Monday Night Football schedule and results: Andrew Luck, Colts crush Giants

When one of his rich passing gains appeared in jeopardy due to a potential coach’s challenge, Luck did what you wish your quarterback would do, hurry, hurry, hurry ...Yes! Too late, already the next play, ball gone and a touchdown pass, to boot.

This is what the NFL’s No. 1 offense looks like.

The national anthem is played at every sporting event we watch, and too often, we see those called upon to sing it try to steal the spotlight. Instead of letting the focus be on a beautiful song about a great country, they try to make it about them. You know what I mean -- the “o’er the land of the freeeEEEEEEEEEEEEE (glass breaks) and the hooome of the brayayayayayaaaaaaayyyyyayayave” type of stuff.

Chris Botti’s trumpet rendition at Giants-Colts didn’t do that. It was understated, yet powerful, a beautiful rendition that moved Colts WR Reggie Wayne to tears.

For Giants fans, this picture says it all:

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Before Monday Night Football, cameras captured Giants WR Odell Beckham Jr. snagging balls in warmups and OH MY GOODNESS

But alas, a Colts defender had to come in at the last beat to ruin this rare moment.

The Giants are losing by 27 points on what’s becoming a chillier Monday night as each minute passes. No one is having fun at MetLife Stadium -- not the fans, and certainly not the Giants players. We’re used to seeing Manningface on a weekly basis during Giants games, but now it’s quickly spreading through the crowd.

Coughlin tried to get the ref’s attention as the Colts raced up to the line of scrimmage to hustle off the next play, which went for 32 yards and a Fleener touchdown. The Giants were caught flat-footed and looking over at their own sideline on what they assumed was going to be a play that was blown dead, but Coughlin was too late getting the attention of the official and fetching his red challenge flag from his sock.

Whether the play was overturned or not, the subsequent completion to a wide-open Fleener doesn’t happen if Coughlin could just get his stupid challenge flag loose and out onto the field. Instead, the head referee had to bluntly announce to the home crowd that the “challenge flag is ignored” as the Colts lined up for an extra point.

Update: According to the Giants, Amukamara suffered a torn bicep.

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At least they’ve only gone backwards once! (The next drive went for 43 yards, but... yes, it ended in a punt.)

Weatherford’s strength sometimes pays off on the field -- and it did on Monday Night Football tonight against the Colts:

Monday is the day you’re supposed to hit the gym. Gotta work off all those wings and pints of beer, right? Yeah, yeah, but you gotta work all day and then there’s FOOTBALL at night again! Well, we’ve got the solution: get fit WHILE you watch football. With the ultra-predictable “Monday Night Football” broadcast, it should be a breeze!

It’s real simple. Think of it like a drinking game, but with more sweating (or less, depending on your drinking regimen). Something on the list happens, you do the appropriate exercise. Got it? Get to it.

Ahmad Bradshaw - Though Richardson remains the starter in Indianapolis, Bradshaw has definitely separated himself as the Colts top back. He leads the team, averaging 4.9 yards per carry and is on pace for 12 receiving touchdowns, the most by a running back in NFL history.

Odell Beckham Jr. - Despite missing the first four games of the season, Beckham has made quite the impact on the Giants offense. Since returning from injury, Beckham is averaging a touchdown a game. More importantly, his presence stretches opposing defenses and opens things up underneath for the tight ends led by Donnell.

Although the Giants have ground to make up in the NFC East, there may be an opening. Dallas quarterback Tony Romo is hobbled by a back injury and Brandon Weeden looked terrible in relief on Sunday. Philadelphia’s Nick Foles broke his collarbone and will likely miss a few weeks, moving Mark Sanchez into the starting role. A win on Monday would be a solid step in the right direction and get New York back in the race.

The experts, for the most part, don’t think they can. Eleven of ESPN’s 14 experts are picking the Colts, as are seven of the eight at Fox Sports. Six of CBS’s eight panelists are also going with Indy, although four of them think the Giants will cover the 3.5-point spread.

CBS senior columnist Pete Prisco is one of the few predicting the upset, calling a 28-20 Giants win.