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Beginning in the
1970 NFL season
, the
National Football League
began scheduling a weekly regular season game on
Monday night
before a national television audience. From 1970?2005, the
ABC television network
carried these games, with the
ESPN cable television network
taking over beginning in September 2006. Listed below are games played from 1990 to 2009.
Stadiums and teams appearing under different names
[
edit
]
Some stadiums and teams had multiple names throughout their appearances in the
MNF
package in this era. All names listed were seen in the package at least once in this era.
First name listed is the current (or final if it does not exist anymore) name for each team and stadium.
Stadiums
[
edit
]
- Bank of America Stadium
? Ericsson Stadium
- Candlestick Park
? 3Com Park, Monster Park- Does not exist anymore
- The Dome at America's Center
? Trans World Dome, Edward Jones Dome - no longer an NFL stadium
- TIAA Bank Field
? Alltel Stadium, Jacksonville Municipal Stadium, Everbank Field
- FedExField
? Jack Kent Cooke Stadium
- Nissan Stadium
? Adelphia Coliseum, The Coliseum, LP Field
- M&T Bank Stadium
? PSINet Stadium
- Mall of America Field
? Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome (technically, Mall of America Field only applies to the football playing field, making the full name Mall of America Field at the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome)-Does not exist anymore
- RingCentral Coliseum
? Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum, McAfee Coliseum, Network Associates Coliseum, O.co Coliseum - no longer an NFL stadium
- SDCCU Stadium
? Jack Murphy Stadium, Qualcomm Stadium - no longer an NFL stadium
- Lumen Field
? Seahawks Stadium, Qwest Field, CenturyLink Field
- Highmark Stadium
? Rich Stadium, Ralph Wilson Stadium, New Era Field, Bills Stadium
- RCA Dome
? Hoosier Dome-Does not exist anymore
- Empower Field at Mile High
? Invesco Field at Mile High, Sports Authority Field at Mile High, Broncos Stadium at Mile High
- Hard Rock Stadium
? Joe Robbie Stadium, Land Shark Stadium, Pro Player Stadium, Sun Life Stadium
Teams
[
edit
]
1990s
[
edit
]
The November 12 game between the
Washington Redskins
and the
Philadelphia Eagles
is known as the infamous
Body Bag Game
, in which Eagles head coach
Buddy Ryan
promised a beating so severe, that the Redskins would have to be "hauled off in body bags." The Redskins had the last laugh, however, as these two teams met in the same stadium on the same network in the Wild Card playoffs ? the first ever such game aired on ABC. The Redskins won 20-6.
With the 1990 season, a new practice featured the defending Super Bowl champions playing the first Monday Night game of the season. The practice was maintained through
2003
(except for
1994
,
1995
, and
2001
). In the 1990
MNF
opener, the
San Francisco 49ers
took on the
New Orleans Saints
on September 10 roughly seven months after defeating the
Denver Broncos
in
Super Bowl XXIV
in the same stadium, the
Superdome
.
The December 31 game started at 8 PM EST rather than 9 PM EST to allow
New Year's Rockin' Eve
to air as normal. The Superdome became the first and remains the only, stadium to host both the
MNF
opener and finale in the same season. Besides the
New Orleans Saints
, the only other teams to have played in both the
MNF
opener and finale in the same season have been the
San Francisco 49ers
in
1977
,
1991
, and
1994
; the
San Diego Chargers
in
1981
; the
Dallas Cowboys
in
1982
,
1983
,
1984
, and
1995
; and the
Green Bay Packers
in
2008
. However, at least one of the games played by each of those other teams was on the road.
Super Bowl XXV
is best remembered for its signature play ?
Scott Norwood
of the
Buffalo Bills
missed what would have been the game-winning field goal, as it sailed
wide right
.
The November 25 game was the last
MNF
game played in the Los Angeles area (until
2018
), the last appearance for the
Los Angeles Rams
before moving to St. Louis in
1995
, and the last
MNF
game played in Anaheim, California. The Rams dropped to 0-4 in home
MNF
games against the arch-rival
San Francisco 49ers
, with previous defeats coming in
1976
,
1989
, and
1990
; they also lost a Thursday night home game to the 49ers in
1982
.
The September 9 game between the
Washington Redskins
and the
Dallas Cowboys
was the first
Monday Night Football
game for the Cowboys since the
1988 season
, which was
Tom Landry
's final season.
