Monday Night Football: The best, the worst, the most memorable moments

Every great story needs a beginning, and so it was that Monday Night Football launched with a game between the New York Jets and Cleveland Browns, from Cleveland. The broadcast was a massive success, collecting 33 percent of the viewing audience. Browns fans in Cleveland actually couldn't watch the game because of the NFL's blackout rules in that era, and they missed a good one; Cleveland won, 31-21. 

How do you get viewers' attention and stand out from the crowd? How about yellow blazers? That was the uniform when Monday Night Football started in 1970, and while that might have seemed perfectly normal had it been the late-1970s or early-1980s, that was not initially the case. The jackets did stand the test of time, with Howard Cosell, Frank Gifford, and Don Meredith ultimately making the fashion choice very famous. 

News breaks quickly these days. There are smartphones, social media, and any number of other ways to spread big stories. That wasn't the case in 1980 when Cosell stunned the country during a Patriots-Dolphins matchup by announcing that Lennon had been shot and killed in New York City. Interestingly enough, Lennon had appeared on Monday Night Football several years earlier as a guest in the booth.

The Cowboys and Vikings were locked in a back-and-forth tilt that was starting to go Minnesota's way after a pick-six gave them a 24-13 lead in the fourth quarter. Dallas was backed up to its own one-yard line shortly thereafter, but Dorsett fixed that, breaking a few tackles and going 99 yards to cut Minnesota's lead to 24-20. Even more impressive is the fact that the Cowboys only had 10 men on the field for the play. Minnesota did end up winning, however, 31-27.

It might still be the most gruesome injury in NFL history, and Taylor's panicked reaction sends a shiver up the spine even today. Theismann's career ended after Taylor came free on a blitz, plowed into him, then landed awkwardly on his leg, breaking it in horrific fashion. Multiple replays were shown, leading to some viewer complaints. 

The Bears rolled into the Orange Bowl 12-0, having pitched two straight shutouts, and very much with a perfect season on their minds. Marino ended all of those thoughts, slicing and dicing perhaps the best defense in league history to the tune of 270 yards and 3 touchdowns. It was the only blemish on what was otherwise one of the most dominant seasons in league history.

Brian Bosworth was a loud, larger-than-life linebacker for the Seahawks. Jackson was a rookie running back for the Raiders. When they met on Monday night, Jackson got the upper hand in spectacular fashion. First, he outran Bosworth on a 91-yard touchdown run that saw him sprint into the Kingdome tunnel, then he ran over Bosworth on a 2-yard touchdown that turned the game into a rout. 

Rice had a monster game against the Raiders in a season-opening Monday night contest, catching 7 passes for 169 yards and two touchdowns, as well as running for another score. In the process, he broke Jim Brown's career touchdown record, needing just nine seasons to accomplish the feat. Rice would go on to finish his career with 208 career touchdowns.

ABC wasn't afraid to take risks with its Monday Night Football broadcast hires. Miller, an often esoteric political comedian and rabid football fan, joined the booth in 2000 and did exactly what many predicted he would; tell very dense jokes and frequently ignore the game. The experiment had its moments, good and bad, but was scrapped in favor of John Madden in 2002.

Vinny Testaverde and the Jets were down 30-7 to the Dolphins in the fourth quarter. All hope seemed lost. Then, New York caught fire. Testaverde threw touchdown passes to Laveranues Coles, Jermaine Wiggins, Wayne Chrebet, and finally, offensive lineman Elliott to tie the game at 37. It went to overtime, and John Hall's 40-yard field goal capped the comeback and sealed an improbable victory for New York.

The Packers and Vikings were locked in battle on a cold November night, and 60 minutes couldn't settle matters. With a few minutes gone in overtime, Brett Favre lofted a pass in the direction of Freeman, but it appeared that Minnesota's Cris Dishman had broken up the play. Except, he hadn't. The ball somehow never hit the ground, and Freeman alertly caught it while laying on his back, then got up and ran in for the winning score. Al Michaels' incredulity about what he had just witnessed made things all the more memorable.

