Monday Night Football Schedule 2013: Matchups with Biggest Playoff Implications

Monday Night Football has already given us some close and intriguing games this season, but there are still some matchups left to be played on Monday nights this season with the potential to have major playoff implications.

Divisional games are always huge, as a divisional win could play a huge part in teams' tiebreaker scenarios. Aside from that, every game is important on the schedule of a playoff-bound team. That's especially true later in the season.

Let's take a look at the full schedule for the rest of the season on Monday Night Football and which games will feature two potential playoff teams with a ton on the line.

Week 9: Chicago Bears at Green Bay Packers

With the Chicago Bears currently tied for first place and the Green Bay Packers just one game behind in the win column, this divisional game will mean a lot in Week 9.

From top to bottom, the NFC North is a deep division with the Bears (3-2) and Packers (2-2), as well as the Detroit Lions (3-2). In fact, even the last-place Minnesota Vikings (1-3) made the playoffs last season.

At this point, it's anyone's division, with all four teams being so close in the standings. If things are close down the stretch of the season, the Bears and Packers will both want this Nov. 4 divisional win to help them edge out the other in a potential tiebreaker at the end of the season.

Week 13: New Orleans Saints at Seattle Seahawks

Through the first five weeks of the season, the Saints have gone undefeated while the Seahawks have just one loss. Consequently, this Dec. 2 clash could end up being a battle for home-field advantage in the NFC late in the season if things continue to go well.

The Seahawks are in one of the best divisions in the NFL, so any win that can separate them from the rest of the pack in the NFC West is huge. Seattle has been a beneficiary of the San Francisco 49ers' somewhat poor start, however, the Niners are too good to continue playing this badly and will no doubt recover to give the Seahawks competition for the division title.

The Saints will be chased by the Atlanta Falcons, a team thought to be favored in the NFC South this season, but instead is a disappointing 1-3 after four weeks. The Falcons, who have been playing better of late, will give New Orleans a run for its money to challenge for the division.

Should both squads stave off their respective opponents leading up to this showdown between two of the NFC's best teams, expect the game to help decide which will earn home-field advantage throughout the playoffs.

Week 14: Dallas Cowboys at Chicago Bears

The often-dysfunctional Dallas Cowboys will be a perfect opponent this late in the season for the Bears. Chicago will need this Dec. 9 win in order to keep itself above water in what will end up being an incredibly tough division to get out of in the NFC North.

As for the Cowboys, the NFC East will be wide open going into this game as the division is a total mess at the moment. Although the New York Giants are in last place in the NFC East and one of the worst teams in the NFL, they are still just two games in back of the Cowboys for first place.

Dallas has been unable to get out of its own way in 2013-14—as is normally the case. That has allowed teams off to bad starts, like the Philadelphia Eagles and Washington Redskins, to remain in the hunt for the division lead.

Things likely won't get any better for the Cowboys, who will be playing meaningful games for the rest of this season.

Week 16: Atlanta Falcons at San Francisco 49ers

Should both the Falcons and 49ers recover and get on hot streaks, their Week 16 regular-season finale in San Francisco could have home-field advantage implications.

The Falcons have started off 1-3 while the Niners 3-2. Although those aren't horrible starts, both teams expected to have better showings through this point of the season.

There is still plenty of time to turn things around, however, and both squads are just too talented to keep playing like this. Their Dec. 23 meeting will turn out to be a marquee matchup between two elite teams looking for positioning in the playoffs.

If that scenario doesn't play out, this game will loom even larger. It could pit two struggling teams that had big expectations to start the season, but instead may be duking it out for the opportunity just to make the playoffs.