Monday Night Football
celebrated the 100th anniversary of
nighttime football
on September 28, 1992 with a game between the
Los Angeles Raiders
and the
Kansas City Chiefs
at
Arrowhead Stadium
.
[1]
The first recorded night football game was the
1892 Wyoming Seminary vs. Mansfield State Normal football game
and ended at halftime with a 0-0 tie.
[2]
The season opener on September 7 featured the defending champion facing off against the current season's champion. In this case it was the
Washington Redskins
(winner of
Super Bowl XXVI
) versus the eventual
Super Bowl XXVII
winner
Dallas Cowboys
.
The November 30 game between the Denver Broncos and the Seattle Seahawks marked the final Monday Night Football game at
Kingdome
. also the last
MNF
game in Seattle until 2002.
The September 6 game marked the first time in 10 years that the
Washington Redskins
hosted the
Dallas Cowboys
on
MNF
rather than visiting them. At the time, it was the most frequently seen match-up on the series, and it would be the last time these two teams played each other on
MNF
at
RFK Stadium
.
The September 13 game was the last win for the
Cleveland Browns
(who had won the very first
MNF
game in
1970
) on the ABC program, and last win overall until
2008
.
The October 18 game marked the first of nine meetings between the
Los Angeles Raiders
and
Denver Broncos
on
MNF
over an 11-year span, seven of these games being played in Denver.
The November 8 game marked
Green Bay Packers
Quarterback
Brett Favre
's Monday Night Football debut.
During the January 3 game, the
Philadelphia Eagles
missed a game-winning field goal as the overtime period expired, which would have left the game a
tie
. However, a penalty against the
San Francisco 49ers
allowed a re-kick, and the Eagles were granted one untimed down. On the second attempt, the field goal was good and the deadlock was barely averted, preserving the fourth of what would eventually be seven consecutive tie-free seasons.
Both
Wild Card playoff games
featured a thrilling comeback victories by Green Bay and Kansas City after both being down 17-7 in the third quarter in their respective games.
ABC was unable to air the opener of the
Dallas Cowboys
, the previous season's
Super Bowl
champion, after the NFL guaranteed
Fox
it would have the Cowboys' game at
Pittsburgh
for its main doubleheader game. It was Fox's first Sunday of televising NFL games after gaining the NFC package from
CBS
.
In the September 5 game,
San Francisco 49ers
wide receiver
Jerry Rice
broke
Jim Brown
's touchdown record.
The first two-point conversion in
MNF
history came on September 12, when
Chicago Bears
quarterback
Erik Kramer
threw a pass to
Curtis Conway
.
[3]
The October 17 game between the
Kansas City Chiefs
and the
Denver Broncos
featured a
quarterback
matchup between
Joe Montana
and
John Elway
.
Montana
led the
Chiefs
to a 75-yard game-winning drive with 8 seconds left.
The October 31 game between the
Green Bay Packers
and the
Chicago Bears
was played in a driving rain with wind gusts up to 36 mph. Coincidentally, it also marked the 11th anniversary of the death of former Bears player, coach and owner
George Halas
. At halftime, the Bears retired the #51 jersey of legendary linebacker
Dick Butkus
. The game was played four hours after
American Eagle Flight 4184
, scheduled to land at Chicago's
O'Hare International Airport
, crashed into a field in
Roselawn, Indiana
, killing all 64 passengers and four crew members aboard.
The November 7 game between the
New York Giants
and the
Dallas Cowboys
included a fight between several players from both teams, including safety
James Washington
grabbing and swinging a cameraman's tripod.
The November 21 game was the first for
Jeff Fisher
as coach of the Houston Oilers. He would remain with the franchise through the end of the 2010 season, by which point they had become the
Tennessee Titans
. This was also the last
MNF
game for the Oilers before their move to Tennessee in 1997 and their name change to the Titans in 1999, and the last one in Houston until 2008.
The December 12 game would be re-matched later that month in the
Wild Card playoffs
in the same stadium, on the same network, and would be the last NFL appearance for
Joe Montana
.
The December 19 game between the
Dallas Cowboys
and
New Orleans Saints
was the first NFL start for
Larry Allen
, who replaced
Erik Williams
after he suffered season-ending injuries from an automobile accident. Allen provided a memorable play early in the game when Saints linebacker
Darion Conner
intercepted a
Troy Aikman
pass and looked to be on his way to a breakaway touchdown. However, the 325-pound Allen surprisingly ran Conner down from behind short of the end zone. Larry Allen would play 14 seasons in the NFL and is enshrined in the
Pro Football Hall of Fame
.
