List of Monday Night Football results ( 1970 – 1989 ) 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 1970 - 1989 . Stadiums and teams appearing under different names . Some stadiums and teams had multiple names throughout their appearances in the " MNF " package in this era . First name listed is the stadium / team ' s name heading into 1990 . All names were seen in the package at least once in this era . 1970s . 1970 NFL season . The October 19 game between the Washington Redskins and Oakland Raiders was originally scheduled as a coaching matchup between the legendary Vince Lombardi of the Redskins and the Raiders ' second - year mentor , John Madden . However , Lombardi died of colon cancer six weeks before the contest . Following their humiliating shutout in the November 16 game , the Cowboys would go on a seven - game winning streak , not losing until a deciding field goal in the final seconds of Super Bowl V against the Baltimore Colts . The November 23 game became infamous when Howard Cosell slurred his way through the first half and vomited on Don Meredith ' s boots at halftime . Cosell left Franklin Field prior to the second half , leaving Meredith to finish the game with Keith Jackson . 1971 NFL season . The October 11 game was the final NFL contest played in the Cotton Bowl . The Dallas Cowboys moved into Texas Stadium for its next home game on October 24 vs . the New England Patriots . Wide receiver Dave Smith of the Pittsburgh Steelers became a part of Monday Night Football lore with an infamous mistake in the October 18th game against the Kansas City Chiefs . Smith was en route to scoring on a 50 - yard pass play when he raised the ball over his head before reaching the end zone . Smith lost control of the ball , thinking he had already scored , with the mistake resulting in a touchback for the Chiefs . The November 1 game between the visiting Detroit Lions and the Green Bay Packers ended in a 14 - 14 tie at County Stadium in Milwaukee . The first tie in the history of the " Monday Night Football " series . The December 13 game saw the triumphant return of George Allen to the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum , where he coached the Los Angeles Rams for five seasons ( 1966 – 70 ) . Allen ' s new team , the Washington Redskins , clinched its first playoff berth since 1945 with a 38 - 24 victory over the Rams , also handing the NFC West championship to the San Francisco 49ers . Ironically , the 49ers ousted the Redskins from the playoffs with a 24 - 20 victory 13 days later . In addition , one of the contestants for an NFL Punt , Pass and Kick contest shown during the game would be future Philadelphia Eagles head coach Andy Reid . 1972 NFL season . The October 9 game between the Oakland Raiders and Houston Oilers at the Astrodome is infamous for an awkward off - field incident . During the game , which the Raiders won in a 34 - 0 shutout , ABC cameras had panned out and showed several fans leaving . A cameraman caught one of the few to stay in the game , who showed his disgust with the Oilers ' performance by raising his middle finger , prompting Don Meredith to quip , " We ' re number 1 in the nation . " The November 27 game saw the Miami Dolphins make their lone primetime appearance during their 17 - 0 season . The Dolphins had little trouble in dispatching the outclassed St . Louis Cardinals , one of seven games the Dolphins won that season against teams which won four or fewer games . 1973 NFL season . The Broncos and Bills were the last of the 26 teams of the merged NFL to make their first appearances on the program , but not against each other , rather , alone in consecutive weeks . During what would be Don Meredith ' s final season of his first Monday Night stint , he was the center of three incidents in a three - week stand . In the Oakland - Denver game on October 22 , Meredith famous quipped , " We ' re in the Mile High City , and so am I " ( referring to his marijuana use at the time ) , followed by his drinking through the Buffalo - Kansas City game the following week . Finally , on November 5 during the Steelers - Redskins matchup , he referred to President Richard Nixon by the nickname of " Tricky Dick " . The October 8 game ended in dramatic fashion as Redskins safety Ken Houston stopped Cowboy running back Walt Garrison at the Washington one - yard - line as time expired to preserve a 14 - 7 Redskin victory . The Minnesota Vikings entered the November 19th game in Atlanta with a spotless 9 - 0 record , but left with their first loss . The Falcons jumped out to a 17 - 7 halftime lead , then held on as the Vikings came up one yard short on fourth down at the Atlanta 39 with 55 seconds to play . The victory was the Falcons sixth in a row . 1974 NFL season . The season - opening contest in Buffalo on September 16 marked the start of a three - year stint for Alex Karras as a color commentator for the show . Karras had replaced Fred Williamson , who had originally replaced Don Meredith , but was dismissed after a poorly - received effort during a few preseason contests . The October 14 game between the Lions and 49ers marked the final Monday Night Football game ever at Tiger Stadium . Facing huge competition from the October 28 CBS broadcast of the wedding of Rhoda Morgenstern on Rhoda and NBC ' s November 18 broadcast of The Godfather , ratings for Monday Night Football take a hit for those two contests . 