Professional Football Researchers Association Forum

Why not another post about MNF on the anniversary of its ABC debut? I'm in the minority, but I personally miss MNF being on the final week. One thing I wasn't aware of...(perhaps I was notified of it, likely here on this site, but then simply forgot it)...MNF originally wasn't on the final weekend of the season, as it hasn't been since 2003. From '70-thru-'77 (remainder of 14-game era), the final MNF game was on Week #13.

A lot of MNF finales in which either one or both participants had to win to make the post-season; or simply better playoff positioning. My personal favorite was in '89, Christmas Night, Cincy@Minn - not only a game in which the winner is in and the loser is out...but it involved two other teams (Steelers & Packers) in which one would get in based on the result, and one would be out based on such.

Coryell's Chargers had to win the MNF finale two years in a row in order to make the playoffs in '80 (vs Steelers) & '81 (vs Raiders)! And in '79 they not only had to beat Denver to get home-field, but had to beat them to win division-period. How did SD get three-straight MNF finales, each of them at home?

Marino's '84 Dolphins had to win at home vs Dallas to avert a possible January date at Mile High; Cowboys having to win simply to make playoffs at all!

And even if the game involved no playoff implications whatsoever, not a bad way to say goodbye to the regular season and look forward to the playoffs. I really feel they should bring it back! And if one or both participants have to play in the 1st-Rd, simply have them play the upcoming Sunday instead of Saturday.

Thoughts?

Any other final-week MNF games worth mention?

74_75_78_79_ wrote:Coryell's Chargers had to win the MNF finale two years in a row in order to make the playoffs in '80 (vs Steelers) & '81 (vs Raiders)! And in '79 they not only had to beat Denver to get home-field, but had to beat them to win division-period. How did SD get three-straight MNF finales, each of them at home?

Back when the NFL actually cared about such stuff, the fact that SD was a warm-weather city helped for those December dates. Then, of course, the Air Coryell mystique certainly didn't hurt.

BD Sullivan wrote:

74_75_78_79_ wrote:Coryell's Chargers had to win the MNF finale two years in a row in order to make the playoffs in '80 (vs Steelers) & '81 (vs Raiders)! And in '79 they not only had to beat Denver to get home-field, but had to beat them to win division-period. How did SD get three-straight MNF finales, each of them at home?

Back when the NFL actually cared about such stuff, the fact that SD was a warm-weather city helped for those December dates. Then, of course, the Air Coryell mystique certainly didn't hurt.

Makes sense. The first of these final-week MNFs was Pats at Miami in '78. Dolphins also hosted that '84 finale previously mentioned. Candlestick hosting Dallas in '83 as well as the Met (dome) a year prior.

Speaking of a MNF at the Met...in '88, I'm assuming Vikings were already in. Bears already had homefield wrapped up although I'm sure Ditka would not want a divisional foe to sweep them. Had Vikings lost, now 10-6 instead, they still would have had the conference record (8-4 to 9-5, mere %age pts) nod over the Giants. But who would have been at home for the wild card game being both they and Rams, also 10-6 (who beat NYG head-to-head), were also 8-4 in the conference and didn't play each other?