The 49ers became the first, and remain the only, team to win the Super Bowl after losing the MNF season finale. Coincidentally,
Super Bowl XXIX
was also televised by ABC.
In the September 11 game,
Green Bay Packers
quarterback
Brett Favre
threw a 99-yard
touchdown
pass to
Robert Brooks
against the
Chicago Bears
. It was the eighth 99-yard
touchdown
pass in
NFL
history. The game also featured a death-defying leap when a fan caught a field goal after leaping off the side of the tunnel at
Soldier Field
.
[4]
[5]
In the October 9 game,
Kansas City Chiefs
kick returner
Tamarick Vanover
returned a
punt
86 yards for a
touchdown
to win the game for the Chiefs against the
San Diego Chargers
.
The November 13 game between the
Cleveland Browns
and
Pittsburgh Steelers
was played one week after Browns owner
Art Modell
announced that he would be
moving the team
to
Baltimore
for the 1996 season.
Two days after the November 20 game between the
San Francisco 49ers
and the
Miami Dolphins
, the world's first computer-animated movie,
Toy Story
was released by
Walt Disney Pictures
and
Pixar Animation Studios
.
Some portions of the
December 25
Dallas Cowboys
-
Arizona Cardinals
game were used in the
1996
film,
Jerry Maguire
. In that game, Dallas'
Emmitt Smith
scored his 25th rushing touchdown of this season, an NFL record.
The December 30
wild card game
between the
Detroit Lions
and
Philadelphia Eagles
was the highest-scoring playoff game in league history until it was surpassed by a 51-45 overtime win for the
Arizona Cardinals
over the
Green Bay Packers
on
January 10, 2010
.
Though the
Oakland Raiders
played two Monday Night games last season as well as one previous game this season, the November 4 matchup versus Denver marked the Raiders first home Monday Night game in Oakland since Monday December 7, 1981.
The September 22 game between the
Steelers
and the
Jaguars
(playing on Monday night for the first time in their short history) had one of the craziest endings in
MNF
history. The
Jaguars
were up 2 with almost no time left and
Pittsburgh
attempted a game-winning
field goal
.
Jacksonville
blocked it and
Chris Hudson
returned it the other way for a
touchdown
. During the return, Steelers head coach
Bill Cowher
cocked his fist back like he was going to throw a punch at Hudson when he was running down the Steelers sideline for the winning score. The
extra point
was finally kicked about 15 minutes after
ABC
signed off.
The September 29 game between the
San Francisco 49ers
and the
Carolina Panthers
was the Panthers' first
MNF
game in franchise history and the first
MNF
game in Charlotte.
The October 27 game between the
Bears
and the
Dolphins
was rescheduled because Game 7 of the
1997 World Series
, which featured the
Florida Marlins
, had to play at
Pro Player Stadium
on Sunday night, when the
Dolphins
originally were slated to host the
Bears
. Therefore, the game was moved to Monday night and was played simultaneously with the Packers-Patriots game (a rematch of
Super Bowl XXXI
, the only time
MNF
aired a rematch of a Super Bowl from the year before and the last Super Bowl rematch until the Broncos-Seahawks game in 2014). The Bears-Dolphins game, originally to be shown on Fox, was broadcast only in the Chicago and Miami areas as part of ABC's ''Monday Night Football.'' The rest of the country saw the previously scheduled game: a Super Bowl rematch between Green Bay and New England.
[6]
[7]
After the conclusion of the
Packer
game, viewers were not taken to the conclusion of the close
Bears
win but instead went to local news. Because the Bears-Dolphins game was intended to be played Sunday on
Fox
(which aired Super Bowl XXXI, at the time the network's highest-rated program ever, and would have aired the Packers-Patriots game if it was played on Sunday afternoon as well), this marked a rare time in history where the Dolphins wore their white jerseys in a nighttime home game.
The November 10 game between the
49ers
and the
Eagles
was the infamous game in which a fan had fired off a flare gun in
Veterans Stadium
, leading to the introduction of the court in the stadium.
