In the 55 years of “Monday Night Football,” few seasons were as memorable as 1985. That was the year the Chicago Bears roared through the NFL with perhaps the best defense in league history.
A young, gregarious rookie known as “The Fridge” was introduced to a national audience on MNF. And though the Bears won the Super Bowl that season, their perfection was blemished on a Monday night in Miami.
Not all moments were pleasant memories. That season also featured a horrific injury when Lawrence Taylor tackled Joe Theismann and broke his leg. The severity of the injury was evident by the emotion on Taylor’s face when he immediately motioned to the Washington sideline for medical aid for the quarterback. The career of the Super Bowl-winning quarterback ended that night.
Much has changed in the ensuing 40 years, and the Washington Commanders are building their own tradition, and the next step is Monday’s road game against the Kansas City Chiefs (8:15 p.m. ET, ABC/ESPN).
In the meantime, here is a list of 32 memories, one for each team, as selected by NFL Nation reporters.
Jump to:
ARI | ATL | BAL | BUF | CAR | CHI | CIN
CLE | DAL | DEN | DET | GB | HOU | IND
JAX | KC | LAC | LAR | LV | MIA | MIN
NE | NO | NYG | NYJ | PHI | PIT | SF
SEA | TB | TEN | WSH
AFC EAST
The Bills have suffered many memorable losses on Monday nights, but their win to start the 1974 season against the Raiders was among the memorable games in the history of Highmark Stadium, which will close after this season. The game featured three lead changes in the final two minutes, and the Bills won 21-20 after the Raiders’ George Blanda missed a 50-yard field goal attempt.
The Monday night season opener was the first game after O.J. Simpson ran for 2003 yards in 1973, becoming the first running back to eclipse 2,000 rushing yards. Simpson gained 78 yards in the win, but he was injured late in the first half and missed the wild finish. Bills wide receiver Ahmad Rashad caught two TD passes from Joe Ferguson (pictured). — Alaina Getzenberg
Players from the 1972 Dolphins team — the only team to complete an undefeated season in NFL history — are known to feverishly value the preservation of their accomplishment. A few of them were in attendance when the 12-0 Bears traveled to Miami in 1985. That Bears team eventually won Super Bowl XX by 36 points — but that night in Miami, the Dolphins won 38-24 over arguably the greatest defense in NFL history.
Dan Marino completed 14 passes for 270 yards and 3 touchdowns, two to Nat Moore (pictured) and one to Mark Clayton. Afterward, the ’72 Dolphins popped their traditional bottle of champagne to celebrate their record standing for at least one more season. Undaunted, the Bears recorded “The Super Bowl Shuffle” the following morning. — Marcel Louis-Jacques
The Patriots capped the 1986 season with a 34-27 win over the Dolphins in Miami’s final home game at the Orange Bowl. QB Steve Grogan found WR Stanley Morgan (pictured) for a 30-yard TD pass with 44 seconds remaining to give the team its first division title in eight seasons.
The Patriots would have missed the playoffs with a loss, and they knocked the Jets into the wild-card spot.
”The way they performed and handled situations shows how much character these guys have,” Patriots coach Raymond Berry said that day. — Mike Reiss
A no-brainer: “The Monday Night Miracle” in 2000. The Jets beat the Dolphins 40-37 in overtime after trailing at the start of the fourth quarter 30-7. It’s tied for the second-largest fourth-quarter comeback in NFL history.
The game didn’t end until 1:20 a.m. ET. A good portion of the home crowd left at halftime, though many fans returned for the frantic fourth quarter. Arnold Schwarzenegger, in a halftime interview in the TV booth, low-key predicted the comeback, saying, “As usual, the Jets will come from behind, you will see.” He also said, “The Dolphins have to be terminated.”
Jets QB Vinny Testaverde threw four of his five TD passes in the fourth quarter, including the game’s signature play — a 3-yard pass to 310-pound Jumbo Elliott (pictured) on a tackle-eligible playcall. Elliott made the juggling catch while falling down, the only reception of his 14-year career. — Rich Cimini
AFC NORTH
On Dec. 14, 2020, Lamar Jackson (pictured) provided a what-just-happened comeback for the ages in a 47-42 road win against the Cleveland Browns. Returning for the final two minutes after suffering leg cramps, Jackson threw a 44-yard touchdown pass and then calmly moved Baltimore into position for Justin Tucker‘s winning 55-yard field goal with two seconds left.
