Monday Night Football Schedule 2013: Breaking Down Top Matchups on Tap

It's hard to believe there are just five Monday Night Football games remaining. (There is no Monday game on the last week of the season.) A little sad, even. 

But just because all good things must come to an end doesn't mean we can't enjoy them while they're still here. And believe me, folks, there are some excellent matchups to enjoy on MNF down the stretch.

Let's break them down.

Week	Matchup	Time	Watch
12	San Francisco 49ers at Washington	8:30 p.m. ET	ESPN / WatchESPN
13	New Orleans Saints at Seattle Seahawks	8:30 p.m. ET	ESPN / WatchESPN
14	Dallas Cowboys at Chicago Bears	8:30 p.m. ET	ESPN / WatchESPN
15	Baltimore Ravens at Detroit Lions	8:30 p.m. ET	ESPN / WatchESPN
16	Atlanta Falcons at San Francisco 49ers	8:30 p.m. ET	ESPN / WatchESPN

New Orleans Saints at Seattle Seahawks

Without question, Week 13's epic showdown between the NFC's two best teams is the best Monday Night Football game remaining. Heck, it might be the best regular-season game remaining. 

The repercussions for this matchup are immense. Seattle has won 13 straight games at home, while New Orleans has been perfect in its six home games this year. 

A clash of styles also makes this game intriguing.

The Saints have one of the best passing attacks in the league, led by Drew Brees and Jimmy Graham, but they can also grind out tough yards down the stretch behind physical runners in Pierre Thomas and Mark Ingram. They also possess one of the best pass defenses in the league, so moving the ball on them is no cakewalk. 

The Seahawks counter with a balanced offense led by bruising runner Marshawn Lynch and poised quarterback Russell Wilson, and the defense is once again one of the league's best. The Seahawks will be favored simply because the game is in Seattle, but expect one hell of a football game.

Dallas Cowboys at Chicago Bears

There will be touchdowns.

While neither defense is very good, both teams feature dynamic offenses. Tony Romo is having another strong season, Dez Bryant is one of the league's most dangerous weapons when utilized properly, and DeMarco Murray is a playmaker when he can stay healthy.

Oh, and there's that Jason Witten guy too.

But the Bears have plenty of weapons as well, and they have proved to be effective offensively even when Josh McCown starts for Jay Cutler. Matt Forte is one of the top running backs in all of football, while Brandon Marshall is one of the game's top possession receivers.

Add Alshon Jeffery and Martellus Bennett in complementary roles, and the Bears have officially made the switch from defensive to offensive team. When they host the Cowboys, expect a fun, high-scoring game to break out.

San Francisco 49ers at Washington

Last year, Colin Kaepernick and Robert Griffin III took the NFL by storm. This year, both have struggled. But c'mon—you can't tell me you aren't intrigued to see the two go head-to-head on Monday night.

Both teams need to get back on track after losing two in a row. While the Niners are still 6-4 and firmly in the playoff picture, Washington is a putrid 3-7 a year after reaching the playoffs. 

The Niners will surely look to pound the rock against a mediocre run defense and turn to the play-action passing game to chew up chunks of yards at a time against Washington's poor secondary. Washington is more than capable of moving the ball, however, so this game could end up being a pretty exciting contest.