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 2006 to 2019.
| Overtime Result | Playoff game broadcast | Pro Bowl broadcast |
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.
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, also this game marked the final NFL game for Drew Bledsoe.[1]
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 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.
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.
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.[2] 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.[3] [4]
The November 2 game between the Atlanta Falcons and New Orleans Saints marked Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan's debut on Monday Night Football.
The November 16 game between the Baltimore Ravens and the Cleveland Browns marked Joe Flacco's Monday Night Football debut.
The 59 points scored by the Philadelphia Eagles against the Washington Redskins on November 15 are the most ever by one team on Monday Night Football.
The November 1 game between the Houston Texans and the Indianapolis Colts was the first Monday Night Game played at Lucas Oil Stadium and the final MNF game for Peyton Manning with the Indianapolis Colts
The December 20 game between the Chicago Bears and the Minnesota Vikings was played at TCF Bank Stadium due to the roof failure at the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome eight days earlier and also was the final NFL game for Brett Favre.
The latter half of the season opening doubleheader featured the first game to not be hosted by a team in the Pacific Time zone with the Kansas City Chiefs hosting the San Diego Chargers.
Late in the New England Patriots–Miami Dolphins season opener, Ron Jaworski inadvertently uttered a profanity, for which he apologized later in the broadcast; whether or not it was related, it would eventually be Jaworski's final season in the Monday Night Football booth.
The September 26 game between the Washington Redskins and the Dallas Cowboys was the final appearance (until 2017) of Hank Williams, Jr.'s intro song "All My Rowdy Friends are Back for Monday Night (Are You Ready For Some Football)", as he would get fired from ESPN during Week 4 for comments about Adolf Hitler.
The October 10 game between the Chicago Bears and the Detroit Lions was the first Monday Night Football game at Ford Field and the first Monday Night Football game in Detroit since 2001.
The December 19 game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the San Francisco 49ers was delayed twice due to power outages, one taking place before the kickoff and another during the 2nd quarter; during which the 49ers led, 6–0.
The NFL locked out its officials in June. As a result, the first three weeks of the season were played with replacement officials. The lack of regular officials came to a head in the Week 3 Monday night game between the Green Bay Packers and the Seattle Seahawks. The game was a defensive affair as the Packers led 12–7 in the closing moments of the game. On the final play, Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson threw a Hail Mary pass toward the end zone. Seahawks wide receiver Golden Tate and Packers defender M. D. Jennings each grabbed hold of the ball. In the process, one official signaled touchdown while another signaled touchback. Simultaneous possession was the final ruling which gave Seattle the touchdown and the win. However, the nearby officials missed Tate pushing Packers cornerback Sam Shields with both hands and causing a pass interference penalty in the process. The game's aftermath included major discussion and focus on the play forcing the NFL to settle with the regular officials. The loss also hurt the Packers in the playoff race as the team finished 11–5 behind the 11–4–1 San Francisco 49ers. The loss mattered as Green Bay had to travel to San Francisco in the Divisional Round of the playoffs. A win would have assured a first-round bye for Green Bay. The game was called the Fail Mary, also this game marked Russell Wilson's Monday Night Football debut.
Controversy also hit MNF later in the season as the San Diego Chargers were accused of using a banned substance during their October 15 game with the Denver Broncos. It was later revealed to be Gorilla Glue, a legal substance later banned by the NFL.
The October 21 game between the Minnesota Vikngs and the New York Giants was notable because it featured quarterback Josh Freeman scoring a 40.6 passer rating in the game. He was 20 for 53 passing with 190 yards and the only Vikings score came on a 1st quarter punt return touchdown. In contrast, Eli Manning had a good day for the Giants with a touchdown pass to cap a long 2nd quarter drive.
The December 2 game between the New Orleans Saints and the Seattle Seahawks in Seattle was much-hyped because of the high-powered Saints offense led by quarterback Drew Brees was taking the ferocious defense of the Seahawks with the Legion of Boom. The game, however, was a blowout, with the Seahawks winning 34–7.
ESPN employee and former Chicago Bears tight end and head coach Mike Ditka had his number retired at halftime of the December 9 game versus the Dallas Cowboys. Though the game was a blowout in favor of Chicago 45–28, it is more notable for its temperature which was 8 °F and featured a −12 degree wind chill.
The December 23 game between the Atlanta Falcons and the San Francisco 49ers was the last game ever at Candlestick Park.