Jackson, who was playing in his second game since testing positive for COVID-19, began experiencing cramps in his right arm with five minutes left in the third quarter. Then, Jackson felt cramps in his legs and hurried to the locker room with a trainer. But Jackson reemerged from the locker room to rally the Ravens after backup Trace McSorley was forced out of the game because of a leg injury.
“It’s going to be a game that goes down in history,” Ravens coach John Harbaugh said. — Jamison Hensley
Consider it the hit that sparked Cincinnati’s championship window. In 2020, in the early stages of TikTok’s popularity, Steelers wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster was known for recording dances on the opposing team’s midfield logo and posting them on the social media platform. In a sparsely filled stadium during the pandemic, Bengals safety Vonn Bell (pictured) rocked Smith-Schuster on a reception over the middle, a few yards from the Bengals logo, and forced a fumble that Cincinnati recovered.
The Bengals pulled off a massive upset behind third-string quarterback Ryan Finley, a win that showed the resolve of a club that reached the Super Bowl the next season. — Ben Baby
Cleveland was home to the NFL’s first “Monday Night Football” game, as the Browns hosted Joe Namath and the Jets in the opening week of the 1970 season. Then-owner Art Modell, alongside commissioner Pete Rozelle, helped expand the NFL’s television presence with MNF and volunteered the Browns to host the first game.
Wide receiver Gary Collins recorded the first MNF touchdown, catching an 8-yard pass from quarterback Bill Nelson, and linebacker Billy Andrews (pictured) converted a 25-yard pick-six to secure a 31-21 win. The rest is history. — Daniel Oyefusi
With a 22-game home winning streak in MNF games that dates back to 1992, the Steelers have had plenty of memorable games, including overtime thrillers and rivalry victories. One, though, stands out for its unique conditions: the Mud Bowl on Nov. 27, 2007.
The Steelers beat the then-winless Miami Dolphins 3-0 on a miserably muddy night thanks to Jeff Reed’s game-winning 24-yard field goal with 17 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter. More than an inch and a half of rain fell from Sunday into Monday, and to make matters worse, the field had been resodded after Heinz Field hosted high school football championships a weekend earlier.
“The footing was bad, all of a sudden, you’d hit a water puddle and sink down,” Steelers wide receiver Hines Ward (pictured) said at the time. Before Reed’s winner, he missed a 44-yard attempt late in the third quarter, and the two teams combined for 11 punts, two fumbles and an interception in the lowest-scoring MNF game in history. — Brooke Pryor
AFC SOUTH
The Texans’ most memorable outing on MNF was against the Chargers in 2013. Early in the third quarter, the Chargers took a 28-7 lead. But the Texans marched back thanks to quarterback Matt Schaub, who tossed two touchdown passes to cut the lead to one possession.
Then, Texans linebacker Brian Cushing (pictured) intercepted quarterback Philip Rivers’ pass and returned it for a touchdown to tie the score at 28.
The Chargers never recovered, and Texans kicker Randy Bullock sealed the largest comeback in franchise history with a 41-yard field goal. Schaub finished with 346 yards passing and three touchdowns while Hall of Fame wideout Andre Johnson had 12 catches for 146 receiving yards. — DJ Bien-Aime
Only Tom Brady has more career fourth-quarter comebacks — 46 — than Peyton Manning’s 43, and few of those rallies were more memorable than the stunner Manning (pictured) and the Colts put together against Tampa Bay on Oct. 6, 2003.
A pick-six by Buccaneers cornerback Ronde Barber extended the deficit to 35-14 with 5:09 remaining, but a remarkable rally resulted in the Colts tying the score with 35 seconds left. Indy scored 21 points in less than four minutes, then kicker Mike Vanderjagt won it in overtime with a 29-yard field goal. — Stephen Holder
The franchise’s first “Monday Night Football” appearance (Sept. 22, 1997) remains the most memorable, thanks mainly to Pittsburgh Steelers coach Bill Cowher.
Steelers kicker Norm Johnson attempted a 40-yard winning field goal with six seconds to play in Jacksonville, but the snap was poor, defensive end Clyde Simmons blocked the kick, and safety Chris Hudson chased it down and scooped it up. That happened in front of Cowher, who took a step onto the field and acted like he was going to punch Hudson as he raced by for a 58-yard touchdown.
Cowher later apologized to Hudson, telling him that it was his instincts as a former special teams player that made him do that. — Michael DiRocco
Titans linebacker Keith Bulluck (pictured) is still known as “Mr. Monday Night’ 18 years after his stellar performance against the New Orleans Saints in 2007.
