We’ve crossed into November. And as the weather cools, the races heat up.
This weekend, there are a slew of divisional games worth noting, but none more important than the Green Bay Packers playing host to the Detroit Lions. In the AFC, the Buffalo Bills welcome the Miami Dolphins, a game in which one team is trying to strengthen its playoff position while the other is hoping to stay alive.
Finally, there are some interconference battles in prime time, including the Minnesota Vikings and Indianapolis Colts at U.S. Bank Stadium on Sunday night, while on Monday, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers visit the Kansas City Chiefs.
But our list starts in the Meadowlands, where Jayden Daniels looks to continue his mastery of the NFL.
10. Washington Commanders (6–2) at New York Giants (2–6)
Watchability score: 2.8
Daniels makes any game watchable. While nobody is excited about tuning in to see Brian Daboll stare a hole through Daniel Jones at this juncture, Daniels has the Commanders playing better ball than we’ve seen in the nation’s capital in the last 25 years.
9. Los Angeles Chargers (4–3) at Cleveland Browns (2–6)
Watchability score: 3.9
Suddenly, this doesn’t feel like an automatic win for the Chargers. The Browns got an unexpected win over the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday with Jameis Winston throwing for 334 yards, helping Cleveland post 20-plus points for the first time all year. Expect a tight affair filled with hard-nosed running and defense.
8. Indianapolis Colts (4–4) at Minnesota Vikings (5–2)
Watchability score: 4.4
Sunday night features two teams desperate for a win. The Colts are two games back in the loss column of the Houston Texans in the AFC South. The Vikings have lost consecutive games coming out of their bye week. Whoever loses this one is going to feel like their season is beginning to unravel a bit.
7. Miami Dolphins (2–5) at Buffalo Bills (6–2)
Watchability score: 4.5
The Dolphins blew a double-digit lead to the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday and now travel to Buffalo where they’ve won once since 2012. Meanwhile, the Bills are getting MVP-level play from Josh Allen while the receiving corps is suddenly scary with the trio of rookie Keon Coleman, trade acquisition Amari Cooper and slot specialist Khalil Shakir.
6. Dallas Cowboys (3–4) at Atlanta Falcons (5–3)
Watchability score: 4.9
At some point, we’ll need to ban the Cowboys from being on this list. However, Dallas gets another shot as it travels to take on the Falcons, who are hoping to put some distance between them and the rest of the injury-riddled NFC South.
5. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4–4) at Kansas City Chiefs (7–0)
Watchability score: 6.2
The Chiefs put their perfect record on the line Monday night. Tampa Bay will be without receivers Mike Evans and Chris Godwin, making its run game critical against Kansas City’s front. The issue? The Chiefs give up only 3.5 yards per carry, the second-best in the NFL.
4. Los Angeles Rams (3–4) at Seattle Seahawks (4–4)
Watchability score: 6.8
The Rams looked like sure sellers a few weeks ago. Now, they’re playing to potentially move into first place in the NFC West. With a victory, and a Cardinals’ loss, Los Angeles would ascend to the No. 4 seed in the NFC playoff picture. Wild.
3. Chicago Bears (4–3) at Arizona Cardinals (4–4)
Watchability score: 7.4
Two of the NFL’s oldest franchises will battle it out, with the Cardinals trying to get over .500 for the first time this season. Meanwhile, the Bears are hoping to erase the painful memory of last week. The winner will feel great about their playoff hopes while the loser will have ample work to do.
2. Denver Broncos (5–3) at Baltimore Ravens (5–3)
Watchability score: 8.7
This is a bellwether game for the Broncos. Denver has beaten the Buccaneers, Carolina Panthers, New York Jets, Las Vegas Raiders and New Orleans Saints. Those teams all have losing records, save for Tampa Bay, which is 4–4. If the Broncos can go into Baltimore and hand the duo of Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry a defeat, they’re for real.
1. Detroit Lions (6–1) at Green Bay Packers (6–2)
Watchability score: 9.9
This might be the best game of the season to date. Green Bay and Detroit are battling it out for first place in the NFC North, and the first seed in the conference’s playoff picture. Add to it that we’ll get the iconic setting of Lambeau Field, and we have one of the can’t-miss tilts of the year.
This article was originally published on www.si.com as NFL Week 9 Watchability Index: Top 10 Games to Watch.
