Are you ready for some defense? Is Brett Favre ready to face angry Jets fans in New York, that don’t have many fond memories of his time there? Is Mark Sanchez ready to step up against a top ranked NFL defense and perform? All of these questions and more will be answered on Monday Night. The Minnesota Vikings (1-2) go into the new Meadow Lands Stadium and take on the New York Jets (3-1) on one of the most anxiously awaited Monday Night Football games of the 2010 season. This will be Brett Favre’s second to last Monday Night appearance ever, and it will be his last appearance in an NFL game as a 40 year old. Favre has saved some of his best performances as a pro for the Monday Night spotlight, and this will also be a chance for him to come out and make a statement, and silence many of his early season critics with a good performance.

Besides all of the hoopla that surrounds Favre, this will be must watch football for many NFL fans who like to key in on great individual performances on both offense and defense. Both teams have very good running backs in Ladanian Tomlinson for the Jets, and Adrian Peterson for the Vikings. They both will also be sporting two of the most dominating defensive players currently in the NFL, with Jarred Allen and Darrelle Revis. Speaking of defense, with all of the hype that has surrounded the Jets self proclaimed great defense, and the nicknames like Gang Green and Revis Island, The Minnesota Vikings defense has actually out performed them. The Vikings are coming off a bye week, but the same thing could almost be said for the Jets, because they played the Buffalo Bills (0-4) last week. Sorry Jets and Bills fans, but the facts are the facts. And the fact is, the Buffalo Bills just aren’t really that good.

Favre isn’t the only quarterback who has his critics in this game though. Mark Sanchez has pretty much been non-existent when he lines up against good NFL defenses. He couldn’t do anything in the playoffs last season against the Indianapolis Colts, and he did a disappearing act again this season, when the jets faced the Baltimore Ravens in week 1. The Vikings come into this game as +4 underdogs, but that could all change quickly, because there are serious trade talks going on with the New England Patriots for wide receiver Randy Moss. With an explosive wide receiver like Randy Moss in the Vikings lineup, I think they automatically become a better team, and a serious Super Bowl contender.

The New York Jets played in the first network televised Monday Night Football game ever, and were defeated by the Cleveland Browns. They have also been involved in one of the most one-sided Monday Night games ever, when they were beaten badly by the Miami Dolphins 45-3, on November 24 th 1986. Brett Favre was involved in the most viewed Monday Night game ever, just last season, when 21.8 million viewers tuned in to watch Favre beat his old team, the Green Bay Packers. I don’t know if this game will live up to all of the hype that surrounds it, but I do know one thing for sure. I’ll be watching the game, along with millions of other NFL fans, to see the outcome.