Bulluck gave himself the name before the game, then backed it up by intercepting three passes from Hall of Fame quarterback Drew Brees, helping the Titans to a 31-14 win. Brees turned the ball over five times, the most in his career.
In 15 career “Monday Night Football” appearances, Bulluck had six interceptions and 12 passes defensed. But the one against the Saints solidified his status as “Mr. Monday Night.” — Turron Davenport
AFC WEST
The Broncos have played impressive Monday games, but Oct. 15, 2012, is still their premier MNF moment. The Chargers had a 24-0 halftime lead, and some in the locker room said Hall of Fame quarterback Peyton Manning was loud and emotional in what was his first season with the team.
Manning completed 13 of 14 second-half passing attempts for 167 yards and 3 touchdowns. The Broncos also scored two defensive touchdowns in the second half — a 65-yard fumble return by cornerback Tony Carter (pictured, 32) and a 46-yard interception return by Chris Harris Jr. — as the defense forced five turnovers in the final two quarters en route to a 35-24 victory.
It was the first of the Broncos’ 11 straight wins to close the regular season, which they finished 13-3. — Jeff Legwold
A 1994 showdown early in the season between Joe Montana (pictured) and John Elway delivered on the hype — and gave fans more than they could’ve expected. Elway, as he had done many times in his career with the Broncos, led his teammates on what appeared to be a winning comeback drive, scrambling into the end zone for a 4-yard touchdown, producing a loud roar inside Mile High Stadium.
With less than three minutes left, Montana one-upped Elway, engineering his own memorable, winning drive, guiding the Chiefs on a 75-yard journey that ended on a 5-yard touchdown strike to receiver Willie Davis.
The game produced the long-awaited first victory in Mile High for Montana and Chiefs coach Marty Schottenheimer. — Nate Taylor
In 1987, Bo Jackson (pictured) had a performance to remember. As a rookie for the Raiders, Jackson was unstoppable against the Seattle Seahawks, totaling 18 carries for 221 yards and 3 total touchdowns in a 37-14 victory.
Jackson was the only rookie in Raiders history to record three touchdowns in a game until 2025, when Ashton Jeanty accomplished that feat against the Chicago Bears. — Ryan McFadden
On Dec. 19, 2024, in a Monday night game against the Broncos, kicker Cameron Dicker (pictured, 11) made the longest fair-catch free kick in NFL history. Dicker made the 57-yarder on the seldom-used play, which allows a team that has just made a fair catch to attempt a field goal without the opponent trying to block it.
The kick sparked a comeback victory for the Chargers as they swept Denver for the first time since 2010.
“It was awesome,” Dicker said. “It was funny to be in that scenario and just be like, ‘Huh, there’s no lineup there. This looks a little weird,’ but it was really cool.” — Kris Rhim
NFC EAST
There are so many to choose from. Tony Dorsett’s 99-yard touchdown run vs. Minnesota. Nike’s Phil Knight joining Jerry Jones on the sideline in 1995 with their historic marketing partnership. Bill Parcells’ first win in 2003 at the Giants on a last-second comeback. But the 25-24 win at Buffalo in 2007 might stand out among them all.
Tony Romo (pictured) had six turnovers (five picks, one fumble) and yet the Cowboys won thanks to an onside kick recovery and a 53-yard field goal by rookie Nick Folk. — Todd Archer
The Giants and 49ers met in a massive “Monday Night Football” matchup late in the 1990 season in San Francisco. The physical, low-scoring game, won 7-3 by the 49ers, was more memorable for what happened after, and in the coming weeks, than the game. 49ers star safety Ronnie Lott and Giants quarterback Phil Simms (pictured) went face-to-face after the contest because of bad blood between the teams.
The Giants would get their redemption. They won the NFC Championship Game in San Francisco to ruin the 49ers’ attempt at a three-peat. — Jordan Raanan
Michael Vick (pictured) put on a show in the Eagles’ 59-28 rout of Washington on Nov. 15, 2010. He hit DeSean Jackson for an 88-yard touchdown pass on the first play from scrimmage, setting the tone for what became a historic performance.
Vick finished the game with 333 passing yards and 4 touchdowns and added 80 yards and 2 scores rushing, becoming the first player in NFL history with at least 300 passing yards, 50 rushing yards, 4 touchdown passes and 2 rushing touchdowns in a game. — Tim McManus
Quarterback Joe Theismann’s career ended Nov. 18, 1985, against the New York Giants because of an injury that remains one of the most gruesome in league history.
