Teams that didn't play on MNF the entire season but "should" have

[74_75_78_79_]

Just having posted the Hanifan thread, and seeing that the Cards played strictly on Sundays in their super-near-playoff campaign of '84, inspires this.

Now in '85 they got themselves two MNF games (@RFK Wk#5 and Dallas Wk#9) and also Big D on Turkey Day; and the finale again vs Wash but this time at home and on a Saturday. Yes, what a difference a year made!

But as for '84, I think having back-to-back winning seasons going in, the 5-1 finish beating both AFCCG-participants in that stretch, and let's add the FWIW playoff berth of '82...it should not have been strictly-Sundays. And the season, itself, warrants that.

I've mentioned previously about the '85 Eagles not having a MNF game. I guess understandable in that they were 6-9-1. But a strong 6-9-1! We all know what they did at Miami among other "not-bad" moments. They were at 5-6-1 coming around the final bend, still "in it", until Jaws breaks his leg Wk#13 at Busch.

But if that wasn't enough for prime time in '85, I'd think 1986 should have been the year! 6-5 after 11 weeks the year prior still under Marion Campbell. Enter Buddy Ryan fresh off You-Know-What in '85! I would have made that Wk#2 match, at Chicago, he-vs-Ditka, a prime time event!

You should always give that "almost"-playoff team from the year before that hasn't been successful as of late a very early one just in case they have a letdown which those '86 Eagles, indeed, did. But this being the beginning of the season still, and they actually bringing the defending-Champs into OT...it would have worked out well (ratings) at that very moment!

And, yes, the '85 Cards became a letdown as well. By the time they played against, and beat, Dallas that MNF game, they were already 3-5 having lost four straight going in. But that first '85 MNF game of the two - it was they going back to RFK for the first time since the finale, and they were 3-1 going in. It wasn't known nor foreseen yet the digression to immediately come so that worked out as well at least pregame-hype-wise.

Whether the team itself actually would end up having a good-enough season to warrant a MNF match or not, just simply basing it on the rationale I suggest, what other Sunday-only teams do you think should have had at least one, very early MNF game?

[Gary Najman]

1983 Patriots: had a winning record in 1982 and made the playoffs, yet some teams with losing records (Lions, Saints, Giants) played on MNF in 1983 and they didn’t.

Of course the 1981 49ers and Bengals didn’t play on MNF, but they had losing records in 1980 and no one thought of them as Super Bowl contenders.

[Ness]

1999 Rams??? And that was before Kurt Warner came into play. Rams traded for Marshall Faulk and signed FA Trent Green that offseason. I guess that didn't move the needle enough to garner a game, even if they were an away opponent. Rams drafted Holt, but he was an unproven rook. Still, the Rams hadn't been on MNF since 1991 up to that point, and wouldn't at all in 1999 while the Warner story took the league by storm. Think they should have gotten one game.

[7DnBrnc53]

1972 Steelers: They played on MNF in 1971, but not 1972, when expectations were higher? Doesn't make sense.

[Retro Rider]

The 1977 Denver Broncos, who were coming off their best season ever (9-5). They went on to win the AFC and advanced to Super Bowl XII. ABC's snub of the Broncos further drew the ire of Denver fans whenever their club was excluded from Howard Cosell's halftime highlights segment:

"Business is booming at the Sweetwater pub since owners began a raffle with the winner getting to toss the brick through a television set at sportscaster Howard Cosell.

Football fans here, upset at ABC-TV for not scheduling their Denver Broncos for a Monday night television appearance and claiming Cosell deliberately has omitted Denver from the halftime highlights on occasion, have taken their ire out on Cosell."

https://anecdotage.com/anecdotes/howard ... f-the-city

[74_75_78_79_]

1983 Patriots: had a winning record in 1982 and made the playoffs, yet some teams with losing records (Lions, Saints, Giants) played on MNF in 1983 and they didn’t.

Of course the 1981 49ers and Bengals didn’t play on MNF, but they had losing records in 1980 and no one thought of them as Super Bowl contenders.

Perhaps that 2-14 campaign in '81 was still fresh in minds. But, no, they should have had themselves a MNF game in '83. Plus, they were respectable all year not being eliminated from the playoffs until their finale, a 24-6 defeat at the Kingdome.

'81 Forty Niners & Bengals? Both finished 6-10 in 1980.

San Fran had that 3-0 start, all wins against soft competition, and then came the 8-game skid that was low-lighted by back-to-back blowouts at Rams, 48-26, and then at Big D, 59-14! Yes, another three-game win-streak would then follow - beat New England, big comeback vs 'Aints' - only to then get trounced in Atlanta and then lose at home to Bills, 18-13, in a rainy and muddy finale.

Bengals, of course, with their sweep over Pittsburgh followed by shutting out playoff-bound Vikings, 14-0, to up their record to 3-4. But then they'd suffer their own losing streak, a 5-game one, which would as well be followed by a three-game-win-streak starting with 20-6 at Arrowhead. And then came real close to beating Cleveland in the finale.

