Notable 'last-game-of-regular-season' MNF games

[TanksAndSpartans]

'84 Dolphins/Cowboys was the one I thought of. Somehow still remember a lot of the details around watching it

[74_75_78_79_]

How about 1979 - Denver (10-5) at San Diego (11-4)?

As historically heralded this Chargers team was, hard to believe they were actually only 11-4 going into this affair. Earlier, in Week #6, Broncos 'Orange-Crushed' SD by a...7-0 score!! This, of course, meant that a Denver win would complete the sweep thus they getting 2nd-seed; Steelers getting top. Due to Chargers, in this event, now having an 8-4 conference record, it would have meant they having to go to the Astrodome for the Wild Card Game vs the Oilers whose conference record was 9-3.

Turning the page to the following year...(yet another finale at the Murph)...had only the Saints followed up their first victory of the season with yet another vs an AFC East team, the Pats, (yes, a BIG "if") Steelers/Chargers would have had heavy playoffs-implications! Steelers win and its they-at-Hou the following week, Raiders win division and Chargers out!

[Rupert Patrick]

Why wouldn’t Min@Dal have been a MNF game in ’82 if not for the strike?

Buffalo at Miami was scheduled to be the Week 16 MNF game for the 1982 season, but because of the strike, an extra week was added to the end of the season and the original Week 16 actually became Week 8 in the strike-shortened season. The games that comprised the Week 9 schedule were actually games that were cancelled due to the strike and were rescheduled. The Dallas at Minnesota game was originally scheduled to be a Week 3 game (9/23), and was not scheduled to be a MNF game but rather a Sunday 1 PM game, but I guess the NFL felt it was the most attractive contest of the games for Week 9 so they made it the MNF game. Of the cancelled games that were rescheduled for Week 9, one of them actually was originally scheduled to be a MNF game on 10/25 (Giants at Philadelphia), but it was rescheduled to be a Sunday game. Many thanks to Ivan Urena's highly informative (and highly recommended) book "Pro Football Schedules", for providing the above information.

[74_75_78_79_]

Why wouldn’t Min@Dal have been a MNF game in ’82 if not for the strike?

Buffalo at Miami was scheduled to be the Week 16 MNF game for the 1982 season, but because of the strike, an extra week was added to the end of the season and the original Week 16 actually became Week 8 in the strike-shortened season. The games that comprised the Week 9 schedule were actually games that were cancelled due to the strike and were rescheduled. The Dallas at Minnesota game was originally scheduled to be a Week 3 game (9/23), and was not scheduled to be a MNF game but rather a Sunday 1 PM game, but I guess the NFL felt it was the most attractive contest of the games for Week 9 so they made it the MNF game. Of the cancelled games that were rescheduled for Week 9, one of them actually was originally scheduled to be a MNF game on 10/25 (Giants at Philadelphia), but it was rescheduled to be a Sunday game. Many thanks to Ivan Urena's highly informative (and highly recommended) book "Pro Football Schedules", for providing the above information.

Thanks, Rupert! Yeah, still need to get me Ivan's book amongst so many other books!

It's been said that Dallas beating Vikes in that '82 finale would have brought Vikes right on back to Big D the following week! How about 1997's finale? Pete Carroll's Pats at Jimmy Johnson's Dolphins! Both were 9-6 going in, division title on the line, but more importantly both teams were automatically playing the following week no matter who won! This game simply decided who got to host that 1st-Rounder which, of course, would end up being NE who would then, in turn, beat Dolphins again.

[7DnBrnc53]

How about 1979 - Denver (10-5) at San Diego (11-4)?

As historically heralded this Chargers team was, hard to believe they were actually only 11-4 going into this affair. Earlier, in Week #6, Broncos 'Orange-Crushed' SD by a...7-0 score!! This, of course, meant that a Denver win would complete the sweep thus they getting 2nd-seed; Steelers getting top. Due to Chargers, in this event, now having an 8-4 conference record, it would have meant they having to go to the Astrodome for the Wild Card Game vs the Oilers whose conference record was 9-3.

