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

[74_75_78_79_]

Yes, back in the days, prior to 2003, when there was a MNF game the final week of the season thus it being the final game of the regular season-period. As understanding I am why they made the change, right or wrong, I still miss a MNF game marking the end of the season anyway. I guess it's the nostalgia I unbiasedly still feel from '89 that fuels my wishing it was still that way. Having Frank, and Al, and Dan saying farewell to the season didn't hurt either. And it is that very Cincy@Min Christmas Night (RIP Billy Martin) affair that yours truly will start the thread off with!

As you all know, and as I mentioned numerous times on other posts, the 9-6 Vikes needed to win not just in order to win their division over 10-6 Packers, but to get into the playoffs-period (GB would stay home in such an event). If 8-7 Bengals win, not only is it they getting in as a wild card instead of the hot 9-7 (5-1 past six weeks) 'Burgh, but would actually get to host that very WC game the following week vs Houston whereas the Steelers, on the flipside, would have to go to the Astrodome. Throughout the game, by via-satellite, would go back and forth from two living rooms - one from Green Bay showing Packer players and family members watching the game, and the other from the 'Burgh likewise.

Vikings lead 22-7 at the half only to squander things to 22-21 by the 4th Q, but tack on another TD to make it a 29-21 (no TPCs yet) final. Burnsie survives a seemingly brutal Gatorade bath, Packers out, Steelers in despite respective 10-6/9-7 records; that's the breaks. Sure enough, those disappointed with the result would have liked to see how a 'dangerous' defending-AFC champ Bengal squad would have fared in the playoffs while also wondering if there would have still been some 'Majik' left in the tank for the NFC Central champ. In such an event, the Pack - after a week rest - would have gone off to Candlestick to try to repeat what they actually did in Week #11!

Yes, obviously the first last-game-of-the-year Monday Nighter to come to my mind. What other such notables?

[conace21]

1991. The 49ers had been eliminated from the playoffs the previous day. Chicago would win the NFC Central with a victory. The 49ers rolled the Bears 52-14. Chicago was down 31-7 and at the SF 1 yard line. Either Neal Anderson or Mark Green fumbled. Don Griffin returned it 99 yards for a touchdown. Dan Dierdorf: "Light up another cigar, Wayne." Wayne Fontes and the Lions took the NFC Central crown.

[Todd Pence]

I remember celebrating wildly because my bud Craig "CT" Taylor scored a touchdown for the Bengals in this game. At least I'm pretty sure that was this game.

[74_75_78_79_]

1991. The 49ers had been eliminated from the playoffs the previous day. Chicago would win the NFC Central with a victory. The 49ers rolled the Bears 52-14. Chicago was down 31-7 and at the SF 1 yard line. Either Neal Anderson or Mark Green fumbled. Don Griffin returned it 99 yards for a touchdown. Dan Dierdorf: "Light up another cigar, Wayne." Wayne Fontes and the Lions took the NFC Central crown.

Yes, I remember that game. It made me simply say, "SF should really be in the playoffs!" '85 and '88 regular season affairs aside, the Forty Niners seriously seemed to have their way with da Bears mid-'80s-thru-mid-'90s albeit '84 NFCCG, '87 regular season, '88 NFCCG, '89 finale, '94 divisional...purty brutal!!

[Retro Rider]

1986 - Steve Grogan leads the Patriots past Miami 34-27 to capture the AFC East title. I remember ABC showed Boomer Esiason and Chris Collinsworth watching with Bengals teammates back in Cincinnati. A Patriots loss would have ended their season with the Jets winning the AFC East and Cincinnati earning the final Wild Card slot. It was the first regular season Orange Bowl victory for the Pats since 1966. It was also the final Dolphins game at the Orange Bowl.

[Rupert Patrick]

The final MNF of the 1978 season was notable when the news broke just before the start of the Patriots-Dolphins game that Patriots coach Chuck Fairbanks was leaving the Patriots to coach the University of Colorado. He was not on the sidelines that night, replaced by co-coaches Ron Erhardt and Hank Bullough. New England had already clinched the AFC East and number two seed in the AFC, and Miami had already clinched a Wild Card spot, but needed a win to host the game next week against Houston, where a Patriots victory would send the Dolphins to the Astrodome for the Wild Card game. The Patriots players were understandably demoralized by the news that Coach Fairbanks was gone, although he would be on the sidelines for the Divisional playoff game against Houston, but the Dolphins walked all over them 23-3.

