Monday Night Football remains one of the most popular television programs in the country. Shining the light on one NFL game garners plenty of viewership for several reasons. But when the game is excellent on paper, it adds a little more juice. The greatest games on Monday Night Football had the extra pizzazz and then some.
Breaking News
Monday Night Football has had its fair share of overtime thrillers, so it takes something special for a game to separate itself from the rest. On December 8, 1980, the Miami Dolphins kicked a game-winning field goal to down their rival, the New England Patriots, 16–13 in overtime. While it was a hard-fought battle, the only thing anyone remembers is Howard Cossell, one of the most legendary broadcasters ever, alerting the American public about John Lennon’s assassination.
A Pair of Packers’ Moments
The Green Bay Packers aren’t strangers to playing under the lights, thanks to Brett Favre and Aaron Rodgers being under center for three decades. Two of those games stand out for their improbable endings.
The first game happened on November 6, 2000; the Packers emerged victorious in a comeback effort against their hated rivals, the Minnesota Vikings, 26–20 in overtime. It wasn’t so much the game’s competitiveness—although that was fantastic—but rather, the insane catch Antonio Freeman made on a Brett Favre prayer. The Vikings’ defensive back, Chris Dishman, deflected a ball that appeared to hit the turf, making it incomplete. Instant replay told a different story, as the ball landed on Freeman without hitting the ground.
The second game of Packers lore made fans quickly forget Freeman’s moment. The infamous “Fail Mary” play gave the Seahawks the 14–12 victory, ultimately ending the NFL referee strike after the total debauchery of the ending of that game.
Chiefs & Rams Light Up the Scoreboard
The hype behind the contest between the Los Angels Rams and Kansas City Chiefs made it almost impossible to live up to. There was no way these two high-powered offenses would go back and forth like a true heavyweight fight, right? They did that and more, eventually leading to a 54–51 victory for the Rams in one of the sport’s most outstanding displays of offensive football.
A Moment of Healing in New Orleans
Hurricane Katrina brought devastation throughout New Orleans, causing the Saints to move their home games to LSU and the Alamodome in San Antonio for the entirety of 2005. The following year, the Saints returned to renovated Superdome on Monday night against the Atlanta Falcons. It was obvious from the opening kick that the dirty birds of Georgia had zero chance of winning that night. And Steve Gleason’s blocked punt made that clear relatively quickly.
You’ll likely hear about these greatest games ever played on Monday Night Football for decades. Each moment helped contribute to football’s legendary status in the sports world.