Turning the page to the following year...(yet another finale at the Murph)...had only the Saints followed up their first victory of the season with yet another vs an AFC East team, the Pats, (yes, a BIG "if") Steelers/Chargers would have had heavy playoffs-implications! Steelers win and its they-at-Hou the following week, Raiders win division and Chargers out!

Then, in 1981, the Chargers were in another critical MNF season finale again, this time against the Raiders.

Chargers win, and they go to Miami. Lose, and Denver goes in their place while they are eliminated.

I remember watching a little bit of this before having to go to bed for school. They were showing Craig Morton watching in his livingroom rooting on the hated Raiders.

[74_75_78_79_]

How about 1979 - Denver (10-5) at San Diego (11-4)?

As historically heralded this Chargers team was, hard to believe they were actually only 11-4 going into this affair. Earlier, in Week #6, Broncos 'Orange-Crushed' SD by a...7-0 score!! This, of course, meant that a Denver win would complete the sweep thus they getting 2nd-seed; Steelers getting top. Due to Chargers, in this event, now having an 8-4 conference record, it would have meant they having to go to the Astrodome for the Wild Card Game vs the Oilers whose conference record was 9-3.

Turning the page to the following year...(yet another finale at the Murph)...had only the Saints followed up their first victory of the season with yet another vs an AFC East team, the Pats, (yes, a BIG "if") Steelers/Chargers would have had heavy playoffs-implications! Steelers win and its they-at-Hou the following week, Raiders win division and Chargers out!

Then, in 1981, the Chargers were in another critical MNF season finale again, this time against the Raiders.

Chargers win, and they go to Miami. Lose, and Denver goes in their place while they are eliminated.

I remember watching a little bit of this before having to go to bed for school. They were showing Craig Morton watching in his livingroom rooting on the hated Raiders.

I was actually in a school play earlier that evening. Got home in time for the beginning of the game and think I actually remember Morton being shown via-satellite; sounds familiar. Losing at Bears (arguably a "coming out"-party for the '46' defense), getting steamrolled at home vs Cincy and then finally losing to Seattle the following week...things were looking bleak for SD down-the-stretch with 5th-grade me pretty much leaving them for dead after they lost at home to Buffalo. They were now 8-6 yet they go on to win their two remaining games with the Bears helping them out vs Denver in the finale. Yes, there's the 'Epic' but still can't see why '81 was used for that 'Missing Rings' doc thus being 'anointed' as the 'heart' of the 'Air Coryell' era. They were a weak-enough playoff team IMO. 1980 certainly a stronger example (at least they still had Dean) with '79 being all the more!

[Todd Pence]

If the Saints don't beat the Rams in the 1990 MNF finale, does that mean that Dallas takes the NFC's final WC berth?

[7DnBrnc53]

If the Saints don't beat the Rams in the 1990 MNF finale, does that mean that Dallas takes the NFC's final WC berth?

Yes.

However, if they had a healthy Aikman, and earned the spot by beating the Falcons, I think they could have actually upset Chicago before losing at SF the next week.

[ehaight]

From 1970-77, there was no MNF game during the final week of the season. In those years, the 1971 last MNF game in Week 13 saw George Allen and the Redskins clinch a playoff spot--in his former home, the L.A. Coliseum. This game has seemingly become more memorable for gigantic Andy Reid taking part in the PP&K competition at the half.

The 1975 MNF finale was memorable for all the wrong reasons: the 3-9 Jets were on the road against the 1-11 Chargers, with Namath not starting after he apparently spent a bit too much time in Tijuana. The Chargers won 24-16.

The last primetime game in 1974 was a Saturday night contest between the Cowboys, who had already been eliminated from the playoffs, and the Raiders, who already had their spot wrapped up. With nothing to play for, the Raiders used four quarterbacks, including 47-year-old George Blanda, who hadn't thrown a regular-season pass in two years. On his first play in, following a Cowboys turnover, he threw a 28-yard touchdown to Cliff Branch. After the game, Blanda said his philosophy had always been to go for the big play after a turnover and he did. I was nine at the time and a huge Blanda fan. It's still one of my all-time favorite moments.