Starting in 2014, the NFL awarded ESPN broadcasting rights to an NFL Wild Card Playoff game. ESPN also obtained rights to the NFL Pro Bowl through the next eight years.[5]
With their September 15 win over the Indianapolis Colts, the Philadelphia Eagles become the first team to start a season 2–0 after trailing 14–0 at halftime of their first two games. In the following week, Philadelphia would become the first team to start 3–0 after trailing more than 10 points in all three games.
The 700th game in Monday Night Football history featured the San Francisco 49ers beating the St. Louis Rams in Week 6. It was also the last Monday night game played in St. Louis.
This was the tenth season of Monday Night Football on ESPN. Also, the NFL Wild Card Playoff game on ESPN was simulcast on ABC, making it the first NFL game to be broadcast by ABC since Super Bowl XL in 2006.[6] [7] [8]
The September 14 game between the Philadelphia Eagles and the Atlanta Falcons marked the final Monday Night Football game played at Georgia Dome.
The October 5 game between the Detroit Lions and the Seattle Seahawks featured a controversial call where Lions wide receiver Calvin Johnson fumble into the end zone and K.J. Wright batted the ball out of the end zone to prevent a Lions player from recovering the ball. This is a penalty by NFL rules, however no flag was thrown.
The November 9 game between the Chicago Bears and the San Diego Chargers was the last Monday night game played in San Diego.
The December 21 game between the Detroit Lions and the New Orleans Saints, marked Wide Receiver Calvin Johnson's final appearance on Monday Night Football.
The December 28 game between the Cincinnati Bengals and the Denver Broncos, marked Quarterback Peyton Manning's final appearance on Monday Night Football.
| Week | Date | Visiting team | Final score | Host team | Stadium | OTA Affiliates | Significance | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | September 14 | 24–26 | Atlanta Falcons | Georgia Dome | WPHL-TV (Philadelphia)WSB-TV (Atlanta) | 7:10 p.m. Kickoff. | ||
| 3–20 | San Francisco 49ers | Levi's Stadium | WCCO-TV (Minneapolis)KPIX-TV (San Francisco) | 10:20 p.m. Kickoff.First MNF game at Levi's Stadium | ||||
| 2 | September 21 | New York Jets | 20–7 | Lucas Oil Stadium | WPIX (New York City) WRTV (Indianapolis) | Commemorating Super Bowl III 45th Anniversary of MNF | ||
| 3 | September 28 | 28–38 | Green Bay Packers | Lambeau Field | KMBC-TV (Kansas City) WBAY-TV (Green Bay) WISN-TV (Milwaukee) | Commemorating Super Bowl I (50th anniversary) | ||
| 4 | October 5 | 10–13 | Seattle Seahawks | CenturyLink Field | WXYZ-TV (Detroit) KONG-TV (Seattle) | |||
| 5 | October 12 | Pittsburgh Steelers | 24–20 | Qualcomm Stadium | WTAE-TV (Pittsburgh) KFMB-TV (San Diego) | |||
| 6 | October 19 | 7–27 | Philadelphia Eagles | Lincoln Financial Field | WPIX (New York City) WPHL-TV (Philadelphia) | Eagles–Giants rivalry | ||
| 7 | October 26 | 18–26 | Arizona Cardinals | University of Phoenix Stadium | KNXV-TV (Phoenix)WBAL-TV (Baltimore) | |||
| 8 | November 2 | 26–29 | Carolina Panthers | Bank of America Stadium | WRTV (Indianapolis) WSOC-TV (Charlotte) | |||
| 9 | November 9 | Chicago Bears | 22–19 | WCIU-TV (Chicago) KFMB-TV (San Diego) | Last MNF game in San Diego | |||
| 10 | November 16 | Houston Texans | 10–6 | Paul Brown Stadium | KIAH (Houston) WLWT (Cincinnati) | |||
| 11 | November 23 | 13–20 | New England Patriots | Gillette Stadium | WKBW-TV (Buffalo) WCVB-TV (Boston) | Bills–Patriots rivalry | ||
| 12 | November 30 | Baltimore Ravens | 33–27 | FirstEnergy Stadium | WBAL-TV (Baltimore) WKYC (Cleveland) | Browns–Ravens rivalry | ||
| 13 | December 7 | Dallas Cowboys | 19–16 | FedExField | WFAA (Dallas) WDCA (Washington D.C.) | Cowboys–Redskins rivalry | ||
| 14 | December 14 | New York Giants | 31–24 | Sun Life Stadium | WABC-TV (New York City) WFOR-TV (Miami) | |||
| 15 | December 21 | Detroit Lions | 35–27 | Mercedes-Benz Superdome | WXYZ-TV (Detroit) WDSU (New Orleans) | |||
| 16 | December 28 | 17–20 | Denver Broncos | Sports Authority Field at Mile High | WLWT (Cincinnati) KTVD (Denver) | CIN win: Clinch first-round bye DEN win: Clinch playoff berth | ||
| Wild Card Saturday | Kansas City Chiefs | 30–0 | Houston Texans | NRG Stadium | National ABC | Wild Card playoff game, 4:35 p.m. Kickoff. | ||
| 2016 Pro Bowl | January 31 | Team Irvin | 49–27 | Team Rice | Aloha Stadium | None | 2016 Pro Bowl, 8 p.m. Kickoff. |
The Houston Texans–Oakland Raiders game was played at Estadio Azteca in Mexico City as part of the NFL International Series, the first game in Mexico City since the first ever International Series game in 2005. This was also the first time Monday Night Football featured a game outside the United States. The Wild Card Playoff game was again simulcast on ABC, just like the previous year.[9] [10]
The December 12 game between the Baltimore Ravens and the New England Patriots, marked Wide Receiver Steve Smith Sr. final appearance on Monday Night Football.