The December 15 game between the
49ers
and the
Broncos
is remembered for
Jerry Rice
's return from a torn ACL suffered in Week 1 against
Tampa Bay
, (however he suffer a cracked kneecap on a touchdown catch in the second quarter and missed the remainder of the season) and the jersey retirement ceremony for
Joe Montana
. The game is also well known for an incident where Broncos linebacker (and former 49er)
Bill Romanowski
spitting in the face of 49ers wide receiver
J.J. Stokes
.
This season was notable because it featured the
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
for the first time since 1983 when the team lost to the
Green Bay Packers
on December 12 of that year. The team played two Monday night games in 1998 losing to Detroit in Week 4 but beating Green Bay in Week 14. Ironically, the December 1983 game was the second and final Monday night game played at
Tampa Stadium
though ABC would air
Super Bowl XXV
played at the stadium. The December 7, 1998 game versus Green Bay was the first Monday night played at
Raymond James Stadium
and came just about 5 days shy of 15 years after the previous game hosted in
Tampa
.
The October 5th game between
Minnesota
and Green Bay proved to be the coming out moment for Wide Receiver
Randy Moss
in his MNF debut. He caught 5 passes for 190 yards and 2 scores in the Minnesota victory.
The December 14 game marked
Detroit Lions
Running Back
Barry Sanders
final appearance at Monday Night Football.
The September 27 game between the
San Francisco 49ers
and the
Arizona Cardinals
is remembered for
Aeneas Williams
' knockdown of
Steve Young
that resulted in a career-ending
concussion
.
The October 25 game between the
Atlanta Falcons
and the
Pittsburgh Steelers
was the last Monday night game played at
Three Rivers Stadium
.
Two days after the November 22 game between the
Oakland Raiders
and the
Denver Broncos
, the world's first computer-animated sequel,
Toy Story 2
was released by
Walt Disney Pictures
and
Pixar Animation Studios
.
The December 27 game marked
Miami Dolphins
Quarterback
Dan Marino
final appearance at Monday Night Football.
The AFC wild card game on January 8 is remembered for a lateral on a kickoff return that gave the
Tennessee Titans
the win against the
Buffalo Bills
. It is called the
Music City Miracle
.
Super Bowl XXXIV
came down to the
final play
?
Kevin Dyson
of the Tennessee Titans was stopped just short of the end zone, preserving the victory for the
St. Louis Rams
.
2000s
[
edit
]
The September 4 game marked the first
MNF
appearance for the
previous season
's
Super Bowl
champion
St. Louis Rams
since moving from Los Angeles in
1995
, and the first
MNF
game in St. Louis in fourteen years.
The week after that, the
New York Jets
hosted the
New England Patriots
? one full year before the
September 11 attacks
devastated New York City, among other places.
The September 25 game marked
Indianapolis Colts
quarterback
Peyton Manning
's debut on
Monday Night Football
.
The October 16 game was the first actual Monday night game in
Nashville
, making the
Hank Williams Jr.
opening theme even more appropriate as Nashville is a hotbed for
country music
, which Willams plays. This was also the first
MNF
game for the
Tennessee Titans
since their move from Houston to Tennessee in
1997
, at which time they were still known as the Oilers (they were renamed as the Titans in
1999
).
The October 23 game between the
Miami Dolphins
and the
New York Jets
featured "
The Monday Night Miracle
", when
Vinny Testaverde
led the Jets to 30 points in the fourth quarter to send the game to overtime.
John Hall
kicked the game-winning
field goal
, finishing the second-biggest comeback in
NFL
history.
In overtime of the November 6 game between the
Minnesota Vikings
and the
Green Bay Packers
, Packers
wide receiver
Antonio Freeman
slipped on the wet grass, while Vikings
cornerback
Cris Dishman
deflected the pass at the 20-yard line. The ball bounced off Freeman's shoulder, he rolled over, and it fell into his chest and right hand without touching the ground. While Dishman agonized over what he thought should have been an interception, Freeman stood up and ran for the end zone, scoring the game-winning touchdown. The play was replayed and allowed.
Al Michaels
was quoted as saying in reaction to the game-winning play: "He did
WHAT?
"
The November 13 game between the Oakland Raiders and the Denver Broncos was the last Monday Night Football game played at
Mile High Stadium
.
The December 4 game between the
Kansas City Chiefs
and
New England Patriots
at New England was the first
Monday Night Football
telecast at an outdoor Northern stadium after Thanksgiving. Previously, late-season prime time games were reserved for stadiums in the South or West Coast, or domed stadiums. Cold weather prime time telecasts became routine in later years and the final Monday Night Football game at
Foxboro Stadium
.
