| | Monday, January 22, 2001
All MNF team
Monday NightFootball.com
As the saying goes, we'll take our chances with the team listed below. These are the players that made a difference during an unbelievable season of Monday Night Football.
Remember that this list is based on players who have starred on the Monday Night Football stage, not on Sundays. So, without further adieu, we present this year's All-MNF team.
|  | | Torry Holt's 393 receiving yards this season on MNF led all receivers. |
All-MNF team: Offense
Wide receiver (2): Torry Holt, St. Louis Rams; Antonio Freeman, Green Bay
Comment: Outside of providing MondayNightFootball.com with a weekly diary, Holt had 19 catches for 393 yards and a touchdown in his three appearances on MNF. Freeman's catch of the year in the Pack's thrilling win over the Vikings in Week 10 cemented his name into MNF history.
Offensive tackle (2): Jumbo Elliott, N.Y. Jets; Orlando Pace, St. Louis
Comment: Jumbo, a terrific tackle who considered retirement this offseason, made his first NFL catch a memorable (and juggling) one with a three-yard scoring reception that sent the Jets-Dolphins game into overtime. Pace and the rest of the Rams' O-line kept Kurt Warner safe in the pocket and Marshall Faulk running for daylight as the Rams racked up 96 points in their three appearances.
Offensive guard (2): Bruce Matthews, Tennessee; Randall McDaniel, Tampa Bay
Comment: Matthews sprained a knee ligament the week before the MNF game against the Jaguars in Week 7, but he still started the game (a 27-13 victory) and extended his NFL-leading streak of consecutive starts to 203 games. McDaniel and his crew made Warrick Dunn look All-World versus the Rams in Week 16.
Center (1): Kevin Mawae, N.Y. Jets
Comment: Did anyone touch Testaverde in the second halves of the Jets games against New England (Week 2) and Miami (Week 8)?
Running back (1): Eddie George, Tennessee
Comment: Tennessee would not be a Super Bowl contender without MNF Player of the Year George. The Jaguars came after him in Week 7, and he still rumbled for 165 yards and a score on 30 carries. The Titans were the only team to go 3-0 this season on MNF.
Fullback (1): Richie Anderson, N.Y. Jets
Comment: Anderson had 18 receptions for 197 yards in the Jets two MNF wins, including a 12-catch, 109 yard effort in the Jets' overtime win over the Dolphins in Week 8. Where was Mike Alstott in Tampa's two appearances?
Tight End (1): Tony Gonzalez, Kansas City
Comment: The best tight end in football made 14 catches for 181 yards and two touchdowns in the Chiefs' two MNF appearances. Gonzalez should go down as one of the best tight ends in league history by the time he's done.
Quarterback (1): Peyton Manning, Indianapolis
Comment: Completing 23-of-39 passes for 440 yards, four touchdowns and no interceptions against the Jaguars in Week Four, Manning put forth the most impressive debut in the history of MNF. He also led the Colts' playoff charge over the Bills in Week 15. This guy should be lighting it up at night a few times a year for many seasons to come.
All-MNF team: Defense
Defensive end (2): Chad Bratzke, Indianapolis; Eric Hicks, Kansas City
Comment: Bratzke had two sacks against Jacksonville, including one of Brunell in the end zone for a safety, and one against Buffalo. Hicks, not well known nationally yet, had three sacks in KC's win over Seattle and one in their loss to New England.
Defensive tackle (2): Warren Sapp, Tampa Bay; Trevor Pryce, Denver
Comment: Forget the sack totals and the constant double-team respect for a second. Sapp just scares us and should have a MNF camera devoted solely to him during their primetime games. Pryce was relentless against the Raiders in the Broncos' classic win in Week 11.
Inside linebacker (1): Randall Godfrey, Tennessee
Comment: One of the best offseason acquisitions of the year, Godfrey showed the the Cowboys they made a big mistake by letting him go with eight tackles, 1.5 sacks and a fumble recovery.
Outside linebacker (2): Derrick Brooks, Tampa Bay; Al Wilson, Broncos
Comment: Brooks made 11 tackles for the Bucs in a loss to the Vikings. Wilson's two interceptions of Kurt Warner in Week One weren't enough to beat the (then) red hot Rams.
Cornerback (2): Samari Rolle, Tennessee; Marcus Coleman, N.Y. Jets
Comment: In perhaps the best defensive play of the entire season, Rolle picked off a Brad Johnson pass on his own 19-yard line, and slithered all the way to the end zone with no time left on the clock in the first half. Coleman is yet another Jets vote here, as the 6-foot-2 corner has performed well in those two comebacks.
Safety (2): John Lynch, Tampa Bay, Darren Sharper, Green Bay
Comment: Lynch is the biggest hitter on a Buccaneers defense that jam-packed with assassins. Sharper was all over the place in the Pack's Week 10 win over Minnesota, picking off two Daunte Culpepper passes.
All-MNF team: Special Teams
Kick returners: Derrick Mason, Tennessee
Comment: The Titans' first score in a 27-13 win over Jacksonville in Week 7 was set up by Mason's nifty 66-yard kickoff return. Not a bad receiver either.
Kicker: Jason Elam, Denver
Comment: Does the 41-yard game-winner on the final play against Oakland ring a bell?
Punter: Mitch Berger, Minnesota
Comment: Why not? The man averaged 45 yards per punt in the Vikes' two appearances and more importantly, made a nice hit on Allen Rossum of the Packers in Week 10.
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