To celebrate the 45th season of "Monday Night Football," a panel of ESPN.com contributors has selected the 45 most memorable moments in MNF history. Follow along as we reveal one per day and count down the number of days to this season's MNF debut.
No. 43: Patriots 38, Dolphins 24 | Sept. 12, 2011
The Miami Dolphins hosted the New England Patriots in the 2011 "Monday Night Football" opener.Despite the hot Miami temperatures and extreme humidity, the teams combined for an NFL-record 906 net passing yards. Dolphins quarterback Chad Henne threw for a career-high 416 yards and added a rushing touchdown, but quarterback Tom Brady and the Patriots' offense dominated the night.
Brady passed for a team-record 517 yards and four touchdowns, including a memorable 99-yard connection to Wes Welker. His only mistake was a deflected pass that resulted in an interception. That mishap snapped Brady's NFL-record 358 straight passes without an interception, which dated back to the previous season.
The Patriots finished with 622 yards of offense, the most in franchise history, and won their opener for the eighth consecutive season.