Happy Thanksgiving, readers. We have three games on tap for Turkey Day and what could be another excellent slate of games on Sunday. It’s put-up-or-shut-up time as teams look to either gobble up playoff spots or start breaking out their draft boards.
NFL Watchability Index, Week 13: Seahawks-Saints the highlight of the week on Monday night
Turkey, football and excessive drinking -- it’s a holiday tradition unlike any other! Welcome to the Thanksgiving edition of the Watchability Index.
Nelson Chenault-USA TODAY Sports
Let’s look at the games, from a scale of one through five.
Thursday, 12:30 p.m. ET, FOX
Thanksgiving kicks off with a big NFC North showdown. The Packers are turning back to Matt Flynn after he "led" Green Bay to a tie last week. They're desperate for a win to stay afloat in the playoff race, and should have Aaron Rodgers back in Week 14. The Lions are currently 3-1 in the division and can solidify their lead with a win here. A good start to the holiday.
Watchability rating: 4
Thursday, 4:30 p.m. ET, CBS
Matt “Gird Your” McGloin gets another shot after a surprising performance last week, but there’s not much to get excited about here. This might be the best time to get your turkey nap in.
Watchability rating: 2
Thursday, 8:30 p.m. ET, NBC
The Steelers and Ravens draw the primetime holiday slot. They have a tough act to follow after last year’s Buttfumble game, but the winner would get back to .500 and stay alive in the Wild Card hunt.
Watchability rating: 3
Sunday, 1 p.m. ET, FOX
Against all odds, Mike Glennon is making Greg Schiano look like a genius. The Bucs won three in a row and have crawled out of last place. Will their second-half surge be enough to save Schiano's job? We'll have more clarity after they play one of the hottest teams in the league.
Watchability rating: 3
1 p.m. ET, CBS
The Jags aren't in last place anymore! Congratulations Jaguars fans, your prize is the right to mock Texans fans all offseason. The Browns will be forced to start Brandon Weeden again, which tanks this game's rating in my book. Only recommended for fans of the teams.
Watchability rating: 1
1 p.m. ET, CBS
After a wild overtime victory over New England, the Patriots will get an easier time against a Texans team that seems to have quit on the season. The Texans haven’t lost 10 or more games since 2010, but that streak might end this week.
Watchability rating: 1
1 p.m. ET, CBS
If the season ended after Week 12, the Titans would have the second Wild Card spot with a 5-6 record. That says way more about the AFC than the Titans. They look to keep things going against the Colts, who are left scratching their heads after getting pummeled by Arizona. Reggie Wayne is a way bigger loss than anyone anticipated, and Trent Richardson is still useless. Indianapolis suddenly doesn’t look like it will get very far in January.
Watchability rating: 3
1 p.m. ET, FOX
Jay Cutler still isn't healthy enough to play, but that's becoming less of a concern by the week with Josh McCown's strong play. He now gets a date with the Vikings defense, which is giving up the most yards in the league. It could be another long day for Leslie Frazier.
Watchability rating: 2
1 p.m. ET, CBS
An exclusive, all access look at the people, technology, and highly organized chaos that results in the NFL’s most advanced game broadcast.The Jets are sticking with Geno Smith, but he continues to show little progress as a rookie. Smith's struggles serve as a reminder of how much New York botched the quarterback situation in recent years. He was clearly not ready to play his rookie year, but the Jets were left with no viable backup plan. If Smith doesn't improve down the stretch, this decision could end up costing the Jets a playoff spot and put Rex Ryan right back on the hot seat.
Watchability rating: 3
Arizona Cardinals at Philadelphia Eagles
1 p.m. ET, FOX
This is the best 1 p.m. game on the slate, which speaks poorly of the other games, but there's a lot to like here. Nick Foles is starting to look like the real deal and gets a good test against Arizona's strong defense. Meanwhile, Carson Palmer has kept his mistakes down in recent weeks and has the Cardinals at 7-4. Wait, the Cardinals are 7-4? When did this happen?
Watchability rating: 5
4:05 p.m. ET, FOX
One team is already eliminated from the playoffs and the other could potentially join them with a loss this week. Pass.
Watchability rating: 1
4:05 p.m. ET, FOX
The NFC West is setting up for a thrilling finish. The Rams are quietly sneaking back into the thick of things, outscoring their opponents 80-29 the past two games. The 49ers technically scored more points than the Redskins, but in honesty nobody won that game, especially the people watching. They need another win here to keep the Cardinals at bay.
Watchability rating: 4
4:25 p.m. ET, CBS
We get the epic rematch just two weeks after the Broncos ended Kansas City's perfect season. There's even more on the line this time after Denver lost to the Patriots, potentially setting up a three-way battle for homefield advantage. The Chiefs are also 9-2 and could move anywhere from the No. 4 to No. 1 seed. The Chiefs' biggest concern is the status of Justin Houston and Tamba Hali. Their defense got roasted by Philip Rivers once both players left last week's game.
Watchability rating: 5
4:25 p.m. ET, CBS
The Chargers are back into the Wild Card picture and will hope to avoid a letdown after last week’s emotional win over the Chiefs. Cincinnati is looking to improve its standing in the division and hopefully get in line for a first-round bye. It could be a good game, but I have a hard time getting excited for this once, especially if Bad Andy Dalton shows up again.
Watchability rating: 2
8:30 p.m., NBC
The Redskins are a clown show and the Giants bore me. Both teams are still alive for first place despite a combined 7-15 record. The NFC East is terrible and I hate it and I will probably still watch this game, because we’re all mindless drones who will lap any garbage that has The Shield on it. This is why NBC still puts the NFC East on primetime, folks. We should just come to terms with it.
Watchability rating: 1
Monday, 8:40 p.m. ET, ESPN
The game of the week of the century pits the two best teams in the NFC against each other, with homefield advantage up for grabs. The Seahawks somehow managed to lose the bye week after losing Brandon Browner and Walter Thurmond III to suspensions. Their secondary depth is OK, but it's still bad news going up against Drew Brees and company.
The weather could be a factor here. Arctic air is moving into the Seattle region over the weekend, and light snow is possible, but don’t get your hopes up for a Snow Bowl. Seattleites are notorious for going crazy over 1-2 inches of snow and we don’t need to encourage them.
Watchability rating: 5
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