Week 10 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 13 games from most appealing to least enticing.
1. 49ers at Saints (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET, FOX): Could be a turning point for either team. The Saints are good at home but have been extremely inconsistent, while the 49ers appear to be on the brink of a collapse. Two great coaches, two exciting quarterbacks, and it should remain close.
2. Bears at Packers (Sunday night, NBC): Chicago is a mess and Green Bay has a chance to feast at home coming off the bye. At least it’s a good rivalry, though, and there should be plenty of offense.
3. Panthers at Eagles (Monday night, ESPN): The Panthers aren’t totally done, and they’re still entertaining. Plus, it’s always good watching Chip Kelly’s offense work, and this will be Mark Sanchez’s first start since 2012.
4. Dolphins at Lions (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET, CBS): It’s a big week for matchups that wouldn’t have been good last year but are really solid this season. Detroit’s at home and coming off a bye, looking to extend that division lead with Calvin Johnson back in the lineup. But the Dolphins have won three in a row overall and three in a row on the road.
5. Browns at Bengals (Thursday night, NFL Network): I don’t remember the last time this matchup of two former perennial bottom-feeders actually mattered, but it does now. The Browns will try to prove they’re for real in front of a prime-time audience, but the Bengals are back on track and always good at home. Blowout potential exists, but if not, this could be a great game.
6. Chiefs at Bills (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET, CBS): Another game that looked crappy in the preseason but is pretty interesting now. Both of these teams are on rolls and are wild-card contenders in the AFC, so this is an important matchup.
7. Rams at Cardinals (Sunday, 4 p.m. ET, FOX): At some point, we have to start paying attention to the Cardinals, who have the NFL’s best record. Look for their division rival to stick around, and it’s not as though they’re competing with much in a dud of a late-Sunday time slot.
8. Steelers at Jets (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET, CBS): This might be worth checking out just to see what the red-hot Ben Roethlisberger can do to the hapless Jets, but we’re also going to toss an upset alert out there considering how good Gang Green can be on defense. Something to monitor.
9. Cowboys at Jaguars (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET, CBS): If Tony Romo returns for Dallas, you have something to watch. But then it could be a one-sided matchup. And the London factor is hardly that appealing at this point. Really not a lot of sex appeal here in a matchup between two unfamiliar foes.
10. Giants at Seahawks (Sunday, 4 p.m. ET, FOX): Fully calling the obvious blowout here. Seattle has New York’s number and will look to bounce back at home against a Giants team that is depleted and on short rest. How bad is this week’s schedule? This is Joe Buck’s game.
11. Broncos at Raiders (Sunday, 4 p.m. ET, CBS): Fully expecting a blowout here as Denver bounced back from the New England loss.
12. Falcons at Buccaneers (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET, FOX): Two NFC South disasters, neither of whom have anything left to play for. Ignore at all costs.
13. Titans at Ravens (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET, CBS): Tennessee continues its free-fall, having won just once since Week 2, and the Ravens are extremely tough to beat in Baltimore. This spells blowout.