The September 17 game between the
Minnesota Vikings
and
Baltimore Ravens
(what would have been the Ravens' first appearance on
MNF
and the first Monday night game to take place in the city of Baltimore since 1978) was rescheduled to January 7 as the entire slate of week 2 games were postponed after the
September 11 attacks
at the
World Trade Center
and
The Pentagon
.
Coincidentally, the
New York Giants
played the
Denver Broncos
in the last game prior to the September 11 attacks, and that game was credited for saving lives since it ended after midnight in
New York City
.
The September 24 game was not only the first
MNF
game since the attacks, it was also a rematch of one of the most significant games in the program's history ? 18 years before at
Lambeau Field
, the Redskins and Packers combined for 95 points, more than any other Monday night game before or since (the Packers won 48-47, on a last second
Jan Stenerud
field goal).
The October 1 game was the first Monday night game in the
New York City metropolitan area
since the attacks. A tribute to the rescue workers at the World Trade Center site was held before the game.
The October 8 game between the
St. Louis Rams
and the
Detroit Lions
was the last Monday Night Game at the
Pontiac Silverdome
, also the last
MNF
game in Detroit until 2011.
The October 22 game marked
Philadelphia Eagles
Quarterback
Donovan McNabb
's Monday Night Football debut.
The October 29 game was the first Monday night game ever played at
Heinz Field
.
Denver Broncos
kicker
Jason Elam
recorded the 20,000th point scored in
MNF
history when he kicked a field goal in the Broncos' 38-28 loss to the
Oakland Raiders
.
Due to
Christmas Eve
and
New Year's Eve
falling on Mondays in 2001, the NFL did not schedule games for those days. Instead, ABC aired Saturday night games on those weekends. The former weekend also had games on CBS and Fox that Saturday, marking one of the few times (until 2006) that three different over-the-air networks aired NFL games on the same day. In future seasons when Christmas Eve fell on a Monday, the matchup would feature two teams on the west coast.
The September 9 game between the
Pittsburgh Steelers
and the
New England Patriots
marked quarterback
Tom Brady
's Monday Night Football debut. It was also the first game played at
Gillette Stadium
.
During the October 14 game between the
San Francisco 49ers
and
Seattle Seahawks
, wide receiver
Terrell Owens
pulled out a
Sharpie
following a touchdown and autographed the football. Also was the first
MNF
game at
Seattle Seahawks Stadium
and the first
MNF
game in Seattle since 1992.
At halftime of the October 28 game between the
New York Giants
and the
Philadelphia Eagles
, the last of the fourteen clues from the television series
Push, Nevada
was revealed. By taking the appropriate letters (5th, 1st, 9th, 1st, 5th, 7th, 4th, 1st, 2nd, 7th, 5th, and 2nd) from twelve of those clues, the world "VONGEYELNAIL" was formed. Replacing the 5th, 6th, and 7th letters in the word would change it to "VONGILNAIL", translating it into the phone number 1 (866) 445-6245. The first person to call that number, Mark Nakamoto, won the grand prize of $1,045,000. It was also the final
Monday Night Football
game played at
Veterans Stadium
.
The November 11 game between the
Oakland Raiders
and the
Denver Broncos
marked the 500th
Monday Night Football
game. In commemoration, ABC used various themes and images of varied opens during commercial bumpers.
Under a new NFL policy, the NFL officially adopted a
Thursday night game
to open the season (something that was done for the first time the previous season), and no Monday night game in Week 17. The change was designed to maximize opportunities for scheduling between Week 17 and the opening week of the
playoffs
; in this way, no team could be disadvantaged by potentially having only four days between their final regular season game and a playoff game. Also, the ratings for the last game of the regular season were often low, and the game usually had no playoff meaning (the most likely reason for the scheduling move). To compensate for losing the opening night game (which was successful enough to be upgraded from cable to network television after only one year), ESPN got the Week 17 game that used to be on Monday Night, and aired it on Saturday.
The season saw two improbable comebacks occur. The
New York Giants
led their game with the
Dallas Cowboys
32-29 with 10 seconds left. An out-of-bounds kickoff allowed Dallas to quickly get into field goal position and force overtime. Dallas'
Billy Cundiff
tied an NFL record with seven field goals as the Cowboys won 35-32. Three weeks later, the
Indianapolis Colts
trailed the
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
35-14 with 3:43 remaining. They scored three touchdowns in the closing minutes and won 38-35 in overtime after an unsportsmanlike "leaping" call negated a field goal miss by the Colts. Ironically,
Simeon Rice
, the player charged with "leaping", would later play for the Colts in
2007
.
