Steelers vs. 49ers: Elite Teams Will Finally Give Us MNF Matchup Worth Watching

Not since Week 9 have we been treated to a good Monday Night Football matchup.

That's how bad it's been this season.

In Week 10, the Green Bay Packers defeated the Minnesota Vikings, 45-7. In Week 11, the New England Patriots routed the Kansas City Chiefs, 34-3. In Week 12, the New Orleans Saints bombarded the New York Giants, 49-24. In Week 13, the San Diego Chargers defeated the Jacksonville Jaguars, 38-14. And in Week 14, we got to see the Seattle Seahawks were better than the 2-12 St. Louis Rams.

Whoop-dee-doo.

Monday Night Football has always been about trying to produce the most thrilling matchup of the week, and it would always get players pumped in front of a national audience.

But you have to wonder what the NFL was thinking when it pitted the Packers against the Vikings, Patriots against the Chiefs, Chargers against the Jaguars and, last but not best, the Seahawks against the Rams.

Well, have no fear, NFL fans. There is still a MNF matchup worth watching.

Tonight the defending AFC champion Pittsburgh Steelers will head into San Francisco to battle the revitalized 49ers.

Both teams are 10-3 and have largely made their mark with their defenses. They are the top two defenses in the league based on points allowed per game. The 49ers have ceded just 14.0 points per game while the Steelers have allowed just 15.2 points per game.

Both are elite teams looking ahead to the postseason and beyond.

There are also some intriguing matchups.

It's going to be interesting how 49ers quarterback Alex Smith holds up against the top pass defense in the league. It's also going to be interesting to see if the Steelers can stop running back Frank Gore. It's hard for me to see Smith doing a whole lot against the Steelers, which means the field won't be opened up much for Gore. He's likely going to have to have a magnificent performance to do damage.

On the Steelers' side of things, quarterback Ben Roethlisberger is expected to play through an ankle injury sustained in the Steelers' win over the Cleveland Browns on Dec. 8. It's going to be interesting to see how the 49ers defense fairs against him.

This is going to be the kind of smash mouth game football fans love, with plenty of hard hits and emotional moments.

Even if you don't care about these two teams, watch the game tonight.

You won't be disappointed.