Owens already had a well-established reputation for sensational play and over-the-top celebrations, but he took the latter to a new level after a go-ahead score against the Seahawks. Owens pulled a marker out of his sock after a 37-yard touchdown catch, and proceeded to sign the football; the NFL was not amused, soon after, the league implemented a rule that banned players from carrying "foreign objects" on the field. 

It was all over, but the shouting when Ronde Barber's pick-six with 5:09 left gave Tampa Bay a 35-14 lead over Manning and the Colts, or so the Buccaneers thought. Manning promptly led three touchdown drives in the final four minutes of regulation (with help from a recovered onside kick) to tie the game at 35, then Indianapolis' Mike Vanderjagt won it for the Colts with a 29-yard field goal in the waning minutes of overtime.

The day before the Packers' showdown with Oakland, Favre's father Irvin died after a stroke. Favre was cheered by the Raiders' crowd before the game, then went out and played one of the greatest first halves in NFL history, piling up 311 yards and four touchdowns in the first 30 minutes, as the Packers rolled to an easy 41-7 victory.

There are too many iconic Cosell moments to count, but his influence on Monday Night Football was massive. Cosell was at times abrasive, at times wry, and at times humorous, but one thing he was not was boring. His ability to stir stronger feelings in the fans than even the teams on the field was a major reason why Monday Night Football became the phenomenon that it is.

When Monday Night Football moved from ABC to ESPN in 2006, Kornheiser was brought on and paired up with Joe Theismann and Mike Tirico. Kornheiser had rocketed to multi-platform fame based on the success of Pardon the Interruption, but his time in the booth was polarizing. Ultimately, though, it was Kornheiser's well-chronicled fear of flying that ended his time on the broadcast team, as ESPN announced he would be leaving the program because of it.

After Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans, the Saints were forced to relocate to San Antonio until the heavily-damaged Superdome could be repaired. The grand reopening was an exceptionally emotional, star-studded affair, and the visiting Falcons never stood a chance. The Saints blocked a punt in the first 90 seconds, recovering it for a touchdown, and rolled to a 23-3 win.

The 1-4 Arizona Cardinals were on the verge of a stunning upset, leading the Bears 23-3 late in the third quarter. Then, things fell apart. Chicago returned two fumbles for touchdowns to cut the lead to 23-17 with a few minutes left. Arizona couldn't run out the clock and punted to Devin Hester, who took it 83 yards to the house for the winning score. The real story, though, happened after the game, when Cardinals coach Dennis Green delivered one of the greatest sound bites in sports history.

It looked like the Packers would escape Seattle with a key early-season victory. Replacement officials who called the game because of a labor dispute between the usual officials and the NFL had other ideas. Russell Wilson's desperation heave looked like it was intercepted, but one official signaled touchdown, and the other called the play an interception. After a lengthy debate, the play was allowed to stand as a game-winning score, a decision that was widely derided, and swiftly brought the work stoppage to an end.

ESPN tried something radically different with McFarland, part of the Monday Night Football crew a few years ago. In 2018, McFarland had a custom-made elevated chair that moved him down the sideline, with the thought that it would give him a unique perspective. All it really served to do was frustrate fans in some of the most expensive seats in each stadium. Though it was certainly unique, fans in the stadium never came around to it, and it went away before the next season.

The stakes were high when the Bills and Bengals met on Monday Night Football, but the outcome of the game became irrelevant when Buffalo safety Damar Hamlin collapsed on the field after making what appeared to be a routine tackle. Hamlin suffered a cardiac arrest and was administered CPR and an automated external defibrillation to restart his heart, before being rushed to the hospital. What could have been the greatest on-field tragedy in league history turned inspirational, thanks to the quick work of first responders. Hamlin was cleared to play football in April and returned to the Bills for the 2023 season.