The
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
-
Philadelphia Eagles
game was the very first regular season game at
Lincoln Financial Field
, the third straight year that
MNF
opened with a stadium's first ever regular season game (following Invesco Field at Mile High in 2001 and Gillette Stadium in 2002).
The
Green Bay Packers
?
Chicago Bears
game was the first played at newly-renovated
Soldier Field
in 20 months, since a divisional playoff game on January 19, 2002, when the
Chicago Bears
lost to the
Philadelphia Eagles
. The Bears played their
2002 season
in
Champaign, Illinois
.
The
Miami Dolphins
–
San Diego Chargers
game was played at
Sun Devil Stadium
in
Tempe, Arizona
because the
Cedar Fire
in California forced evacuees to
Qualcomm Stadium
. Ironically, this was supposed to be the homecoming for former Chargers linebacker
Junior Seau
, who was playing for Miami at the time.
All AFC West teams appeared on the program in a span of three weeks: the
Kansas City Chiefs
played at the
Oakland Raiders
on October 20, the aforementioned
Miami Dolphins
-
San Diego Chargers
game, and the
New England Patriots
-
Denver Broncos
game on November 3. It was the first time since the realignment that
MNF
featured all of a division's teams in a 3-week span.
The
Green Bay Packers
–
Oakland Raiders
game was played the day after the death of the father of quarterback
Brett Favre
. In an inspiring performance, Favre threw for 399 yards and four touchdowns in the Packers' rout.
The
Philadelphia Eagles
–
Dallas Cowboys
game drew controversy when ABC aired a risque pregame skit featuring Eagles receiver
Terrell Owens
and
Desperate Housewives
actress
Nicollette Sheridan
. Owens caught three touchdowns in the game.
The
Cincinnati Bengals
played their first
MNF
game since
1992
.
The
Miami Dolphins
pulled off a classic upset over the
New England Patriots
on December 20. Trailing 17-28 with 3:59 left, the Dolphins drove 68 yards to score on
Sammy Morris
' 1-yard run with 2:07 remaining, and then on a third down play,
Tom Brady
threw as he was being sacked by
Jason Taylor
. The ill-advised, off-balance pass sailed directly to
linebacker
Brendon Ayanbadejo
, giving Miami a first down at the Patriots' 21 with 1:45 to go. Three plays later,
A. J. Feeley
threw for the game-winning score, a 21-yard pass to
Derrius Thompson
on fourth-and-10 with 1:23 left. The Dolphins wore orange jerseys for only the second time in team history.
This marked the final season for
Monday Night Football
on
ABC
.
[8]
An impromptu
doubleheader
was scheduled on September 19 when the
New Orleans Saints
scheduled Sunday home opener with the
New York Giants
was rescheduled due to
Hurricane Katrina
's extensive damage to the
Louisiana Superdome
. The game was moved to the Giants' home field at
Giants Stadium
for Monday night with a special start time of 7:30 P.M.
EDT
, though the Giants were still the road team. (Usually, the only time the Giants are the road team in their own stadium is when they play the
New York Jets
.) ABC held a
telethon
to raise money for victims of the hurricane during the broadcast. At 9 P.M., ABC viewers outside New York and New Orleans moved to the Redskins-Cowboys game, while the Giants-Saints game aired on ESPN (the inverse was true for the New York and New Orleans markets). This could be considered the
pilot episode
of the ESPN series as well. When the Giants-Saints game was over, the New York and New Orleans markets were switched to the Redskins-Cowboys for the conclusion of that game.
[9]
[10]
[11]
[12]
[13]
The September 12 game Atlanta Falcons Quarterback
Michael Vick
's debut on
Monday Night Football
.
The October 10 game between the
Pittsburgh Steelers
and the San Diego Chargers marked
Ben Roethlisberger
's Monday Night Football debut.
The record for largest Monday night victory was tied and later broken during the season. The
Seattle Seahawks
42-0 win over
Philadelphia
tied the record set in the
Miami Dolphins
' 45-3 victory over the
New York Jets
in 1986. Two weeks later, the
Baltimore Ravens
bested the margin in their win over the
Green Bay Packers
, crushing them 48-3. The Seattle win over Philadelphia was in the midst of a bad season for the Eagles and ended up leading to NBC getting flexible scheduling built into its
Sunday Night Football
schedules.