1975 NFL season . The Oakland Raiders ' defeat of the Miami Dolphins on September 22 ended the Dolphins 31 - game home winning streak . During this game , ABC switched at halftime to ABC News anchor Harry Reasoner for an update on the assassination attempt on President Ford by Sara Jane Moore earlier that day . The final Monday Night Football game of the season offers one of the least attractive contests in the six - year history of the program . The 1 - 11 San Diego Chargers host the 3 - 9 New York Jets , with the Chargers pulling an upset 24 - 16 victory . Non - Monday games covered by ABC Monday Night Football team 1976 NFL season . This season saw the first Monday night overtime game since overtime was instituted in 1974 , as the Redskins kicked a field goal in the extra period to beat the Eagles 20 - 17 . The October 11 game marked the first time the Rams had ever been shut out at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in their team history . The 49ers sacked Rams quarterback James Harris 10 times , six alone by defensive end Tommy Hart . The October 18 game featured Alex Karras singing a fight song written for the New York Jets by then - head coach Lou Holtz before the kickoff ( which was repeated for the NFL Top 10 series in the episode on " Coaches Who Belonged in College " ) . 1976 also marked the program using a new theme song for the introduction . Non - Monday games covered by ABC Monday Night Football team 1977 NFL season . The September 26 game was decided in overtime on Don Cockroft ' s 35 - yard field goal with 10 : 15 left in the extra session . The October 10 game was Joe Namath ' s last NFL start and last NFL game . Non - Monday games covered by ABC Monday Night Football team 1978 NFL season . The September 18 game between the Colts and the Patriots featured a " Monday Night Football " - record 41 points scored between the two teams in the fourth quarter , 27 by the Colts . Colts running back Joe Washington had a memorable performance , scoring or helping score his teams ' final three touchdowns . His catch of a touchdown pass tied the game at 20 - 20 , and then he threw an option pass to Roger Carr to put the Colts ahead 27 - 20 . After the Patriots tied it late , Washington returned the ensuing kickoff 96 yards for the winning touchdown . The November 20 game between the Dolphins and the Oilers featured a memorable performance by Oilers ' rookie running back Earl Campbell . Campbell rushed for 199 yards and four touchdowns in a nip - and - tuck game that was capped off by his 81 - yard scoring run in the fourth quarter . The November 27 game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and San Francisco 49ers kicked off at 6 p . m . Pacific time , just hours after San Francisco mayor George Moscone and city supervisor Harvey Milk were murdered at City Hall by former supervisor Dan White . NFL commissioner Pete Rozelle , a former publicity director at the University of San Francisco , did not consider postponing the game . During the game , a large protest march to the steps of City Hall took place . Non - Monday games covered by ABC Monday Night Football team 1979 NFL season . The September 4 opening game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and New England Patriots was stopped for more than five minutes in the second quarter to acknowledge former Patriots wide receiver Darryl Stingley , who was seated in a luxury box at Schaefer Stadium . Stingley had suffered a career - ending injury 13 months earlier that had left him a quadriplegic . The October 1 game at Lambeau Field marked the first time ever that a Monday Night Football game had taken place in Green Bay . The three previous Packers home games in the series had taken place in Milwaukee ( 1970 , 1971 , and 1973 ) . In the November 12 game between the Eagles and the Cowboys , Eagles kicker Tony Franklin booted a 59 - yard field goal . In the December 3 Raiders / Saints game , Ken Stabler rallied the Raiders from a 35 - 14 deficit . He threw a 8 - yard touchdown pass to Cliff Branch for the winning score . Non - Monday games covered by ABC Monday Night Football team 1980s . 1980 NFL season . The November 24 game was the one where New Orleans Saints fans , watching what would become a dreadful 1 - 15 campaign that season , began wearing paper bags over their heads and referring to the team as the " Aints " . The December 8 game will be forever remembered for Howard Cosell ' s announcement of the murder of John Lennon during the fourth quarter . ABC News ' " Nightline " provided live coverage of Lennon ' s death shortly after the conclusion of the game . Non - Monday games covered by ABC Monday Night Football team 1981 NFL season . Non - Monday games covered by ABC Monday Night Football team 1982 NFL season . This was the season in which a nine week players strike forced the NFL to postpone seven regular season games . The September 20 game between the Packers and the Giants would be the last game played until November 21 . The Packers - Giants game was the first Monday Night game hosted by the Giants . In the January 3 game between the Cowboys and the Vikings , Cowboys running back Tony Dorsett ran for 99 yards and a touchdown - still the longest running play from scrimmage in the NFL . Worth noting is that the Cowboys had only ten players on offense when the ball was snapped on that play , fullback , Ron Springs did not get on to the field , in time , after Minnesota kicked off to Dallas , in the third quarter . Non - Monday games covered by ABC Monday Night Football team 1983 NFL season . The September 5 game between the Cowboys and the Redskins was when Howard Cosell referred to Redskins wide receiver Alvin Garrett as a " little monkey . " Cosell would also call his final " MNF " game on December 12 between the Packers and the Buccaneers , as he did not make the trip to the west coast for the last game of the season . Future Hall of Fame quarterback Dan Marino made his NFL debut in the September 19 game between the Raiders and