The 15 Best Games of the Rest of the NFL Season Include an Epic Clash in Week 12

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Looking ahead to the rest of the season, there are several high-profile games either on Sunday or in prime-time windows that should command the attention of every fan across America (and beyond). While it was difficult to whittle the list to the top 15 games, we kept a few things in mind:

Divisional games mean more, but there are also more of them. We aimed for balance.

Which games are the most compelling? Which will draw the biggest ratings?

What games give us the best chance at a classic we will talk about for years?

Let’s get to the list, starting with a Week 18 clash that could be for an NFC playoff spot.

15. Week 18: Seahawks at Rams

This game hinges on whether the injury-riddled Rams can stay afloat until Week 18, but if they can, this game has drama galore. With the 49ers at just one loss, they’ll likely have wrapped up the NFC West by this point. With every team in the NFC North having a winning record, the final playoff spot in the conference could come down to the teams which played in the NFC title game a year ago. Sunday Night Football to close the regular season, anyone?

14. Week 13: Bills at Patriots

Last year, the Patriots came from nowhere to stun the Bills and win the AFC East. While it doesn’t look like New England will repeat, it’s at 5–4 and firmly in contention for a playoff berth. Meanwhile, Buffalo could all but end any Patriots hopes of getting back into the divisional race by going to Foxborough and earning a split to begin the December slate.

13. Week 13: Chiefs at Rams

Before the season, you could argue this was the game of the year. Now, the Rams are 5–4 and trying to survive with receivers Puka Nacua and Davante Adams, while the Chiefs are 6–2 and hoping to make a push for both the AFC West and perhaps home-field advantage throughout the AFC playoffs. This game is also on Thursday night, giving us a matchup of Sean McVay vs. Steve Spagnuolo, and Matthew Stafford against Patrick Mahomes in primetime.

12. Week 18: Lions at Packers

Another divisional clash on the final day of the season. The first matchup came in Week 7, with the game coming down to the last second as Jake Bates won it for Detroit, 20–17, on a 22-yard field goal. Going into Week 10, the Lions are 6–2 while the Packers are a half-game off their pace, hoping to make a move in the loaded NFC North. To do it, Green Bay will likely need to win at home over Detroit to earn a split of the season series.

11. Week 14: Rams at 49ers

We saw this game in Week 1 on another continent, with the 49ers stunning the favored Rams, 27–7. This time, the game is in Santa Clara with Los Angeles looking like the considerable underdog to a San Francisco team with only one defeat thus far. If the Rams want a real path to the playoffs, they'll need to win some tough games on a slate that includes Seattle twice, the Niners, the Packers and Chiefs. This would be a big one to get.

10. Week 14: Bills at Packers

This is a heavyweight matchup in the cold of Green Bay on Sunday Night Football. The Bills have the league’s top-ranked offense while the Packers should be getting All-Pro edge rusher Micah Parson back soon, pairing him with Devonte Wyatt and Lukas Van Ness up front. Both teams could be fighting for not only division titles but a first-round bye, depending on the circumstances.

9. Week 14: Chiefs at Bengals

For a few years, Kansas City and Cincinnati had a claim as the best rivalry in football, meeting in both the 2021 and ’22 AFC championship games (with each winning once). Since then, the Bengals haven’t made the postseason but look to be returning, while the Chiefs are trying to beat out the Broncos in the AFC West. Any game with Joe Burrow and Patrick Mahomes squaring off is must-see TV.

8. Week 11: Vikings at 49ers

This game just got a lot more interesting. On Tuesday, the Vikings re-acquired quarterback Kirk Cousins from the Raiders for a 2027 third-round pick, giving their offense far more punch. If Minnesota can win in Green Bay this weekend, the Vikings will have a chance to take over the No. 1 seed by beating the Niners in Mexico City, while San Francisco tries to strengthen its hold on that spot.

7. Week 13: Jaguars at Bears

This could be a Super Bowl preview, and one few predicted before the season. Back then, Jacksonville and Chicago were popular regression candidates, only to become top contenders. Trevor Lawrence is playing at an MVP level, throwing for 1,932 yards, 18 touchdowns and four interceptions. For a non-prime-time, interconference matchup, this is about as enticing as it gets.

6. Week 16: Bills at Broncos

Christmas Day brings a rematch of last season's epic divisional-round tilt, when the Broncos won in overtime behind four Josh Allen turnovers. This game could determine the AFC’s top seed, or whether Denver can hold off Kansas City in the AFC West. It’s also a clash of two great units, with Buffalo’s top-ranked offense looking to put up points on Nik Bonitto, Patrick Surtain II and the Denver defense at Mile High.

5. Week 16: 49ers at Chiefs

Could this preview the trilogy? The 49ers haven’t beaten the Chiefs in the regular season or postseason since Kyle Shanahan became coach, with an 0–5 mark. This game will be in cold conditions at Arrowhead Stadium, played at dusk on Dec. 27. Of course, the playoff implications are likely to be massive on both sides, with each contender fighting for seeding and maybe trying to wrap up their respective divisions.

4. Week 15: Bears at Bills

On a Saturday afternoon in Buffalo, we might witness the highest-scoring game of the year. Both the Bills and Bears can score at will, currently featuring the first- and third-ranked offenses in football, respectively. The arm arrogance will also be tremendous with Josh Allen and Caleb Williams, as both teams are likely going up and down the field at Orchard Park. The big question will be which defense can get a stop, and does a trade-deadline acquisition from the Titans, Jeffery Simmons or Amani Hooker, make a big play?

3. Week 12: Seahawks at 49ers

The first clash between these two was epic, coming down to a controversial fourth-down stop by the 49ers up in Seattle. San Francisco appears poised to win the NFC West, while the Seahawks are trying to make the playoffs as a wild-card team after winning it all in February, sitting at 5–4. The big question is whether Sam Darnold is back from a rib injury or if Drew Lock is the starter against the Niners in what is rapidly becoming a key game for Seattle’s postseason hopes.

2. Week 12: Bears at Lions

Thanksgiving is going to be incredible, giving us the two best games remaining on the 2026 slate. In the early window, we’re getting the Lions and Bears at Ford Field, with both two-loss teams hoping to not only win the NFC North, but push San Francisco for the NFC’s top seed. This is the first of two meetings this year, with the rematch coming at Soldier Field in Week 17. Buckle up for a ton of points as Ben Johnson returns to his old stomping grounds.

1. Week 12: Chiefs at Bills

Josh Allen and Patrick Mahomes. Thanksgiving night. Buffalo and Kansas City. What else could you want? The Bills and Chiefs appear set on a collision course for a game that could well feature 9–1 against 8–2. Buffalo has won the last five regular-season games between the two, while the Chiefs have won all four postseason matchups between Allen and Mahomes. If history holds, the Bills could take a stranglehold on the top seed. If the Chiefs break through, the AFC could go through Arrowhead once more.

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