1. Raiders 43, Jets 32 (November 17, 1968)
This was a game filled with memorable characters, from Joe Namath to Don Maynard to Fred Biletnikoff to George Blanda. It was a classic matchup of two bitter rivals, each of which would go on to win its division. Best of all, it was a back-and-forth slugfest with an outcome that remained in doubt until the final minute. But that's not what most people remember about this day.
With 1:05 left to play and the Jets in possession of a 32-29 lead, NBC wrote this game into the pages of history by pre-empting the broadcast to air its scheduled programming, a feature presentation of Heidi. Thousands of fans phoned the network to express their displeasure, and they had good reason to be angry. The "Heidi Game," as it has come to be known, had only just begun.
The Raiders took possession on the ensuing kickoff and barely stopped to take a breath before scoring a go-ahead touchdown on a 43-yard pass to Charlie Smith. When the Jets fumbled the next kickoff, Oakland scored again on a 2-yard return by Preston Ridlehuber. It was the second touchdown in nine seconds for the Raiders, who suddenly were victors.
The frantic ending was in keeping with all that had preceded. Namath had 381 passing yards and 1 touchdown; Daryle Lamonica, his Raiders' counterpart, had 311 yards and 4 touchdowns. The Jets held the lead four times, but never by more than 7 points. Namath was sacked 6 times, Lamonica twice. There were 19 penalties for 238 yards, and Jets safety Jim Hudson was ejected for unsportsmanlike conduct. Commissioner Pete Rozelle later would assess some $2,000 in fines. It was about what you'd expect in those days from the Raiders and the Jets.
But the biggest news arrived the day after the game when Julian Goodman, president of NBC, apologized publicly for cutting short the broadcast of one of pro football's most memorable games.

2. Redskins 37, Raiders 35 (October 2, 1983)
The two best teams in the league - they would meet at season's end in Super Bowl XVIII - took a packed RFK Stadium on a roller-coaster ride. After falling behind 20-7, the Raiders rallied to a 35-20 lead, punctuated by a 97-yard punt return by Greg Pruitt. Then the Redskins scored 17 points in less than 7 minutes, largely on the arm of Joe Theismann (417 passing yards), who hit Joe Washington for the winning score with 33 seconds left.

3. Chiefs 31, Broncos 28 (October 17, 1994)
Two of the NFL's foremost comeback artists, Joe Montana and John Elway, entertained a Monday night audience with classic routines. Facing a 24-21, fourth-quarter deficit, Elway marched the Broncos 39 yards and scored a go-ahead touchdown on a 4-yard run. Montana responded with a 75-yard drive in the final 1 1/2 minutes, finishing with a 5-yard touchdown pass to Willie Davis with eight seconds remaining.

4. 49ers 7, Giants 3 (December 3, 1990)
A much-anticipated match-up lived up to its billing at Candlestick Park, where the 10-1 49ers and 10-1 Giants collided in a bruising Monday night battle. On a night when neither team could muster even 250 yards - the game featured 16 punts - all of the scoring was confined to the second quarter. Joe Montana's 23-yard touchdown pass to John Taylor proved the difference.

5. Buccaneers 38, Rams 35 (December 18, 2000)
Marshall Faulk scored 4 touchdowns and the Rams overcame a 10-point second-half deficit, but the Buccaneers laughed last thanks to the heads-up play of Shaun King. On the game-winning drive, he turned a potential loss into a 15-yard gain after taking a desperation lateral from Warrick Dunn, and later converted a fourth-and-4 with a 6-yard scrambling run. Dunn (145 rushing yards and 3 touchdowns) scored the game winner with 48 seconds left.

6. Cowboys 35, Redskins 34 (December 16, 1979)
Roger Staubach saved one of his most memorable comebacks for his final regular-season game, rallying the Cowboys from deficits of 17-0 and 34-21 to a victory that secured the NFC East title. An 8-yard touchdown pass to Tony Hill with 39 seconds left capped a seven-play, 75-yard game-winning drive.

7. Packers 48, Redskins 47 (October 17, 1983)
The 5-1 Redskins were en route to their second consecutive NFC title, and the 3-3 Packers had lost as many as they had won. But the two squads were almost indistinguishable as they traded touchdowns. With Joe Theismann passing for 398 yards and Lynn Dickey for 387, the two teams combined for 1,025 total yards. Jan Stenerud decided the issue by kicking a 20-yard field goal with 54 seconds left.

8. Seahawks 51, Chiefs 48 (November 27, 1983)
Defense took the day off when the Seahawks and Chiefs met at the Kingdome. Curt Warner set Seahawks records with 32 carries for 207 yards. Chiefs quarterback Bill Kenney passed for 4 touchdowns and ran for 2 more. But the biggest scores came from kicker Norm Johnson - a 42-yard field goal with two seconds left to force overtime and a 42-yard field goal 1:46 into overtime.