The
Atlanta Falcons
became the first team to win three home games on Monday night, beating the Eagles, Jets, and Saints. The final
Monday Night Football
game on ABC saw the
New England Patriots
beat the Jets 31-21; this was the same score the Jets were defeated by in the very first
MNF
telecast, when they played the
Cleveland Browns
. Also this marks the final Monday Night Game at
Giants Stadium
.
ABC's final NFL broadcast until 2016,
Super Bowl XL
, was plagued by controversial calls made by officials. The calls later reviewed by the NFL were all found to have merit; therefore not changing the outcome of the game. Had the Seahawks won, they would have been one of a handful of teams to beat both Pennsylvania-based NFL teams on ABC in the same season.
This marked the first season of Monday night games broadcast on
ESPN
. The season began with the first-ever scheduled Monday night
doubleheader
. The
Minnesota Vikings
and the
Washington Redskins
had the honor of playing ESPN's first ever telecast with the Vikings winning the game in a defensive battle. The
San Diego Chargers
shut out the
Oakland Raiders
in the night cap and also marked
Philip Rivers
Monday Night Football debut.
September 25 saw the
New Orleans Saints
return to the
Louisiana Superdome
for the first time since
Hurricane Katrina
. The game was preceded by musical performances by the
Goo Goo Dolls
,
Green Day
, and
U2
.
The October 23 game between the
New York Giants
and the
Dallas Cowboys
became the highest-rated program in the history of cable television, being watched by over 16 million people.
[14]
The December 18 game between the
Cincinnati Bengals
and the
Indianapolis Colts
was the last Monday night game played at
RCA Dome
.
The
December 25
match between the
New York Jets
and
Miami Dolphins
was the second game of the day as
NBC
aired a game between the
Philadelphia Eagles
and the
Dallas Cowboys
. This marked the first time since
1997
both networks aired a game on the same day.
The October 8 game between the
Dallas Cowboys
and the
Buffalo Bills
marked
Tony Romo
's Monday Night Football debut.
The November 26
Miami Dolphins
?
Pittsburgh Steelers
contest was the lowest-scoring game in
Monday Night Football
's 38-year history; it threatened to become the first scoreless NFL game since
1943
until just 17 seconds remaining, when Steelers kicker
Jeff Reed
booted a 24-yard field goal to win it, 3?0. Both offenses were stymied by a heavy thunderstorm which delayed kickoff for about twenty minutes; also, local high school football championship games the preceding weekend left the field in less-than-desirable shape. (The game also marked the return of Dolphins linebacker
Joey Porter
to Pittsburgh where he won a
Super Bowl
with the Steelers in
2005
.)
The December 3
New England Patriots
?
Baltimore Ravens
game finished with 17.5 million viewers, topping the debut of corporate sibling
Disney Channel
's premiere of the
High School Musical 2
movie as the highest-rated
cable television
program of all-time.
The October 29 game between the
Green Bay Packers
and the
Denver Broncos
marked the Packers' first win in Denver after losing their previous 7 games. Also this was the final
MNF
game for Brett Favre with the Green Bay Packers
On September 8,
Aaron Rodgers
debuted as the starting quarterback for the
Green Bay Packers
in their victory over the
Minnesota Vikings
. It was the first game since September 20,
1992
in which
Brett Favre
was not the team's starter.
The September 15 game was the highest combined score in the 98 meetings between the
Philadelphia Eagles
and the
Dallas Cowboys
, and the second-highest score in the first half of any
MNF
game. The game drew 18.6 million viewers, the most-watched
MNF
game on ESPN and the most-watched cable television broadcast in history. The game was also the last
MNF
game for
Texas Stadium
as the Cowboys would move into
Cowboys Stadium
the next season.
The December 1 game between the
Jacksonville Jaguars
and the
Houston Texans
was the Texans' first
MNF
game in franchise history and the first
MNF
game in Houston since 1994.
The temperature at kickoff for the December 22 game between the
Green Bay Packers
and the
Chicago Bears
was 2 degrees, making it the coldest game in the history of
Monday Night Football
and the coldest NFL game ever played in Chicago.
