wil Lutz missed the extra point attempt, which punctuated the game for the Saints. Â
Overall, it was clear that neither team played to their full ability, but the Ravens ultimately outplayed the Saints.
Key Stats
- Lamar Jackson: 12-22 for 133 yards and one touchdown
- Kenyan Drake: 24 rushes for 93 yards and two touchdowns
- Isaiah Likely: 24 yards on one reception and one touchdown
- Andy Dalton: 19-29 for 210 yards, one touchdown and one interception
- Alvin Kamara: 9 rushes for 30 yards
- Chris Olave: 6 receptions for 71 yards
- Honorable mention: Juwan Johnson: 2 receptions for 42 yards and one touchdown
Takeaways NFL MNF Week 9
Michael Thomas is out for New Orleans for the remainder of the season. Still, Andy Dalton has weapons in Alvin Kamara, Chris Olave, Jarvis Landry, Tre-Quan Smith, Marquez Callaway, Taysom Hill and Juwan Johnson. There’s no excuse for the Saints. They should not be 3-6 this far into the season. They need to focus on their receiving corps, and Dalton needs to get it together and make more successful plays.
Believe it or not, this is one of Dalton’s best seasons on paper. However, their strength of schedule (SOS) is not looking great for the remainder of the season. They face the Steelers, Rams and 49ers in the next three weeks. Will Jameis Winston be the starter moving forward? We will see. Dalton may have lost the starting job after his performance last night.
The game belonged to Kenyan Drake, who led the running room with Gus Edwards out with a hamstring injury. He proved that if he is given the ball, he can and will produce. The Ravens are mostly healthy and should be able to continue their momentum and will likely be able to do so until they face the Broncos in Week 13. NFL MNF Week 9 NFL MNF Week 9 NFL MNF Week 9.
Thanks for joining me this week! I’ll be back next week to give you all the highlights when the Washington Commanders head to Philly to face the undefeated Eagles.
For more from me, you can find all of my work on Twitter @JenPolvogt.