the Dolphins . The October 24 game between the Cardinals and the Giants is the only five - quarter deadlock in " MNF " history , as the Cardinals ' Neil O ' Donoghue blows three field goal attempts in the extra period , one of them from extra - point distance . It was also the first overtime game on a Monday night since Howard Cosell announced the death of John Lennon in 1980 . Non - Monday games covered by ABC Monday Night Football team 1984 NFL season . An early season snowstorm in the October 15 game at Denver caused the Packers to fumble on their first two plays . Both fumbles were returned for Broncos touchdowns . The October 21 Sunday special game between the New Orleans Saints and Dallas Cowboys started at 9 : 45 EST due to ABC covering the second 1984 Ronald Reagan - Walter Mondale debate . This was the latest time a regular season NFL game started until 2006 - beginning that year , " MNF " would air two games in week 1 , the second kicking off after 10 : 00 PM EDT . Non - Monday games covered by ABC Monday Night Football team 1985 NFL season . The September 19 Thursday night game is memorable for Bears QB Jim McMahon ' s third quarter performance . Bears coach Mike Ditka elected not to start McMahon because of various ailments keeping him out of practice all week . ABC cameras kept showing McMahon begging Ditka to put him in the game . Finally , with the Vikings leading 17 - 9 , McMahon entered the game and threw a 70 - yard TD to Willie Gault on his first snap . The Bears immediately got the ball back at the Vikings ' 25 - yard line on the next series on a Wilber Marshall fumble recovery , and McMahon hit Dennis McKinnon on the very first play for a TD . Then , on the very next series , McMahon completed 3 of 5 passes and another TD to McKinnon . For the third quarter , McMahon had taken seven snaps and completed five passes for three TD ' s . The October 21 game is memorable for rookie Bears defensive lineman William Perry scoring a rushing touchdown after entering the game as an extra backfield blocker . The October 28 game marked the final Monday night appearance at home for the Los Angeles Raiders until their return to Oakland in 1995 . In the November 11 game , a thrown snowball caused the 49ers to miss an extra point , a determining factor in the team ' s one - point loss . The November 18 game between the Giants and the Redskins is infamous for Lawrence Taylor ' s tackle that ended Joe Theismann ' s career . The December 2 game between the Bears and the Dolphins , when the Dolphins put an end to the Bears ' bid to match their undefeated season in 1972 , was and still is the highest rated game in " Monday Night Football " history . Non - Monday games covered by ABC Monday Night Football team 1986 NFL season . During this season , " MacGyver " began a six - year run as the program ' s lead - in - the longest lasting such program in history . The September 8 game between the New York Giants and the Dallas Cowboys marked the NFL debut of Herschel Walker . The September 29 game was the last " MNF " game in St . Louis until 2000 , when the Rams played their season opener at the Trans World Dome . The October 27 game took place at the same time as Game Seven of the 1986 World Series at Shea Stadium in nearby Flushing , New York . Non - Monday games covered by ABC Monday Night Football team 1987 NFL season . There was a player strike called after the completion of Week 2 ' s games . As a result all games for Week 3 were canceled but unlike the 1982 players ' strike , owners decided to resume play with replacement players . Replacement players were used in games played from Week 4 until Week 6 ( including the 49ers - Giants , Raiders - Broncos , and Redskins - Cowboys " MNF " games ) . Once a new collective bargaining agreement ended the strike , regular players came back and played starting with Week 7 . The October 26 game between the Broncos and the Vikings was rescheduled because Game 7 of the 1987 World Series ( which was also broadcasted by ABC ) , which featured the Minnesota Twins , had to play at the Hubert H . Humphrey Metrodome on Sunday night , when the Vikings were originally slated to host the Broncos . Therefore , the game was moved to Monday night , and was played simultaneously with the Browns - Rams game . Coincidentally , the Browns had been slated to host the Broncos in the canceled Monday night game ( in a rematch of " The Drive " ) . The November 30 Raiders / Seahawks game marked the memorable " Monday Night Football " debut of Bo Jackson , with his 91 - yard touchdown run . Postseason games covered by ABC Monday Night Football team 1988 NFL season . The September 12 game between the Cowboys and the Cardinals was the first game the Cardinals played in Arizona after relocating from St . Louis . The October 3 game between the Cowboys and the Saints would be the final " MNF " game coached by Tom Landry . 1989 NFL season . The October 9 game between the Raiders and the Jets was the first game for Art Shell as the Raiders head coach , becoming the first African - American NFL head coach in the modern era . The November 6 game between the Saints and the 49ers was originally scheduled for New Orleans but was switched with their October 8 game when the San Francisco Giants played in the NLCS . The December 11 game between the 49ers and the Rams had John Taylor become the first player in NFL history to score two touchdowns of over 90 yards in a single game . The December 25 game between the Bengals and the Vikings was the first NFL game played on Christmas since the 1971 playoffs . 1989 also marked Monday Night Football ' s 20th season , and Hank Williams , Jr made his debut to the program with his hit " All My Rowdy Friends " .