Both could have played spoilers. I never thought of these two as a MNF candidate for the following year but maybe I should have. Enough respectability, I guess. A good thread would be who was better between these two in 1980?

All said, if MNF would end up ignoring San Fran's watershed win over Dallas the following year during halftime highlights, then how could they have possibly considered them for a prime time game in the off-season??

Which leads us to this...

The 1977 Denver Broncos, who were coming off their best season ever (9-5). They went on to win the AFC and advanced to Super Bowl XII. ABC's snub of the Broncos further drew the ire of Denver fans whenever their club was excluded from Howard Cosell's halftime highlights segment:

"Business is booming at the Sweetwater pub since owners began a raffle with the winner getting to toss the brick through a television set at sportscaster Howard Cosell.

Football fans here, upset at ABC-TV for not scheduling their Denver Broncos for a Monday night television appearance and claiming Cosell deliberately has omitted Denver from the halftime highlights on occasion, have taken their ire out on Cosell."

https://anecdotage.com/anecdotes/howard ... f-the-city

Damn! Never knew the 9-5 Broncos were boxed-out in '77! And such respectability leading up with winning seasons in '73/'74 and a 6-8 finish in '75! Totally wrong!

1999 Rams??? And that was before Kurt Warner came into play. Rams traded for Marshall Faulk and signed FA Trent Green that offseason. I guess that didn't move the needle enough to garner a game, even if they were an away opponent. Rams drafted Holt, but he was an unproven rook. Still, the Rams hadn't been on MNF since 1991 up to that point, and wouldn't at all in 1999 while the Warner story took the league by storm. Think they should have gotten one game.

I don't know. The thing with the Rams going into '99 are the 5-11 and then 4-12 finish leading up; and their decade-long futility to begin with. Other than a FWIW win at Norv Turner's 6-5-1 Washington team in '97 and an early home convincer over a Curtis Martin-less Jets in '98 before they started to get rolling (If these examples are even worth mentioning at all), there never were any hints nor signs of real improvement in StL. But the acquiring of Trent and Faulk are good points. But again with the 5-11 & 4-12. Despite big acquisitions, I would think actual respectability would have to be seen on the field first.

Of course all of this is not knowing what the Rams would actually accomplish in '99! I could be wrong. Trent and Faulk perhaps good enough for, at least, one early MNF date. Maybe Wk#3 vs defending-NFC champ, Atlanta (though they'd be 0-2 going in and Rams would demolish them), or Wk#5 vs San Fran! Yes, Young now out but they were 3-1 going in with Garcia coming off a good game vs Tennessee. Rams ended up running away with it, and San Fran would further falter from there, but it would have worked pre-game-hype-wise, at least.

1972 Steelers: They played on MNF in 1971, but not 1972, when expectations were higher? Doesn't make sense.

Yes, questionable indeed. I never knew of that! Enough respectability was bubbling up the last couple years. Perhaps the opener vs Oakland or Wk#4 at defending-Champ, Dallas, would have been good ones to pick!

I guess it was that 38-16 blowout at Arrowhead against Stram's last great Chiefs team that may have done it. But still.

[7DnBrnc53]

Yes, questionable indeed. I never knew of that! Enough respectability was bubbling up the last couple years. Perhaps the opener vs Oakland or Wk#4 at defending-Champ, Dallas, would have been good ones to pick!

I guess it was that 38-16 blowout at Arrowhead against Stram's last great Chiefs team that may have done it. But still.

They had crappy NO and Chicago on MNF that year, but not the upstart Steelers. Unbelievable. They also had crappy Houston on there as well.

[Gary Najman]

I remember that when the Raiders played at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum they didn't had any MNF games there from 1986 to 1994 (the Raiders did had MNF games, but away). Was it for the bad artificial lights or the empty stands?

[Todd Pence]

The 1970 Bengals were a division winner who did not appear on the MNF schedule in '71. Their overall 8-6 mark was unimpressive, although the way they stormed back from a 1-6 mark to capture the crown was. Possibly the Bengals were billed as a not-so-flashy team with few big name stars. Also the way they meekly exited the playoffs didn't earn them any accolades.

The 1978 Rams had a 12-4 mark and made it to the NFC title game. But they got no Monday Night dates in '79, although they did get prime time games on a Thursday and Sunday.

2007 Seahawks - Divisional round, no MNF dates for '08.

[CSKreager]

1999 Colts

Granted they were 3-13 in 98 but like they had Peyton who set them-rookie passing records, made the bold at time decision to Draft Edgerrin James instead of Ricky Williams, and already had Marvin Harrison

They played in a rugged AFC East but like the Rams had NO primetime games period in 99 despite also going 13-3

There was some turnaround buzz going into 99 but since we didn’t see ATL/DEN/NYJ falling off…..