Early in the second quarter, Washington ran a flea-flicker that went awry, and as Theismann tried to escape pressure, linebacker Lawrence Taylor jumped on him from behind. As the quarterback fell to his right, and as a pileup ensued, Theismann’s leg snapped.
Taylor immediately waved to the Washington sideline for medical assistance, and after the game, he said it “made me sick.” Former Washington center Jeff Bostic recalled seeing Giants players vomiting on the field before Theismann was carted off. Theismann suffered a compound fracture of his fibula and tibia — the same injury suffered by Washington quarterback Alex Smith on the same day 33 years later. Jay Schroeder replaced Theismann and led Washington to a 23-21 upset over the 7-3 Giants. — John Keim
NFC NORTH
A feud early in the 1985 season between Bears coach Mike Ditka and defensive coordinator Buddy Ryan paved the way for the world to be introduced to William “Refrigerator” Perry (pictured).
Chicago spent a first-round pick on the 314-pound defensive tackle from Clemson but inconsistently used him on defense during the first two months of the season. Against the Green Bay Packers on Oct. 21, Ditka put “The Fridge” on offense, and he bulldozed into the end zone for a 1-yard touchdown. He was also the lead blocker on two of Walter Payton’s TDs in a 23-7 win over Chicago’s NFC North rival.
A star was born, and he shined brightly all season as the Bears rolled to their only Super Bowl championship. The Fridge also scored in the Super Bowl. — Courtney Cronin
QB Jared Goff (pictured) set an NFL record by completing all 18 of his passes to help the Lions defeat the visiting Seahawks 42-29 on Sept. 30, 2024, for the first time since 2012.
After the game, Lions coach Dan Campbell was remorseful that he didn’t reward Goff with the game ball because he wasn’t aware of the record, but Campbell found one to commemorate Goff’s achievement the following day.
“I just gave the game ball to somebody else, so I feel awful,” Campbell said. “I knew he played a heck of a game. I did not realize he was perfect.”
Hall of Fame QB Kurt Warner held the previous NFL record for passes without an incompletion, going 10-for-10 for Arizona against Houston in 2005. — Eric Woodyard
“He did what?” That’s how Al Michaels described Antonio Freeman’s miracle catch to beat the Vikings 26-20 in overtime Nov. 6, 2000, on a rainy night in Green Bay.
Nearly 25 years later, it’s still hard to believe Freeman (pictured) caught the ball. Michaels initially told the national TV audience that it was incomplete. It looked that way when the pass from Brett Favre went off the hands of Vikings cornerback Chris Dishman and then bounced off the back of Freeman’s left shoulder as he was going to the ground.
However, while rolling over, Freeman reached out with his right hand and pulled it in at the Vikings’ 15-yard line. Realizing he was never touched, he got up and ran to the end zone for the winning, 43-yard touchdown. For a team with many MNF moments — including the Fail Mary game in Seattle and Favre’s performance in Oakland the day after his father died — the Freeman play still stands out. — Rob Demovsky
One of the best receivers in NFL history had his coming-out party on “Monday Night Football.” In the fifth game of the 1998 season, a rookie named Randy Moss (pictured) caught 5 passes for 190 yards and 2 touchdowns as the Vikings rolled up 545 yards of offense and defeated NFC North rival Green Bay 37-24 at Lambeau Field.
Moss had played well in the first four games of his career, catching 17 passes for 273 yards and 4 touchdowns, but he had not had a 100-yard game or appeared in prime time.
In this game, however, Moss jumped over Packers cornerback Tyrone Williams for touchdowns of 52 and 44 yards — a move that would later be dubbed getting “Mossed” — and also caught passes of 41, 46 and 7 yards. Moss also had a 75-yard touchdown reception nullified by a penalty. — Kevin Seifert
NFC SOUTH
There are few things Falcons fans enjoy more than their team beating the Saints, and Atlanta’s 45-32 win in New Orleans on Sept. 26, 2016, was a precursor to a bigger stage. In the Monday night game, Deion Jones (pictured) had a 90-yard pick-six, Matt Ryan threw two touchdown passes, Tevin Coleman had three touchdowns on the ground and Devonta Freeman ran for 154 yards.
