NFL Sunday Week 12 Games Ranked By Watchability

Each week this season, OutKick will get you primed for an NFL Sunday on the couch by telling you which games deserve the most attention. For Week 12, here we go...

NFL Sunday Games Worth Watching From Opening Kick Until Final Whistle

Main storyline: OutKick's Armando Salguero wrote a detailed piece on why this is the Game of the Week, which you can read here. It's the only NFL Sunday matchup featuring two teams with winning records.

Main Storyline: I'm getting tired of putting games here by default, but here we are again. Really, go look at the late afternoon games and this really is the best option. At least you've got Justin Herbert against Kyler Murray, which is arguably the best quarterback matchup on this NFL Sunday.

Main storyline: I'm getting tired of putting games here by default ... well, you get it. This is one of those games that probably seemed like it was going to be AWESOME when it was scheduled in the preseason. But, here we are in Week 12 and the Packers are 4-7 and pretty much stink. And their offense isn't any fun to watch. Maybe it will turn out to be a good game. Let's hope so.

Game To Flip To During Commercials Of Better NFL Sunday Game

Main Storyline: The fact that this game is ranked so highly is a testament to how bad this slate is on paper. Granted, we had three Thanksgiving games -- and two really good matchups -- so that's diluting it a bit. But Taylor Heinicke has made Washington kinda fun.

I Guess It's OK If These Games Show Up On NFL RedZone

Main Storyline: Admittedly, the much more interesting Browns game is next Sunday when Deshaun Watson returns against his former team. But you've got Tom Brady facing one of his previous backups. Don't forget Jacoby Brissett filled in for the four games that Brady was suspended for Deflate-Gate. On this slate, that qualifies as something.

Main Storyline: Full disclosure: I put a bet on the 49ers to win the NFC after Trey Lance got hurt. So I do have a vested interest in pretty much every game. But putting that aside, San Francisco should really never be below this tier since they're one of the most exciting teams in the league. Christian McCaffrey, Deebo Samuel, George Kittle, Brandon Aiyuk? No team can compete with that from a skill-player perspective.

If You're A Fan Of These Teams, I Guess You Might Care. But I Don't.

Another week, another huge slate of games in the "I don't care" bin. Sigh. I'm not sure why there are so many bad matchups in the NFL, but I think it speaks to the current state of the quarterback position in the league. Go make a list of the Top 15 quarterbacks in the NFL. Once you get past the Top 7-8, it drops off quick. Maybe I'll do an article about it. Sweet. I gave myself an idea.

But that doesn't help us now. We just have to get through another slate of mediocre matchups...

Main Storyline: I am a Dolphins fan, so I do care. But I don't expect you to care. Miami is rightfully a two touchdown favorite and I picked them in a survivor contest. Miami is a fun team, too. They don't have the four-man weaponry that the Niners have but their one-two punch of Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle is pretty strong.

Main Storyline: Justin Fields will likely play this game with one arm. Mike White will start for the Jets. If Fields doesn't end up playing, this game goes to the bottom. Trevor Siemien vs. Mike White would be, hands-down, the worst quarterback matchup in NFL history.

Main Storyline: The Ravens are good, so this game matters. It might even be a fun game since both teams have above-average offenses and below average defenses. Actually, now that I think about it, this game should be higher. Usually, I rank all the games and then fill in my descriptions. And I usually go off of my first instinct, which is "this game stinks." But I think I've convinced myself it might not stink. Oh well. It's already here.

Main Storyline: This game is actually the same as the Ravens/Jaguars game. It might be a fun game. But these teams are both kind of irrelevant. Yes, the Seahawks might make the playoffs. But no one realistically thinks they're a real threat. And the Raiders are the Raiders. Again, it might be a fun football game. But the teams involve just make it uninteresting.

Main Storyline: Man, FOX probably thought they hit a home run when the schedule originally came out. The defending Super Bowl Champions with Matthew Stafford and Cooper Kupp taking on Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs, who have made four-straight AFC Championship games.

Instead, Kupp is out for the year, Stafford will probably join him on IR and the Rams are in the midst of a lost season and will start someone named Bryce Perkins at quarterback. And the Chiefs are more than two-touchdown favorites. Yikes.

If This Game Shows Up On My TV, I'm Punting It Off My Back Deck

Main Storyline: I have nothing to say about this game. Literally.

Written by
Dan began his sports media career at ESPN, where he survived for nearly a decade. Once the Stockholm Syndrome cleared, he made his way to Outkick. He is secure enough in his masculinity to admit he is a cat-enthusiast with three cats, one of which is named “Brady” because his wife wishes she were married to Tom instead of him.