Week 5 NFL game viewability rankings

Week 5 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 14 games from most appealing to least enticing.

1. Broncos at Cowboys (Sunday, 4 p.m. ET, CBS): Right now, Peyton Manning is a must watch. He's the hottest quarterback in NFL history. Up against America's Team, this is a no-brainer. Oh, and I might be biased as an NFC East blogger, but don't be surprised if the Cowboys hang around in this one. 

2. Saints at Bears (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET, FOX): New Orleans continues to shock everyone on defense, but this could be their stiffest test yet. The Bears are back at home after a tough loss, but this is still a matchup between two playoff-caliber NFC teams. Joe Buck and Troy Aikman have the call for FOX.

3. Patriots at Bengals (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET, CBS): The Patriots keep surviving, but now they face a hungry Cincinnati team on the road, and they won't have Vince Wilfork. This might be a matchup between the top two candidates to knock Denver off of its AFC pedestal. 

4. Seahawks at Colts (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET, FOX): Indy knocked off the powerhouse 49ers on the road two weeks ago. Can Andrew Luck and Co. do the same thing to another NFC West kingpin Sunday? They'll be at home, and Seattle is traveling for the second week in a row. This is going to be a very tight game between two playoff-caliber teams. Plus, it's Luck vs. Russell Wilson in a battle of sophomore sensations. 

5. Texans at 49ers (Sunday night, NBC): A matchup between two reigning division champions that are not supposed to be 2-2 right now. The loser will be in big trouble. 

6. Lions at Packers (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET, FOX): The Lions hung with the Packers when they met last December. The Packers are still a clear favorite, especially coming off a bye, but the possibility of an upset looms large. Detroit already has a game on Green Bay in the NFC North standings. Plus, this is just a fun matchup between two high-powered offenses. 

7. Chiefs at Titans (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET, CBS): Are both for real? If so, this is a stellar matchup. No Jake Locker for Tennessee, but the Titans are at home and KC could be due for a loss. 

8. Ravens at Dolphins (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET, CBS): Baltimore is trying to prove it still belongs in the Super Bowl conversation after a rocky start. Miami is trying to prove it now belongs in the Super Bowl conversation after a strong start but a tough outing in New Orleans. I don't trust either team, but it could be an entertaining matchup.

9. Eagles at Giants (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET, FOX): Two disappointing NFC East teams. Expect a lot of points but also a lot of sloppiness. The Giants are a mess on offense and the Eagles are a mess on defense. 

10. Jets at Falcons (Monday night, ESPN): Atlanta in prime time again. No major complaints there, except that the Jets aren't appealing at all. I can't see the Falcons dropping another game this early, especially at home, so this could be another Monday night blowout.

11. Bills at Browns (Thursday night, NFL Network): When NFL Network expanded its Thursday schedule, it promised to show every team in prime time at least once. As a result, we get a dog of a game like this. It's not as bad as it would have been in the past, though, because we get first national looks at young quarterbacks EJ Manuel and Brian Hoyer. Plus, the winner will somehow be 3-2 and in the thick of the playoff race.

12. Chargers at Raiders (late Sunday night, NFL Network): San Diego is playing good football, but this is still a matchup between two teams that probably aren't going to the playoffs. With an 11:35 p.m. ET kickoff, it's OK to ignore it.

13. Panthers at Cardinals (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET, FOX): Yeahhh, I don't care what Arizona's record is. The Cardinals are still boring, and not very good. It'll be somewhat interesting to see how Carolina builds off of a blowout victory over the Giants and a bye week, but this game should be on your backburner. 

14. Jaguars at Rams (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET, CBS): Attention NFL draft addicts. The loser of this game will likely have the top pick next May. I truly believe this is a meeting between the NFL's two worst teams. 

 

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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