Memorable Monday Night Moments

The NFL has invested a lot into its centennial season this year, which is completely understandable.  The 100th season is quite a milestone that deserves to be celebrated.  But lost in the mix of the league's centennial was the 50th anniversary of arguably the NFL's biggest property outside the Super Bowl.  I'm, of course, talking about Monday Night Football.

At first it seemed like a crazy thought.  A regular season NFL game in prime time on Monday night every week.  But Roone Arledge's crazy idea has since become a national institution.  It turned Howard Cosell into a household name, former players Frank Gifford and Don Meredith are now associated more with Monday Night Football than anything else, and we had the Michaels and Madden pairing (one of the best broadcast booths in NFL history) at the end of the ABC run.  And let's not forget Hank Williams, Jr., and his song "All My Rowdy Friends," which has been the Monday night anthem ever since it was introduced in 1989.

Over the past 50 years, more than 700 games have been played on Monday nights, first on ABC and, since 2006, on ESPN.  Some of them have been totally forgettable.  Others have provided Monday Night Football with those signature moments that nobody will ever be able to forget.

So, in honor of Monday Night Football's just-concluded 50th season, here are 10 of the most memorable Monday night games in history.  This is by no means a comprehensive list.  There are obviously much more than 10 games that could've made the cut.  Likewise, I'm not ranking these games.  It's absurd to rank one game as the "best" Monday nighter ever.  As a result, I'm sorting these games chronologically.

September 21, 1970 (Browns 31, Jets 21): It wasn't just the first game of the Monday night experiment, it was the first-ever meeting between the Jets and the Browns, now conference rivals in the new AFC in the first season of the post-merger NFL.  This one is memorable for its historical significance, of course, but it also featured a 94-yard kickoff return touchdown to start the second half.

November 18, 1985 (Redskins 23, Giants 21): No one remembers the fact that the Redskins won this game.  In fact, this game is remembered for one reason and one reason only.  In what might've been the most gruesome scene in the series' 50-year history, Lawrence Taylor ended Joe Theismann's career with a crushing sack that broke Theismann's leg in two places...and was replayed over and over again (and even featured in the opening montage of The Blind Side).

December 2, 1985 (Dolphins 38, Bears 24): Two weeks after LT nearly killed Theismann, Monday Night Football enjoyed the highest-rated game in its history.  The legendary '85 Bears came into the Orange Bowl with a 12-0 record.  The Dolphins made sure that their 1972 squad would remain the only undefeated team in NFL history.

November 30, 1987 (Raiders 37, Seahawks 14): Remember how good Bo Jackson was?  Well, he sure didn't disappoint in his Monday Night Football debut.  The game itself wasn't competitive, but Bo put on a show.  His 91-yard touchdown run into the tunnel was a thing of beauty, and you can't convince me it wasn't the inspiration for the scene in Forrest Gump where Forrest does the same thing.  Maybe Bo "just felt like run-ning" too!

December 3, 1990 (49ers 7, Giants 3): San Francisco was the two-time defending champions.  The Giants would go on to win the Super Bowl (also on ABC).  They both entered the game 10-1, having both suffered their first loss the previous week.  It was supposed to be an offensive shootout.  It ended up being a 7-3 defensive struggle.  Six weeks later, they'd meet again in the same stadium for the NFC Championship.

October 17, 1994 (Chiefs 31, Broncos 28): Any list of the most memorable Monday night games in history has to include this one.  Two Hall of Fame quaterbacks (Joe Montana vs. John Elway), a heated division rivalry, and a classic game-winning drive.  Montana led Kansas City 75 yards down the field and threw the winning touchdown pass with eight seconds left.

October 23-24, 2000 (Jets 40, Dolphins 37): When Monday Night Football turned into Tuesday Morning Football.  It's called the "Monday Night Miracle," and for good reason!  The Dolphins led 30-7 before the Jets scored 23 unanswered points in the fourth quarter.  Offensive lineman Jumbo Elliott caught the game-tying touchdown pass with 30 seconds left, and the Jets kicked a field goal in OT to win it.

October 6, 2003 (Colts 38, Buccaneers 35): Another crazy Monday night comeback took place three years later in Tony Dungy's return to Tampa.  The defending champion Bucs led 35-14 with 3:43 left.  As if that was a problem for Peyton Manning!  Indianapolis, incredibly, scored three touchdowns to force overtime, then Mike Vanderjagt, after a "leaping" penalty on his first attempt, kicked the game-winner to cap the insane comeback.

September 25, 2006 (Saints 23, Falcons 3): ESPN's first season featured one of the most significant moments in Monday night history--the Saints' first game back at the Superdome after Hurricane Katrina.  And they dominated!  New Orleans blocked a punt for a touchdown 90 seconds into the game, and the party was on from there.  After a year of devastation, fans in the Big Easy finally had something to cheer about again.

November 19, 2018 (Rams 54, Chiefs 51): Finally, we have last season's Game of the Year.  The Rams and Chiefs were originally supposed to play in Mexico City, but the game got moved to the LA Coliseum.  Too bad for the fans South of the Border.  Because they missed a show!  Jared Goff and Patrick Mahomes trading blows back-and-forth all night long to the tune of 105 combined points!  The first Monday night game in Los Angeles since 1991 was well worth the wait.  It lived up to the hype and then some!  In fact, it might've been the greatest regular season game in NFL history!