[15]
Before 2000, Monday night games in December or January were played in the South, the West Coast, or domed stadiums to avoid extreme cold.
The September 28 game between the
Carolina Panthers
and the
Dallas Cowboys
was the first time Cowboys Stadium (now
AT&T Stadium
) hosted a Monday night game.
The next week featured the
Minnesota Vikings
hosting the
Green Bay Packers
marked the first time quarterback
Brett Favre
faced his former team. Favre completed 24 of his 31 pass attempts for 271 yards and 3 touchdowns and became the first quarterback in NFL history to defeat all 32 current franchises. On defense, Vikings defensive end
Jared Allen
had a career-best 4.5 sacks. On the business front, the game scored an overnight metered 14.2 Nielsen rating including a 58.3 rating in
Minneapolis
and a 49.7 rating in
Green Bay
. In addition, the game averaged 21.8 million viewers which made the game the highest-rated program in cable television history, also was the final Monday Night Football played at
Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome
. In second place was Week 12's hyped matchup between the undefeated
New Orleans Saints
and
New England Patriots
which averaged 21.4 million viewers.
[16]
[17]
The November 2 game marked
Atlanta Falcons
Quarterback
Matt Ryan
's debut on
Monday Night Football
.
The November 18 game the Baltimore Ravens and the Cleveland Browns marked
Joe Flacco
's Monday Night Football debut.
Team Standings (1990?2009)
[
edit
]
The postseason games, though covered by the ABC Monday Night Football team, are excluded from the standings.
- ^
Los Angeles Raiders, 1982-1994
- ^
Houston Oilers, 1960-1996
- ^
Los Angeles Rams, 1946?1994, 2016-present
- ^
First season: 1995
- ^
First season: 1995
- ^
First season: 1996
- ^
First season: 2002
See also
[
edit
]
References
[
edit
]
- Total Football II,
, Edited by Bob Carroll, Michael Gershman, David Neft and John Thorn, Harper Collins Publishing, 1999.
ISBN
0-06-270174-6
.
- ^
Kansas City Chiefs
Archived
2008-05-30 at the
Wayback Machine
Year-by-year record
- ^
Mansfield, Pennsylvania ? It happened one night ? First Football under lights ? Mansfield PA 1892
- ^
"Chicago Bears at Philadelphia Eagles - September 12th, 1994"
.
Pro-Football-Reference.com
.
- ^
"Man catches extra point: The Mike Pantazis story"
. 7 November 2014.
- ^
"- YouTube"
.
YouTube
.
- ^
Archives, L. A. Times (1997-10-26).
"Bears-Dolphins on Monday Too"
.
Los Angeles Times
. Retrieved
2024-01-04
.
- ^
"N.F.L. WEEK 9; Bears-Dolphins Postponed"
.
The New York Times
. Associated Press. 1997-10-27.
ISSN
0362-4331
. Retrieved
2024-01-04
.
- ^
Miller, Shales, James Andrew, Tom.
Those Guys Have All the Fun: Inside the World of ESPN
(PDF)
. p. 564.
{{
cite book
}}
: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (
link
)
- ^
Dempsey, John (2005-09-06).
"
'MNF' will air Saints game"
.
Variety
. Retrieved
2024-01-04
.
- ^
"Saints-Giants game moved to Monday, Sept. 19"
.
ESPN.com
. 2005-09-05
. Retrieved
2024-01-04
.
- ^
Schwartz, Paul (2005-09-06).
"SAINTS GAME SEPT. 19"
. Retrieved
2024-01-04
.
- ^
By (2005-09-06).
"GIANTS HOST SAINTS SEPT. 19"
.
Hartford Courant
. Retrieved
2024-01-04
.
- ^
Battista, Judy (2005-09-06).
"Saints to Play Relocated Game Against Giants on a Monday"
.
The New York Times
.
ISSN
0362-4331
. Retrieved
2024-01-04
.
- ^
"Giants-Cowboys draws largest cable audience"
.
ESPN
. October 25, 2006
. Retrieved
2006-10-26
.
- ^
"Bears Notes: Team plays coldest Chicago pro football game | Northwest Herald"
.
www.nwherald.com
. Archived from
the original
on 2016-01-09.
- ^
"Buy a Domain Name - World's Best Domains For Sale"
.
- ^
"ESPN's Monday Night Football Scores Highest Rating Since 2009 with Redskins-Cowboys"
. 28 October 2014.
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