<P> Since the MNF schedule is set in April and cannot be changed, the league and network cannot guarantee a late season matchup will have any significance or be highly anticipated . Teams thought to be good during the off - season could be out of playoff contention by the middle of the season; a prime example occurred in 1999, when the San Francisco 49ers and Atlanta Falcons both entered the season's final MNF game with 4--11 records . It had seemed like a good pre-season matchup since the Falcons had played in the previous season's Super Bowl and the 49ers coming into the 1999 season had posted 16 consecutive 10 - win seasons . It is also possible for a team like the 1999 St. Louis Rams not to be scheduled for a Monday night game because of its dismal record the year before, and many other NFL teams (such as the 2004 San Diego Chargers, with zero primetime games) have had huge unforeseen turnarounds that result in lack of MNF attention (these teams generally receive multiple MNF spots the year after their breakout success, which is great for viewers if those teams continue to play well, and not so great if they return to mediocrity or worse). However, the forecasting abilities of the NFL's scheduling officials have exhibited uncanny proficiency . Many MNF games occurring later in the season feature at least one team that is either headed to the playoffs or must win the MNF game to clinch a playoff spot . </P> <P> The problem of having a national spotlight game which during the season's most critical weeks late in the year probably would not show the most important game of the week was long known by the league and network . As a result of this, the NFL wished to move the "Game of the Week" idea to Sunday nights as to make flex scheduling possible . This was a move which would ultimately mean the end of Monday Night Football on ABC (cable games are protected from the NFL's flexible scheduling rule adopted for the 2006--07 season; the new rule applies only to CBS, Fox, and NBC's Sunday night games). The league currently has no interest in expanding flexible scheduling to include Monday Night Football, citing the logistical issues of moving games back and forth between Sundays and Mondays . </P> <P> The franchise with the most Monday night appearances is the Miami Dolphins . The San Francisco 49ers won their record 48th Monday Night game with a 28--0 win over the Los Angeles Rams on September 12, 2016 . </P> <P> The most common Monday Night Football pairings are Broncos vs. Raiders (17 match - ups as of 2013) and Cowboys vs. Redskins (met for a 17th time in 2015). </P>

Who played the most monday night football games