Week 12 NFL Game Watchability Rankings

Week 12 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 15 games from most appealing to least enticing.

1. Cardinals at Seahawks (Sunday, 4 p.m. ET, FOX): Arizona is one of only two teams that have beaten the Seahawks in Seattle the last three years, and they can pretty much lock up that division with a big victory here. You can be sure it’ll be a close, exciting, defensive battle.

2. Lions at Patriots (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET, FOX): Detroit is trying to stay afloat on the road against a New England team on a tear. One of the league’s best defenses vs. one of the league’s best offenses.

3. Ravens at Saints (Monday night, ESPN): Two teams fighting for playoff positioning in their respective conferences. Two exciting quarterbacks, some stellar pass-catchers and a pair of aggressive defenses. This has the makings of a Monday Night Football classic.

4. Cowboys at Giants (Sunday night, NBC): Dallas has been fun to watch in a good way, while the sliding Giants have been fun to watch in a train-wrecky way. Either way, expect some NFC East fireworks Sunday night.

5. Bengals at Texans (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET, CBS): It’s been tough to figure these two AFC contenders out all year. This matchup has implications in the playoff race, with both teams fighting for positioning. And it gets extra points for J.J. Watt vs. a very good offensive line.

6. Dolphins at Broncos (Sunday, 4 p.m. ET, CBS): Blowout potential exists, but Denver is trying to redeem itself after a tough loss to the Rams while Miami is trying to make a statement that it belongs in the playoff race. Some good matchups in this one, so check it out.

7. Rams at Chargers (Sunday, 4 p.m. ET, FOX): A battle of the two leading candidates to move to Los Angeles could also be quite interesting on the field, because San Diego has been all over the map lately and the Rams might actually be convinced they’re good after beating the Broncos. Worth a look.

8. Packers at Vikings (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET, FOX): The real draw here is that Aaron Rodgers is playing some of the best football we’ve ever seen from a quarterback. Ever. But Green Bay is a lot less dominant on the road and the rival Vikings should put up a fight.

9. Browns at Falcons (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET, CBS): Josh Gordon makes his season debut for Cleveland, and the Falcons are always still pretty entertaining. It’s not a marquee matchup but should be pretty close and involve plenty of scoring.

10. Jets at Bills (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET, CBS): Buffalo is trying to stay alive in the playoff race at home. If it’s close in the fourth quarter, tune in. Plus, the snow in Western New York could be a major factor, which is always fun.

11. Chiefs at Raiders (Thursday night, NFL Network): Kansas City is suddenly in contention for a first-round bye, but traveling cross-country within the division is never easy. This could be a snoozer by halftime, but watch out for the potential upset.

12. Buccaneers at Bears (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET, FOX): Both teams were supposed to do a lot more this year than they have. Neither is going anywhere, so there isn’t much sex appeal in this matchup.

13. Redskins at 49ers (Sunday, 4 p.m. ET, CBS): We know this’ll likely be a blowout, and it’s become increasingly difficult to watch Robert Griffin III and that mess in D.C.

14. Titans at Eagles (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET, CBS): Little reason to believe the Titans have a chance here. Only tune in if Mark Sanchez is being Mark Sanchez and Tennessee is thus hanging around in the fourth.

15. Jaguars at Colts (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET), CBS): Tough week for CBS. Unless you’re an Indianapolis fan wanting to make sure the wheels aren’t about to come off, this is unwatchable.

About Brad Gagnon

Brad Gagnon has been passionate about both sports and mass media since he was in diapers -- a passion that won't die until he's in them again. Based in Toronto, he's worked as a national NFL blog editor at theScore.com (covering Super Bowls XLIV, XLV and XLVI), a producer and writer at theScore Television Network and a host, reporter and play-by-play voice at Rogers TV. His work has also appeared at Deadspin, FoxSports.com, The Guardian, The Hockey News and elsewhere at Bloguin, but his day gig has him covering all things NFC East for Bleacher Report.

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