This is going to be one of the NFL’s best weeks in terms of top-tier games.
On Sunday, we get a Super Bowl LVIII rematch with the San Francisco 49ers hosting the Kansas City Chiefs. San Francisco is coming off extra rest after beating the Seattle Seahawks on Thursday Night Football in Week 6, while Kansas City had its bye. Both teams should be fresh.
Then there’s the Baltimore Ravens and Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Monday Night Football. Both squads are 4–2 and tied atop their divisions. The question is which team can slow down the opposing quarterback just a little bit more?
Finally, we have divisional battles between desperate rivals. In the AFC, the Cincinnati Bengals and Cleveland Browns are meeting on the shores of Lake Erie, while in the NFC East, the Philadelphia Eagles travel up the turnpike to face the New York Giants.
Let’s get to the index, where we start in the nation’s capital.
10. Carolina Panthers (1–5) at Washington Commanders (4–2)
Watchability score: 2.1
Normally, the Panthers aren’t going to make this list. But any time Jayden Daniels is involved, it’s a game worth watching. Daniels has been a revelation for Washington, helping it to own first place in the NFC East. If the Commanders are going to prove themselves a real playoff threat, these are the types of games they must win.
9. Cincinnati Bengals (2–4) at Cleveland Browns (1–5)
Watchability score: 2.7
On the surface, the Bengals should pound the Browns. Cincinnati is the better team, has a laughably better quarterback and seemingly has a bit of momentum. However, Cleveland has owned the Bengals in recent seasons, with Burrow 1–5 in his career against the Browns and winless in Cleveland.
8. Philadelphia Eagles (3–2) at New York Giants (2–4)
Watchability score: 2.8
Saquon Barkley’s return to the Meadowlands. Additionally, we have an Eagles team fighting to regain some of its luster from a Super Bowl run in 2022 and last year’s 10–1 start. Conversely, it feels as though every week is a referendum on Daniel Jones and Brian Daboll. Just two years ago, Jones earned a new contract and Daboll was named Coach of the Year. Now? Both are in danger of losing their jobs.
7. Seattle Seahawks (3–3) at Atlanta Falcons (4–2)
Watchability score: 4.1
What to make of this one? Seattle started 3–0 but has since lost three straight, including two in prime time. The Falcons have won four of their last five, with their only defeat in that stretch a nailbiter against the Chiefs. This tilt features two of the league’s top four quarterbacks in terms of passing yardage.
6. Los Angeles Chargers (3–2) at Arizona Cardinals (2–4)
Watchability score: 4.9
The Cardinals aren’t good, but they are intriguing. Kyler Murray and Justin Herbert squaring off is prime time–worthy on its own. Then we’ll have Murray trying to create with Khalil Mack chasing him, looking downfield for Marvin Harrison Jr. (if healthy), Michael Wilson and Trey McBride. As for the Chargers, this is a key game if they want to make a postseason run.
5. New York Jets (2–3) at Pittsburgh Steelers (4–2)
Watchability score: 5.2
Frankly, this game could go in numerous directions. On one hand, the Steelers have been about as enjoyable to watch as cleaning your garage floor with a toothbrush. However, this matchup features two elite defenses. Furthermore, the ramifications of this one could loom large for tiebreakers later in the season.
4. Baltimore Ravens (4–2) at Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4–2)
Watchability score: 7.5
Now we’ve reached the really good games. The Buccaneers are coming home to play their first game in Tampa since the area was devastated by Hurricane Milton. They should have ample emotion, while the Ravens come in riding a four-game winning streak fueled by Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry. In his first season with Baltimore, Henry is on pace for more than 1,950 rushing yards.
3. Detroit Lions (4–1) at Minnesota Vikings (5–0)
Watchability score: 8.1
The NFC North is the best division in football by a wide margin. First place will be on the line Sunday in Minneapolis when the Vikings host the Lions coming off their bye. The big questions here are twofold. Can Detroit get a pass rush without star edge rusher Aidan Hutchinson, and how do the Lions combat Minnesota’s consistent and exotic blitzes?
2. Houston Texans (5–1) at Green Bay Packers (4–2)
Watchability score: 8.5
The Texans are looking to add another high-quality win to their résumé, while Green Bay is trying to gain a game on the loser of Lions vs. Vikings. This is a stiff test for both defenses, with each offense coming into the game flush with receiving options and quarterbacks who can make any throw.
1. Kansas City Chiefs (5–0) at San Francisco 49ers (3–3)
Watchability score: 9.7
If the Niners win, it will mark Patrick Mahomes’s first loss to Kyle Shanahan, with the previous four matchups going to Kansas City. San Francisco enters the game as a slight favorite at home, hoping to deal the Chiefs their first loss since Christmas 2023. Should Mahomes & Co. emerge victorious, they’ll be 6–0 with the Raiders, Buccaneers and Broncos on deck.
This article was originally published on www.si.com as NFL Week 7 Watchability Index: Top 10 Games to Watch.
