When the Jets host defending Super Bowl champion New England tonight, it will be the final Monday Night Football game as we know it – ABC will move the longest running show in prime time over to ESPN at the start of the 2006 season as NBC's Sunday night package becomes the league's new showcase, with an contractual ability to move choice games from Sunday afternoon to Sunday night on short notice.
As expected, Wayne Chrebet has played his last down of football, retiring this week after with his ninth concussion, which was incurred as he converted a key third down in a Week 9 loss to San Diego proved too much for any licensed doctor to pretend to ignore.
The oft-reported conversation between Chrebet and wife Amy the day after that game:
(The expression on her face, he said, told him that his football career was over.)
"Do you know something I don't know?"
"Yeah."
"So I'm done."
"Yeah."
"Sorry."
So between that and the shocking death of the son of Tony Dungy, head coach Herm Edwards' closest friend in the league, the Jets may have something left to play for tonight. Look for a close game, perhaps a 24-21 Patriots win.
Photo by AP/Tim Larsen
