Eleven weeks are in the books and we’re headed towards the stretch run of the NFL season. Over the next couple of weeks, teams should start wrapping up playoff spots (or start thinking about draft position, whichever way their season went).
NFL Watchability Index, Week 12: Manning vs. Brady and some other games
Did you know that Tom Brady and Peyton Manning’s teams are playing each other? Did you also know that there are other games playing on that same day? Let’s sort through them in this week’s edition of the Watchability Index.
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The puzzle pieces will start coming together in Week 12, with plenty of teams still clinging to postseason hopes. It all leads up to Brady vs. Manning XIV (yes, they’re really calling it that) on Sunday night, making for what should be a fun slate of games. Let’s dive into things, shall we? As usual, all games are ranked one through five, with a five rating being the most watchable.
Thursday, 8:25 p.m. ET, NFL Network
I don’t think this is the marquee matchup NFL Network had in mind when they first scheduled this game. The Falcons are one loss away from the first losing season in Mike Smith’s tenure. He will probably survive this season, but will be entering 2014 firmly on the hot seat.
Watchability rating: 1
Sunday, 1 p.m. ET, CBS
Last week I talked about the Jets laying an egg in games they should be winning, and lo and behold the Bills hung 37 points on them. Geno Smith has now committed 20 turnovers and continues to show little progress as a rookie. I wonder if the Jets would still be starting him if they weren't 5-5 and still in the wild card race.
Watchability rating: 2
1 p.m. ET, CBS
And just like that, the Steelers are 4-6 and back on the radar in the AFC North. Both teams are 4-6 and facing must-win scenarios this week. Exciting? Probably not, but it’d be nice if this old rivalry started mattering again.
Watchability rating: 2
1 p.m. ET, FOX
The Lions lost to the Steelers and missed a golden opportunity to get a bigger cushion in the NFC North. They now face a Tampa squad that is finally showing signs of life, thanks to guys like Mike Glennon and Bobby Rainey. The Bucs defense will be without Dashon Goldson, who finally had one too many questionable hits and will be suspended.
Watchability rating: 2
1 p.m. ET, FOX
The Vikings are sticking with Christian Ponder after yet another disastrous outing in Seattle. Here's your friendly reminder that they're paying Josh Freeman almost $3 million dollars to sit on the bench. The Packers are going with Scott Tolzien for at least one more week. Aaron Rodgers is hoping to be back by Thanksgiving, and Green Bay needs him back in the worst way after falling behind in the NFC wild card picture.
Watchability rating: 2
1 p.m. ET, CBS
Things are turning into a slow-motion trainwreck in Houston after Gary Kubiak's baffling decision to pull Case Keenum last week. The fans booed so loudly that the Texans had to use a silent count ... at home. They are in danger of falling to last place if they somehow lose to the Jaguars.
Watchability rating: 1
1 p.m. ET, CBS
San Diego’s playoff hopes took another hit with their second straight loss. At 4-6, they’re another team in “must win” mode, but that won’t be an easy task against a Chiefs team looking to rebound from their first loss. A Chargers loss combined with a Broncos win would officially eliminate San Diego from the division race.
Watchability rating: 3
We love Carolina but...
From Cam Newton to Luke Kuechly to "Riverboat Ron," there's so much to like about the Panthers, except for one person. That and more in Matt Ufford’s Fumblr. 1 p.m. ET, FOX
It’s a shame that the story from last Monday night is the controversial non-call at the end, because otherwise that was a major coming out party for Cam Newton and the defense. The Panthers won seven in a row and are breathing down the Saints’ neck in the NFC South. Miami is still in the wild card hunt but they need to leapfrog the Jets first. Will making the playoffs be enough to save Joe Philbin’s job, or has the damage already been done? I guess we’re about to find out.
Watchability rating: 3
1 p.m. ET, FOX
It's still McCown Town in Chicago -- Josh McCown will remain the starter while Jay Cutler nurses an ankle sprain. He led the Bears to two straight wins and has them in the middle of the playoff race despite an injury-ravaged defense. The Rams fell two games behind the 49ers and Cardinals and can probably kiss their postseason hopes goodbye with another loss.
Watchability rating: 2
4:05 p.m. ET, CBS
With the 49ers continuing to struggle, there's a real chance that the Cardinals steal a wild card spot from them. It's still hard to trust this team, especially after last year when they started 4-0 and went on to lose 11 in a row. The defense will get a real test from Andrew Luck and we should know more about where they stand in the big picture after this week.
Watchability rating: 3
4:05 p.m. ET, CBS
Matt McGloin vs. Ryan Fitzpatrick is the kind of quarterback duel this game deserves. Big props to McGloin, though, who led the Raiders to a win over the Texans. It appears the coaching staff likes him more than Terrelle Pryor, which should make things interesting in the offseason. At least, it should be more interesting than this game.
Watchability rating: 1
4:25 p.m. ET, FOX
Oh hey, the FOX game of the week is a matchup between two underwhelming NFC East teams. Who saw that coming? I hope you’re ready for more of these barnburners, because NBC has Giants-Redskins on tap next week. And the Giants will probably win both games and make the playoffs, because God is a cruel prankster.
Watchability rating: 3
8:30 p.m. ET, NBC
By the time this game airs, everybody will already be sick of the hype. Combine that with the lingering fallout of last week’s Patriots-Panthers ending and it’s a perfect storm of terrible white noise, particularly from the Boston media. Try to tune it out, if you can, and enjoy what should be a terrific battle between two teams that could be playing again in January.
Watchability rating: 5
Monday, 8:40 p.m. ET, ESPN
The 49ers are expected to get Michael Crabtree back for this game, which should be a boost to their sagging pass offense. Colin Kaepernick just hasn't been the same without his top weapons, but Washington's defense is a nice confidence booster. The Redskins are hanging by a thread at 3-7, and if they lose this one it might be time to start thinking about Mike Shanahan's replacement.
Watchability rating: 3
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