Week 9 NFL Game Watchability Rankings

Week 9 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 13 games from most appealing to least enticing.

1. Broncos at Patriots (Sunday, 4 p.m. ET, CBS): Sometimes, the top game sticks out like a sore thumb. Peyton Manning and Tom Brady, at it again. And although they’re a combined 75 years old, no two quarterbacks are hotter than them right now. Plus, major playoff implications between two red-hot division leaders.

2. Cardinals at Cowboys (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET, FOX): Two NFC division leaders that weren’t expected to be this good. Great offense vs. great defense. And some intriguing quarterback questions now that Tony Romo is hurt. Arizona has had Dallas’ number, but this game is in Texas. Great matchup.

3. Ravens at Steelers (Sunday night, NBC): One of the best rivalries of this generation, and it’s got a lot to it right now with both teams playing well. Joe Flacco and Ben Roethlisberger are unpredictable, which makes for good TV. And they can light up the scoreboard, which makes for great TV.

4. Saints at Panthers (Thursday night, NFL Network): New Orleans has to eventually win on the road. And although both of these teams have struggled in 2014, it’s a huge matchup because the entire NFC South has sucked. Plus, great quarterback matchup and definitely a rivalry game.

5. Colts at Giants (Monday night, ESPN): It’ll be interesting to see how Andrew Luck and the Colts respond to an ugly loss in Pittsburgh, especially against a well-coached Giants team coming off a bye week. Two desperate teams here. Indy is better, but Big Blue is at least at home and well-rested.

6. Chargers at Dolphins (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET, CBS): San Diego is trying to hang on after back-to-back tough losses, while the unpredictable Dolphins are trying to prove they belong in the playoff race. This could have major implications later, and the healthier Dolphins should put up a fight at home.

7. Eagles at Texans (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET, FOX): Philadelphia is still trying to figure it out on offense, so that depleted offensive line vs. J.J. Watt should be entertaining. Should also be a close game with the Eagles on the road.

8. Raiders at Seahawks (Sunday, 4 p.m. ET, CBS): Likely to be one-sided but you never know these days with Seattle. Might be worth a look just to see what’s ailing that Seahawks offense.

9. Jets at Chiefs (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET, CBS): Not a sexy quarterback matchup, but it’ll be fun seeing what that Chiefs defense can do to a mess of a Jets offense. This could be a blowout in Kansas City, but train wrecks are hard to ignore.

10. Rams at 49ers (Sunday, 4 p.m. ET, FOX): The Rams always seem to hang with NFC West rivals, but they’re in really bad shape right now and San Francisco has still had their number. In California, this could be a blowout.

11. Buccaneers at Browns (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET, FOX): If the Browns weren’t half-decent this year, this wouldn’t be worth considering. But on a weekend with only 13 games you might want to check out Brian Hoyer and Co. if it’s close in the second half.

12. Redskins at Vikings (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET, FOX): If Robert Griffin III returns, this is worth checking out. If not, it’s no RG3, no Adrian Peterson and no playoff implications.

13. Jaguars at Bengals (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET, CBS): This is such an obvious blowout. The Bengals haven’t lost at home since December 2012 and the Jags have lost 16 of their last 18 road games.

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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