Sep 1, 2026 · 8 min · 8 segments
Pro Football in the 1970s is part of the Sports History Network - The Headquarters For Your Favorite Sport's Yesteryear. **JOE ZAGORSKI'S BOOKS ON AMAZON**…
Joe ZagorskiHost
During the 1970s, there was no better team in the NFL at winning Monday night football games than the Oakland Raiders.

From 1970 to 1979, Oakland posted an incredible 13-1-1 record on their Monday night football games.

Only the Miami Dolphins and the Washington Redskins came close to Oakland's win total.

Both the Dolphins and the Redskins each won 12 Monday Night Football games, but they both also had at least four losses on their Monday Night Ledgers.

Now, in that era of this spectacle known as Monday Night Football, the producers at ABC TV worked with the league hierarchy to try to have as many winning teams as possible to grace the stage of this weekly tradition.

It wasn't always easy, but the NFL certainly hoped that they would have at least featured some competitive games on those Monday nights.

You see, the league also had some of its adamant directors point to overall fairness, meaning that the viewing public would at least occasionally get a chance to see some teams that were not always winning.

They didn't seem to mind if the television ratings had fallen off in some of their games, however.

For example, in 1972, Oakland crushed the Houston Oilers in the Astrodome 34-0 on Monday Night Football.

As the final score indicated, the Raiders dominated the Oilers in practically every statistical category.

In 1973, Oakland had to settle for a 23-23 tie at Denver on Monday Night Football.

Then a year later in 1974, the Raiders suffered their only loss on Monday Night Football during the decade when they fell to the Buffalo Bills, 21-20.

But all in all, Oakland found ways to post victories in eight out of the ten seasons that they played a game on Monday nights.

During the 1970s, there was no better team in the NFL at winning Monday night football games than the Oakland Raiders.

From 1970 to 1979, Oakland posted an incredible 13-1-1 record on their Monday night football games.

Only the Miami Dolphins and the Washington Redskins came close to Oakland's win total.

Both the Dolphins and the Redskins each won 12 Monday Night Football games, but they both also had at least four losses on their Monday Night Ledgers.

Now, in that era of this spectacle known as Monday Night Football, the producers at ABC TV worked with the league hierarchy to try to have as many winning teams as possible to grace the stage of this weekly tradition.

It wasn't always easy, but the NFL certainly hoped that they would have at least featured some competitive games on those Monday nights.

You see, the league also had some of its adamant directors point to overall fairness, meaning that the viewing public would at least occasionally get a chance to see some teams that were not always winning.

They didn't seem to mind if the television ratings had fallen off in some of their games, however.

For example, in 1972, Oakland crushed the Houston Oilers in the Astrodome 34-0 on Monday Night Football.

As the final score indicated, the Raiders dominated the Oilers in practically every statistical category.

In 1973, Oakland had to settle for a 23-23 tie at Denver on Monday Night Football.

Then a year later in 1974, the Raiders suffered their only loss on Monday Night Football during the decade when they fell to the Buffalo Bills, 21-20.

But all in all, Oakland found ways to post victories in eight out of the ten seasons that they played a game on Monday nights.
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