Week 11 in the NFL is here, and you might be entering the weekend with your own preferences regarding which games to focus on, and which to place on the backburner.
Most of you have your favorites and fantasy players to track. But in case you’re completely neutral or need help breaking ties with regard to what to watch, we’ve ranked all 14 games from most appealing to least enticing.
1. Eagles at Packers (Sunday, 4 p.m. ET, FOX): Another Mark Sanchez start, which should be fun. And this one’s at Lambeau against a much stronger opponent than Carolina. Philly has won four of five and Green Bay has won five of six. This could be an NFC championship game preview.
2. Patriots at Colts (Sunday night, NBC): A legendary quarterback versus a legend in the making in prime time, and a matchup between two division leaders in the AFC. This is gold.
3. Lions at Cardinals (Sunday, 4 p.m. ET, FOX): I can’t believe how much this game matters. The top seed in the NFC is on the line in a matchup between the two teams with the worst records and the fewest playoff wins during the Super Bowl era. Plus, we’ll see Arizona sans Carson Palmer.
4. Bengals at Saints (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET, CBS): Two wildly unpredictable teams that can score a lot of points, and both are in tight playoff races. Nothing not to like here.
5. Bills at Dolphins (Thursday night, NFL Network): I actually quite like this game. Two inconsistent but exciting teams who always play each other tough within that division. The winner has a legit shot at the playoffs, and Buffalo should put up a fight. The Bills won in Miami last year and the Dolphins are dealing with some brutal offensive line issues.
6. Seahawks at Chiefs (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET, FOX): If Kansas City can stay hot and keep this thing close into the fourth quarter — as the Chiefs are expected to do, per Vegas odds — you’ll have to tune in. Because the Seahawks have really struggled on the road this year and would be in big trouble at 6-4.
7. Texans at Browns (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET, CBS): Another chance to see if the Browns are for real, this time against the best defensive player in the game (J.J. Watt) and a Texans team that has had two weeks to prepare. Plus, it’s Ryan Mallett’s debut, which is worth something. It’s not a marquee game, but it’s better than average.
8. Broncos at Rams (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET, CBS): Peyton Manning never plays a dull game, and he could have another huge performance against a bad Rams team. But this could be lopsided early.
9. 49ers at Giants (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET, FOX): The depleted Giants don’t really have a lot of sex appeal right now, but they’ll look to play spoiler in a big road game for San Francisco. Still a lot of big names and some desperation here, but it could be a blowout.
10. Steelers at Titans (Monday night, ESPN): Lotta bad games this week. Pittsburgh can at least put lots of points on the board, but Tennessee is boring and this will probably be another prime-time blowout.
11. Falcons at Panthers (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET, FOX): This game looked so good back in August, but neither team can do anything right this year and even the semi-sexy quarterback matchup has taken a hit with Cam Newton ailing. Two mediocre teams, so ignore at all costs.
12. Vikings at Bears (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET, CBS): Another battle between two mediocre division rivals. Neither team is going anywhere, so the only appealing aspect here is that the Bears are crashing and burning in a major way. Stay away.
13. Buccaneers at Redskins (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET, FOX): The two teams share a lot of common bonds, the most prominent of which is that they both suck. The Jay Gruden/Bruce Allen connection to Tampa Bay isn’t enough to save this terrible matchup.
14. Raiders at Chargers (Sunday, 4 p.m. ET, CBS): Oakland has lost like a billion straight games and the Chargers are free-falling out of contention. Nobody cares.
