Week 1 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 16 games from most appealing to least enticing.
1. Steelers at Patriots (Thursday night, NBC): Obviously, right? Angry Tom Brady versus a high-powered Steelers team coping with the loss of both Le’Veon Bell and Martavis Bryant, in prime time to cure our football withdrawal.
2. Giants at Cowboys (Sunday night, NBC): Never a dull moment between these two high-powered NFC East rivals, both of whom should be playoff contenders in 2015.
3. Eagles at Falcons (Monday night, ESPN): Sam Bradford’s official debut in Chip Kelly’s unstoppable offense, but it won’t be easy because the rejuvenated Falcons will look to send a message with their new coaching staff in their home opener.
4. Colts at Bills (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET, CBS): Indianapolis might be the new favorite in the AFC while the Bills should be good enough to get back to the playoffs for the first time this century. Rex Ryan’s debut against Andrew Luck, with the venue making it a pretty even matchup. This could be fun, and should go down to the wire.
5. Ravens at Broncos (Sunday, 4 p.m. ET, CBS): Baltimore is always competitive and there’s a new coaching staff in Denver. The Broncos could still blow out the Ravens here, but it’ll be interesting to see how Peyton Manning looks after struggling while dealing with injuries late last season.
6. Titans at Buccaneers (Sunday, 4 p.m. ET, CBS): Pretty damn cool that top picks Jameis Winston and Marcus Mariota are facing each other in their first NFL games. Feels weird saying it, but Tennessee-Tampa Bay is a must-watch.
7. Vikings at 49ers (Monday night, ESPN): It’s hard not to be excited about the young Vikes this season, and the Niners are just such a mess that it’ll be fun to see what they bring to the table in their home opener after a disastrous offseason.
8. Seahawks at Rams (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET, FOX): You couldn’t ask for a tougher start for the Seahawks, who might be lacking star safety Kam Chancellor and haven’t fared well in St. Louis historically. Should be a close game.
9. Lions at Chargers (Sunday, 4 p.m. ET, FOX): Two playoff contenders who can put up serious points. Not a lot at stake, but no complaints.
10. Packers at Bears (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET, FOX): Always a fun rivalry, and it’ll be interesting to see how Green Bay fares without Jordy Nelson, as well as how Chicago fares with John Fox on the sideline.
11. Saints at Cardinals (Sunday, 4 p.m. ET, FOX): New Orleans isn’t as good as it used to be and Arizona isn’t exactly fun to watch, but we’re still talking about Drew Brees and Larry Fitzgerald.
12. Chiefs at Texans (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET, CBS): If you require high-powered aerial attacks, this isn’t your game. But Kansas City-Houston will feature two potential playoff teams, and two of the best defensive players in the game (J.J. Watt and Justin Houston).
13. Bengals at Raiders (Sunday, 4 p.m. ET, CBS): Hue Jackson returns to Oakland. Is that a fun enough storyline for you? No? Too bad.
14. Dolphins at Redskins (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET, CBS): Miami should be a decent team, and maybe the Dolphins won’t blow out Washington on the road. In other words, there could be something to watch in the fourth quarter. Plus, this is football rubbernecking.
15. Panthers at Jaguars (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET, FOX): In Week 1, every game is relatively interesting. But Cam Newton lacks weapons and the Jaguars are still the Jaguars. Up against a large slate of early starts, this should be firmly on the backburner.
16. Browns at Jets (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET, CBS): This won’t even offer us Johnny Manziel or Geno Smith. I mean, this game really sucks.