Five months later, the Falcons were in the Super Bowl. — Marc Raimondi
It was Nov. 18, 2013. Tom Brady and the Patriots were driving for the winning touchdown when Brady lofted a pass toward tight end Rob Gronkowski in the end zone. The pass was intercepted, but Luke Kuechly (pictured) was called for pass interference, but the officials overturned the call to preserve a 24-20 Panthers victory.
“I was 22 years old and I’m playing ‘Monday Night Football’ at home under the lights against Tom Brady,” Kuechly said. “I was kind of stuck on [Gronkowski] like Velcro. If that ball was thrown any deeper in the end zone, then you could throw the flag. They picked up the flag, so I was vindicated.” — David Newton
Steve Gleason‘s blocked punt against the Falcons still resonates 20 years after Hurricane Katrina ravaged the Gulf Coast in 2005. “Rebirth” is considered one of the most important moments in franchise history and is immortalized in a statue outside the Superdome.
The play occurred just minutes into the Saints’ first game back at the Superdome on Sept. 26, 2006. It not only set the tone for the game (The Saints beat their rival 23-3), but it also breathed life back into the building and gave a boost to everyone watching from afar. It also signaled that after a season away from home, the Saints were back to stay. — Katherine Terrell
The Bucs suffered a heartbreaking 11-6 loss to the Rams in the NFC Championship Game the season before, leading to the “Revenge Game” on Dec. 18, 2000, at home. On the Bucs’ winning drive, quarterback Shaun King threw a lateral to running back Warrick Dunn, who pitched the ball to King as Dunn was being tackled. That sprung King for 15 yards.
After a 22-yard reception by wide receiver Reidel Anthony, Dunn punched the ball in for a 1-yard touchdown — his third score of the night — to make it 38-35 with kicker Martin Gramatica’s point after. Then, Pro Football Hall of Fame safety John Lynch (pictured) sealed the victory by intercepting a pass from Hall of Famer Kurt Warner with 34 seconds remaining. — Jenna Laine
NFC WEST
Every Cardinals fan knows where they were Oct. 16, 2006. After the Cardinals went up 20-0, the Chicago Bears went on a 24-3 run to beat Arizona in Glendale. But it wasn’t the on-field performance that stood out — although it was an epic meltdown by the Cardinals — but rather what happened after the game when former Cardinals coach, the late Dennis Green, went on a legendary tirade.
“Now, if you want to crown them, then crown their ass,” Green said emphatically. “But they are who we thought they were, and we let them off the hook.” — Josh Weinfuss
The Rams and Chiefs played a memorable game on “Monday Night Football” in 2018, one that became the third-highest scoring game in NFL history.
The game was initially supposed to be played at Estadio Azteca in Mexico City, but poor field conditions forced the league to move it to Los Angeles six days before the contest. The Rams beat the Chiefs 54-51. Then-Rams quarterback Jared Goff (pictured) threw for 413 yards and had five total touchdowns (four passing, one rushing), while Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes threw for 478 yards and six touchdowns. — Sarah Barshop
Jerry Rice (pictured) went off against Minnesota on Dec. 18, 1995. Rice caught 14 passes for 289 yards and 3 touchdowns against the Vikings, the second-most receptions and most receiving yards he posted in a game in his illustrious career. The 283 yards are still the most in Monday Night Football history.
In 2020, Rice told ESPN there was always something special about playing on MNF that brought out his best, even though he still laments his fumble in that game.
“That Monday night game, you send a message to the entire world,” Rice said. “Because Monday night, only two teams are playing. This is your opportunity to send that message, saying if you face the San Francisco 49ers, you better be ready. Because we’re going to give you guys everything. We are going to play our best football. And it’s going to be hard to stop us.” — Nick Wagoner
With the best all-time winning percentage in MNF history — .705 via a 31-13 record — the Seahawks have had plenty of memorable victories. None was more gratifying for the organization than Seattle’s 17-16 win over Russell Wilson (pictured) and the Broncos in the 2022 opener, six months after the quarterback’s trade to Denver amid an acrimonious divorce from the Seahawks.
The Lumen Field crowd booed Wilson relentlessly. A day later, Seahawks coach Pete Carroll said the win was “really rewarding” for Wilson’s former teammates — several of whom were in attendance — who had resented how much credit the quarterback got for their success. “It was significant for a lot of reasons beyond [being] the first game of the year,” Carroll said. “But the fact that it was Monday night, oh man, it couldn’t be better.” — Brady Henderson
