by the NFL were all found to have merit; therefore not changing the outcome of the game. Had the Seahawks won, they would have been one of a handful of teams to beat both Pennsylvania-based NFL teams on ABC in the same season. 2006 NFL season This marked the first season of Monday night games broadcast on ESPN. The season began with the first-ever scheduled Monday night doubleheader. The Minnesota Vikings and the Washington Redskins had the honor of playing ESPN's first ever telecast with the Vikings winning the game in a defensive battle. San Diego shutout the Oakland Raiders in the night cap. September 25 saw the New Orleans Saints return to the Louisiana Superdome for the first time since Hurricane Katrina. The game was preceded by musical performances by the Goo Goo Dolls, Green Day, and U2. The October 23 game between the Giants and Cowboys became the highest-rated program in the history of cable television, being watched by over 16 million people.The December 25 match between the New York Jets and Miami Dolphins was the second game of the day as NBC aired a game between Dallas and Philadelphia. This marked the first time since 1997 both networks aired a game on the same day. U.S. television ratings Viewer numbers (based on average total viewers per episode) of Monday Night Football on ESPN. All times Eastern.With the exception of the September 11, 2006 Chargers–Raiders game, Monday Night Football was the most-watched program on cable until the premiere of High School Musical 2 which had 17 million viewers, breaking Monday Night Football's record of 16 million. The "It would have ranked..." column indicated what Monday Night Football would have ranked in the respective weekly viewer rankings, if it were ranked among the programs that aired on the main broadcast networks (ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox and The CW). According to ESPN.com news services, ESPN's telecast of the New York Giants' 36-22 victory over the Dallas Cowboys on Monday, October 23, 2006 was viewed by the largest audience in cable history. The game, featuring two of the NFL's biggest rivals, was seen in an average of 11,807,000 homes, based on a 12.8 rating. That translates to 16,028,000 viewers (a cable ratings point represents 923,000 households). The previous record for cable television was the debate over the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) in November 1993, between then-vice president Al Gore