[BD Sullivan]

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 1984 game had no drama attached since the Cowboys had been eliminated from the playoffs (first time since 74) and the Dolphins had clinched the best record in the AFC. Still, the final three minutes were wild: Mark Clayton's 39-yard TD pass with 2:31 left makes it 21-14 Miami; Tony Hill grabs a Dolphin-tipped pass and races 66 yards to tie it with 1:47 to go; Clayton catches his NFL record 18th TD pass of the year with 51 seconds left to give Miami the lead again; and Danny White is picked off at midfield with 13 seconds left.

[Gary Najman]

The 1984 game had no drama attached since the Cowboys had been eliminated from the playoffs (first time since 74) and the Dolphins had clinched the best record in the AFC. Still, the final three minutes were wild: Mark Clayton's 39-yard TD pass with 2:31 left makes it 21-14 Miami; Tony Hill grabs a Dolphin-tipped pass and races 66 yards to tie it with 1:47 to go; Clayton catches his NFL record 18th TD pass of the year with 51 seconds left to give Miami the lead again; and Danny White is picked off at midfield with 13 seconds left.

That is incorrect: the Cowboys were 9-6 before the game at Miami and with a win they would had surpassed the 9-7 Giants, who had beaten the Cowboys twice that season, and made the playoffs as a wildcard.

The 1982 Cowboys at Vikings last game in the strike shortened season (a game which wouldn’t have been a MNF game if not for the strike) had It’s drama (not only for Tony Dorsett’s 99-Yard TD run or Rickey Young TD to win the game) because if Dallas had won, those two teams would had met again at Texas Stadium the next week. As Minnesota won, they hosted Atlanta, and Dallas hosted Tampa Bay.

[Rupert Patrick]

The 1984 game had no drama attached since the Cowboys had been eliminated from the playoffs (first time since 74) and the Dolphins had clinched the best record in the AFC. Still, the final three minutes were wild: Mark Clayton's 39-yard TD pass with 2:31 left makes it 21-14 Miami; Tony Hill grabs a Dolphin-tipped pass and races 66 yards to tie it with 1:47 to go; Clayton catches his NFL record 18th TD pass of the year with 51 seconds left to give Miami the lead again; and Danny White is picked off at midfield with 13 seconds left.

That is incorrect: the Cowboys were 9-6 before the game at Miami and with a win they would had surpassed the 9-7 Giants, who had beaten the Cowboys twice that season, and made the playoffs as a wildcard.

The Dolphins had to win in order to secure the number one seed in the AFC; if they had lost to Dallas, Denver would have been the top seed.

In addition, A number of NFL single season records were broken or established in this game, probably more than in any other single game in pro football history, since at long they have been keeping records. Dan Marino was in the process of wrapping up what was (at the time) the most prolific passing season in pro football history, so he set several single season passing records in this game, including, most yards passing in a season, breaking Dan Fouts's record from 1981; most completions in a season (also broke Fouts's record from 1981); on the last-second TD pass to Clayton, Marino established a new single-season pass TD mark of 48 (the previous record was Blanda in 1961 with 36) which stood until Peyton Manning broke it in 2005.

The aforementioned last-second TD catch by Clayton also set a single season NFL record for pass receptions in a season of 18 by Clayton (breaking the record of Elroy Hirsch, Don Huston and Bill Groman at 17), which stood until Jerry Rice caught 22 in 1987. Uve von Schamann also set a record in this game for most extra points in a season of 65, breaking George Blanda's record of 64 from 1961, and he held the record until Stephen Gosthowski broke the mark with 74 in 2007. The Dolphins also set an NFL record with 6.936 offensive yards in the 1984 season, breaking the record of 6,744 from, you guessed it, the 1981 Chargers, and the Dolphins held the mark until it was broken by the 1999 Rams.

[74_75_78_79_]

The 1984 game had no drama attached since the Cowboys had been eliminated from the playoffs (first time since 74) and the Dolphins had clinched the best record in the AFC. Still, the final three minutes were wild: Mark Clayton's 39-yard TD pass with 2:31 left makes it 21-14 Miami; Tony Hill grabs a Dolphin-tipped pass and races 66 yards to tie it with 1:47 to go; Clayton catches his NFL record 18th TD pass of the year with 51 seconds left to give Miami the lead again; and Danny White is picked off at midfield with 13 seconds left.

That is incorrect: the Cowboys were 9-6 before the game at Miami and with a win they would had surpassed the 9-7 Giants, who had beaten the Cowboys twice that season, and made the playoffs as a wildcard.

The 1982 Cowboys at Vikings last game in the strike shortened season (a game which wouldn’t have been a MNF game if not for the strike) had It’s drama (not only for Tony Dorsett’s 99-Yard TD run or Rickey Young TD to win the game) because if Dallas had won, those two teams would had met again at Texas Stadium the next week. As Minnesota won, they hosted Atlanta, and Dallas hosted Tampa Bay.

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