9. Jets 51, Dolphins 45 (September 21, 1986)
Dan Marino and Ken O'Brien assaulted the NFL record book, passing for a combined 884 yards (still a league record) in a game in which the lead changed hands six times. Marino passed for 6 touchdowns, O'Brien passed for 4-all to Wesley Walker, including the game-tying score with no time remaining and the winner 2:35 into overtime.

10. Packers 26, Vikings 20 (November 6, 2000)
The Vikings took the lead four times … and the Packers tied the score four times. A give-and-take battle played on through the rain and into overtime until lightning struck. Facing third-and-4 on the Vikings' 43, quarterback Brett Favre underthrew Antonio Freeman. The ball was deflected by cornerback Cris Dishman and bounced off Freeman's left arm and helmet before he grasped it with his right hand, bounced to his feet, and raced downfield for the winning score.

Worse Late-career moves
What is Jerry Rice doing in a Raiders jersey? He's just the latest in a long line of Hall of Fame-bound players to switch teams in the twilight of their careers. Some such as Joe Montana, sought to add another Super Bowl chapter to an already legendary career. For most, it was less about championships and more about extending playing days. At least their curtain-call images made for some unusual football cards.

Tony Dorsett
Dallas (1977-1987): 12,036 rushing yards, 86 touchdowns, 1 Super Bowl ring, 4 Pro Bowls.
Denver (1988): 703 rushing yards, 5 touchdowns.
With Dorsett nursing sore ankles and Herschel Walker in the stable, the Cowboys traded Dorsett to Denver for a fifth-round pick. He squeezed past Jim Brown on the all-time rushing list, on which he currently ranks fifth, before a knee injury ended his career.

Franco Harris
Pittsburgh (1972-1983): 11,950 rushing yards, 100 touchdowns, 4 Super Bowl rings, 9 Pro Bowl selections.
Seattle (1984): 170 rushing yards, 0 touchdowns.
Brought in to replace an injured Curt Warner, Harris clearly had lost a step by 1984. Franco, who had a penchant for seeking the sideline in order to avoid contact, got something less than an immaculate reception from Jim Brown, whose NFL rushing record Harris was pursuing. Walter Payton beat him to Brown's mark, and Harris retired as the NFL's third all-time rusher.

Joe Montana
San Francisco (1979-1992): 35,124 passing yards, 244 touchdown passes, 4 Super Bowl rings, 7 Pro Bowl selections.
Kansas City (1993-94): 5,427 passing yards, 29 touchdown passes, 1 Pro Bowl selection.
When elbow surgery knocked Montana out for nearly two full seasons, Steve Young stepped in and led the NFL in passing both years (1991-92). Montana didn't want to ride the bench, so he orchestrated a trade to Kansas City and donned number 19 (the Chiefs had retired number 16 to honor Len Dawson). Montana led the Chiefs to their first AFC West title in 22 years and the AFC Championship Game his first season, followed by a wild-card playoff berth in 1994, but he never got the Chiefs into a Super Bowl.

Joe Namath
New York Jets (1965-1976): 27,057 passing yards, 170 touchdown passes, 1 Super Bowl ring, 5 AFL All-Star/ Pro Bowl selections.
Los Angeles Rams (1977): 606 passing yards, 3 touchdown passes.
Broadway Joe made no guarantees when he took his heart to Los Angeles, but left his knees in the Big Apple. He opened the season as the starter, but soon gave way to second-year man Pat Haden. Namath spent more time acting on Hollywood sound stages than playing on the Coliseum field as the Rams won their fifth consecutive division title.

O.J. Simpson
Buffalo (1969-1977): 10,183 rushing yards, 70 touchdowns, 6 AFL-Star/ Pro Bowl selections.
San Francisco (1978-79): 1,053 rushing yards, 6 touchdowns.
The NFL's first 2,000-yard rusher was signed a year after Edward J. DeBartolo Jr. assumed ownership of the 49ers. After suffering a season-ending shoulder injury 10 games into 1978, Simpson lost the starting job to Paul Hofer midway through the 1979 season. The Juice retired as the league's second-leading rusher. Fortunately for 49ers fans, the club's personnel decisions greatly improved in the years to come.

Johnny Unitas
Baltimore (1956-1972): 39,768 passing yards, 287 touchdown passes, 1 Super Bowl ring, 10 Pro Bowls.
San Diego (1973): 471 passing yards, 3 touchdown passes.
Johnny U. was a shadow of himself by the time he donned a Chargers uniform, though the number 19 looked cool on his helmet. He spent most of his time in San Diego looking terribly out of place. He played in five games for the Chargers before hanging up his pads.