Week 14 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 Bengals (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET, CBS): Pittsburgh is looking very good right now as it fights for playoff positioning, while the Bengals are trying to secure a first-round bye. Beautiful circumstances for a classic division battle.
2. Patriots at Texans (Sunday night, NBC): Tom Brady tries to bounce back from back-to-back losses as the Patriots try to avoid their first three-game losing streak since 2002. On the road against J.J. Watt and the desperate Texans, that makes for some entertainment.
3. Vikings at Cardinals (Thursday night, NFL Network): Two talented NFC playoff contenders in prime time. That’s a treat for Thursday Night Football. However, I’m concerned the struggling Vikings could have some trouble on short rest on the road against a high-quality opponent. Blowout potential exists.
4. Bills at Eagles (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET, CBS): LeSean McCoy goes up against Chip Kelly, and it’s a battle between two fun offenses as well as two teams desperate to make a move in the playoff race.
5. Giants at Dolphins (Monday night, ESPN): Odell Beckham Jr. is good, guys. And the Giants should still win the NFC East. Up against a decent and desperate opponent, this should be another close prime-time affair.
6. Raiders at Broncos (Sunday, 4 p.m. ET, CBS): Blowout potential exists in Denver, but you never know in a divisional game featuring two young quarterbacks.
7. Cowboys at Packers (Sunday, 4 p.m. ET, FOX): Are the Aaron Rodgers-led Packers back? Or was the Hail Mary just a short reprieve from whatever the hell’s been happening in Green Bay? We’ll find out as they take on a desperate Dallas team.
8. Falcons at Panthers (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET, FOX): Keep tabs here, only because Carolina is chasing history. That said, this should be over by halftime.
9. Redskins at Bears (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET, FOX): Washington leads the NFC East and therefore commands some attention. But not much, especially since the Redskins are 0-5 on the road and playing a “meh” Chicago team.
10. Chargers at Chiefs (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET, CBS): How the hell is Kansas City riding a six-game winning streak sans Jamaal Charles? I don’t know, but I wouldn’t turn away from Steelers-Bengals or Bills-Eagles in an attempt to find out.
11. Saints at Buccaneers (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET, FOX): Jameis Winston and the Bucs are actual contenders, so this deserves to be monitored.
12. Seahawks at Ravens (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET, FOX): Blowout potential exists in a major way here, but at least it’s in Baltimore. Don’t bother unless Seattle’s in trouble late.
13. Titans at Jets (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET, CBS): Marcus Mariota is fun and the Jets are in the playoff race, so it’s worthy of keeping tabs here.
14. Colts at Jaguars (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET, CBS): C’mon. We all know Indianapolis will win the AFC South with an 8-8 record and Jacksonville will once again hold a top-10 pick.
15. 49ers at Browns (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET, FOX): Two former first-round picks are trying to secure starting quarterback jobs for 2016, but that’s only really a selling point if you’re trying to pick between football in an exclusive timeslot and a Grey’s Anatomy rerun.
16. Lions at Rams (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET, FOX): Are there any 10-foot poles nearby? No? Doesn’t matter.
