What is the highest scoring Monday night NFL game?
The NFL traditionally played games Sunday afternoon, but as the game became more popular and television viewership increased, ABC began Monday night broadcasts known as “Monday Night Football”.
The game was on ABC from its first broadcast on September 21, 1970 through the 2005 season and on ESPN ever since.
As scoring around the league has steadily increased, Monday night scoring records fell.
In fact, the highest scoring Monday night game was last season on November 19, 2018 when the Rams downed the Chiefs by a 54-51 score.
Los Angeles jumped to a 6-0 lead just three minutes into the game on a seven-yard pass from Jared Goff to Robert Woods.
They increased the lead to 13-0 with 5:35 left in the quarter when Josh Reynolds hauled in Goff’s second touchdown pass of the game from four-yards out.
Kansas City cut the lead to 13-7 on a Tyreek Hill 25-yard reception from Patrick Mahomes.
After teams both hit field goals in the first half of the second quarter, the Chiefs pulled ahead by point after a Kareem Hunt 21-yard reception from Mahomes.
With just under two minutes in the half, the Rams regained the lead, 23-17 when Samson Ebukam returned a fumble 11 yards for a score.
Marching quickly down the field before the half, the Chiefs tied the game at 23 on an eight-yard strike form Mahomes to Chris Conley.
The Rams dominated the third quarter outscoring the Chiefs, 17-7.
Goff scored on a seven-yard run, Greg Zuerlein drilled a 53-yard field goal and Ebukam returned an interception for a score.
The lone touchdown by the Chiefs in the quarter was Mahomes’ third touchdown pass, this time to Travis Kelce.
Trailing 40-30 entering the final quarter, the Chiefs scored twice in the first four minutes, one on a 73-yard pass from Mahomes to Hill and another on a two-yard fumble recovering by Allen Bailey.
The back and forth battle continued as the Rams regained the lead, 47-44 after Gerald Everett caught a seven-yard touchdown from Goff.
The teams remained scoreless for nearly the next seven minutes until Conley again found the endzone on yet another Mahomes pass.
With 1:47 remaining on the clock, the Rams too the lead to stay when Goff connected on a 40-yard pass to Everett. With the 54-51 win, the Rams improved to 10-1 and the Chiefs dropped to 9-2.
Mahomes threw for 478 yards and six touchdowns for the Chiefs. Kareem Hunt rushed for 70 yards on 14 carries. Tyreke Hill and Travis Kelce each caught ten passes for a combined 342 yards and three touchdowns.
For the Rams, Goff completed 31 passes for 413 yards, four touchdowns and no interceptions. Todd Gurley led a modest rushing game with 55 yards on 12 carries. Brandin Cooks topped the Rams in receptions with eight for 107 yards.
The 105 points combined broke the old record for most points scored in a Monday Night Football game set on October 17, 1983 when the Packers defeated the Redskins, 48-47.