Week 12 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. Redskins at Cowboys (Sunday, 4:30 p.m. ET, FOX): Washington is getting hot and the Cowboys are the top attraction in football right now. Two great football markets, two NFC East playoff contenders and two exciting offenses. This is perfect for Thanksgiving.
2. Chiefs at Broncos (Sunday night, NBC): A divisional game between 7-3 teams is automatic gold. And I can’t see this being one-sided.
3. Vikings at Lions (Thursday, 12:30 p.m. ET, CBS): Thanksgiving kicks off with a division rivalry between two teams tied in first place. A great offensive team that often seems to rise to the occasion at home on Turkey Day against a great defensive team that is fading but desperate. Expecting fireworks.
4. Steelers at Colts (Thursday night, NBC): This game loses points if Andrew Luck doesn’t play, especially if Pittsburgh dominates as a result. But if Luck is able to clear concussion protocol, we should have an exciting, high-scoring prime-time Thanksgiving matchup between two desperate AFC playoff contenders.
5. Seahawks at Buccaneers (Sunday, 4 p.m. ET, FOX): You never know which Tampa Bay team is going to show up. But with the Seahawks traveling across the country, this has a chance to be an exciting and close game between two NFC playoff contenders.
6. Panthers at Raiders (Sunday, 4 p.m. ET, CBS): Last gasp for the defending NFC champions? On the road, it’ll be interesting to see what kind of fight they put up against an Oakland team that is on short rest and didn’t play particularly well last week in Mexico. I’m expecting this to go down to the wire.
7. Packers at Eagles (Monday night, ESPN): Two struggling teams from great football markets desperate to turn things around and make playoff runs. The loser will likely be done. Can’t go wrong there, and this should be close throughout.
8. Rams at Saints (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET, FOX): New Orleans has one of the league’s best offenses and Los Angeles is superb on defense. That could make this rather interesting as two desperate NFC foes do battle, especially if top pick Jared Goff can do something under center for the Rams. However, blowout potential exists.
9. Cardinals at Falcons (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET, FOX): If the struggling but desperate Cards put up a fight against an unpredictable Falcons team in Atlanta, check this out. But there’s a good chance this one isn’t close in the fourth quarter.
10. Bengals at Ravens (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET, CBS): The Bengals are a shell of their former selves. On the road against an opponent that needs this victory, I just don’t know if it’ll be close. It’s not worth watching unless it’s competitive late.
11. Chargers at Texans (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET, CBS): San Diego isn’t going anywhere but can play spoiler against an overrated Houston team. That narrative doesn’t float my boat, but to each his own.
12. Titans at Bears (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET, CBS): There’s something about Marcus Mariota and that Tennessee offense right now that makes them very watchable. But against the depleted Bears? I’d pass unless it’s close late.
13. Giants at Browns (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET, FOX): Only worth tuning in if the winless Browns have a shot in the fourth quarter.
14. Patriots at Jets (Sunday, 4 p.m. ET, CBS): New England should dominate, but you never know with these divisional games. This is worth checking out if it’s close in the fourth quarter, but probably not before that.
15. Jaguars at Bills (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET, CBS): Come on, neither team is going anywhere beyond New Year’s Day.
16. 49ers at Dolphins (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET, FOX): If Miami isn’t legit, this game sucks. If Miami is legit, it’ll be a blowout. Either way, we have a problem.