In addition to the Wild Card playoff game, the 2018 Pro Bowl was also simulcast on ABC as well. This was the first time since 2014 that the Pro Bowl was aired on broadcast television in any form.[11]
Starting in 2018, the NFL moved the start time of Monday Night Football back, from 8:30 p.m. ET to 8:15 p.m. ET. For the second time in three seasons, Monday Night Football was supposed to make a trip to Mexico City, for the Kansas City Chiefs-Los Angeles Rams contest, as part of the NFL International Series, but the NFL deemed field conditions to be poor and moved the game to Los Angeles.[12] This was the first Monday Night Football game in Los Angeles since 1991, as well as the highest scoring game in MNF history. The Wild Card game and the Pro Bowl were again simulcast on ABC.
This season marked the 50th season of Monday Night Football. There was a rematch of the first MNF game, during Week 2, as the new-look Cleveland Browns faced Le'Veon Bell and the New York Jets on September 16. In addition, MNF returned to Mexico City for the first time since 2016, with the Kansas City Chiefs and Los Angeles Chargers renewing a classic AFC West rivalry. Also, the Wild Card Playoff, and the Pro Bowl, both shown on ESPN, were again simulcast on ABC.
The postseason games, though covered by the ESPN Monday Night Football team, are excluded from the standings.
| Team | Games | Won | Lost | Pct. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Indianapolis Colts | 19 | 12 | 7 | .632 |
| Kansas City Chiefs | 24 | 13 | 11 | .542 |
| Pittsburgh Steelers | 33 | 24 | 9 | .727 |
| New York Jets | 19 | 8 | 11 | .421 |
| San Diego Chargers | 14 | 8 | 6 | .571 |
| Dallas Cowboys | 36 | 23 | 13 | .639 |
| Philadelphia Eagles | 35 | 20 | 15 | .571 |
| New York Giants | 26 | 11 | 15 | .423 |
| San Francisco 49ers | 38 | 26 | 12 | .684 |
| Denver Broncos | 37 | 16 | 21 | .432 |
| Atlanta Falcons | 15 | 4 | 11 | .267 |
| Chicago Bears | 25 | 10 | 15 | .400 |
| Seattle Seahawks | 10 | 7 | 3 | .700 |
| Green Bay Packers | 38 | 20 | 18 | .526 |
| Arizona Cardinals | 6 | 1 | 5 | .167 |
| Washington Redskins | 26 | 9 | 17 | .346 |
| New England Patriots | 25 | 15 | 10 | .600 |
| Miami Dolphins | 37 | 16 | 21 | .432 |
| Oakland Raiders | 30 | 9 | 21 | .300 |
| Cleveland Browns | 11 | 4 | 7 | .364 |
| Cincinnati Bengals | 9 | 3 | 6 | .333 |
| Tennessee Titans | 22 | 12 | 10 | .545 |
| New Orleans Saints | 18 | 8 | 10 | .444 |
| Buffalo Bills | 23 | 11 | 12 | .478 |
| St. Louis Rams | 20 | 9 | 11 | .450 |
| Minnesota Vikings | 28 | 14 | 14 | .500 |
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 15 | 8 | 7 | .533 |
| Detroit Lions | 10 | 4 | 6 | .400 |
| Carolina Panthers | 9 | 5 | 4 | .556 |
| Jacksonville Jaguars | 12 | 7 | 5 | .583 |
| Baltimore Ravens | 14 | 5 | 9 | .357 |
| Houston Texans | 2 | 1 | 1 | .500 |