NFL Week 3 Watchability Index: Which Games Are Worth Your Time?

With two weeks of NFL action officially in the books, we're able to draw some conclusions about the league at large. We can safely conclude that some teams—like the San Francisco 49ers and the Dallas Cowboys—are good. Other teams, because of some combination of injuries, lack of top-end talent and bad luck, have fallen down the power rankings.

But, at the same time, some teams remain in the middle. Have the Cincinnati Bengals, for example, really fallen off a cliff? Are the New Orleans Saints capable of pushing toward the playoffs? That uncertainty can be exciting, but it also makes it tough to decide which game is worth watching.

With that in mind, here's your viewing guide for Week 3 of the NFL season. If you're unsure of where to place your focus, look no further.

Thursday, September 21

Giants vs. 49ers, 8:15 p.m. ET (Amazon Prime): 3 Stars

As noted above, the Niners stood tall as one of the league's top teams through two weeks. The Giants, however, have not. After an embarrassing loss to the Cowboys, they looked doomed for disaster before mounting a comeback against the Cardinals. That victory, however, came at a cost as Saquon Barkley left the field injured.

That may make this game a bit one-sided, but San Francisco's offense is full of playmakers who are worthy of your attention. The narrative focus around Big Blue—how good are they actually?—and the comeback potential they showed last week aren't super compelling, but they do keep this game from getting too boring.

Sunday, September 24

Patriots vs. Jets, 1 p.m. ET (CBS): 2.5 Stars

While this may be a rivalry game with divisional implications, it's tough to get too excited about Mac Jones vs. Zach Wilson. Expect this to be a defensive struggle, especially given Bill Belichick's knack for slowing down the opposition's top weapon.

Colts vs. Ravens, 1 p.m. ET (CBS): 2.5 Stars (pending Anthony Richardson's availability)

The Ravens have been flying high, but the potential lack of both Anthony Richardson and Jonathan Taylor affects the quality of this matchup. Keep tabs on the rookie QB's health and, if he's ready for Sunday, add another star to this matchup.

Broncos vs. Dolphins, 1 p.m. ET (CBS): 3 Stars

The Dolphins have been one of the NFL's most exciting teams this season; the Broncos have not. Things might be a bit stifled if Jaylen Waddle can't play, but look for Tua Tagovailoa and Tyreek Hill to test the Broncos' secondary.

Sean Payton will also be desperate to get his team off the mark, especially after blowing a lead in Week 2, which could set up some additional fireworks. If nothing else, keep an eye on the postgame press conference.

Bills vs. Commanders, 1 p.m. ET (CBS): 3.5 Stars

The Bills returned to form in Week 2, and the Commanders mounted a major comeback against the Broncos to improve to 2-0. This game, however, will be a tougher test of Eric Bieniemy's and Sam Howell's collective credentials.

While logic says that Buffalo should win comfortably, there's just something about this game that feels compelling. Maybe it's Washington's offensive explosion; perhaps it's Josh Allen's risk vs. reward game. Either way, this matchup is getting an extra half-star because of the intangibles.

Titans vs. Browns, 1 p.m. ET (CBS): 3.5 Stars

After an ugly Week 1, the Tennessee offense took a step forward against the Chargers. Twenty-seven points might not be an eye-popping number, but it was better than what the Titans can usually muster.

And while the Browns might not be world-beaters after a Monday night loss to the Steelers, they do have a potent offense. The loss of Nick Chubb hurts—and makes the unit a bit less exciting—but the Deshaun Watson-Amari Cooper partnership is still plenty dynamic.

This one would have been better with a Chubb vs. Derrick Henry matchup, but it's still more watchable than your average game.

Falcons vs. Lions, 1 p.m. ET (Fox): 3 Stars

This matchup pits two of the season's surprise teams against each other, which could make this a game for the football nerds who want to understand the why behind the standings.

On one side of the ledger, you have the Falcons upstart led by Desmond Ridder and Bijan Robinson. Those are two names that every NFL fan will get used to hearing, so you can get in on the ground floor and see what the hype is about now.

On the opposite sideline, the Lions used defense and strong run blocking to beat the Chiefs but stumbled against Seattle. That said, the home defeat still proved that these aren't the same old cellar-dwelling Lions. If nothing else, Detroit believes in its team.

These two teams could be special in a few years, but this game is probably a bit too early. Keep this one in your back pocket, but don't make it the main focus of your Sunday.

Saints vs. Packers, 1 p.m. ET (Fox): 3.5 Stars

The Saints haven't dazzled but still sit at 2-0. On one hand, that could be encouraging: Sports cliché states that the best teams find ways to win when things aren't firing on all cylinders. On the other, the undefeated record could make less than ideal performances seem a bit more palatable.

A date with the Packers, who have something to prove after blowing a lead against Atlanta, will help determine what's actually going on in the Big Easy.

Add that narrative component—can a dome team travel up north and send a message?—to the fact that both Derek Carr and Jordan Love are going to throw for touchdowns and this one could be fun.

Texans vs. Jaguars, 1 p.m. ET (Fox): 2.5 Stars

The Texans aren't a good football team. The Jaguars offense couldn't get things going across the Kansas City Chiefs. And while a visit from Houston could be the perfect opportunity to get back on track, the overall matchup doesn't seem very compelling.

Even if Jacksonville starts rolling, the game will probably be one-sided in its direction. So when your options are (probably) a blowout or a low-scoring snoozer, it's probably safe to change the channel.

Chargers vs. Vikings, 1 p.m. ET (Fox): 3 Stars

This one is tricky. Both the Chargers and Vikings have the potential to light up the scoreboard thanks to a potent QB-receiver connection. But, at the same time, both teams are 0-2 and have struggled to put everything together this season.

With that in mind, we'll play things down the middle and put this as a solid, if unremarkable, game. At the same time, this one could easily slip into "so bad it's good" territory if both teams start marching down the ball either scoring or turning the ball over each drive.

Panthers vs. Seahawks, 4:05 p.m. ET (CBS): 2.5 Stars

This one won't be a complete snoozer—Bryce Young's development is worth watching and the Seahawks did produce an exciting game in Week 2—but there are better things to watch than a non-divisional matchup pitting two teams without serious Super Bowl aspirations against each other.

Cowboys vs. Cardinals, 4:25 p.m. ET (Fox): 3.5 Stars

The Dallas Cowboys defense has dominated so far, allowing 10 points across two games, and they'll get another tasty matchup on Sunday. Arizona isn't as awful as some predicted, but it's still far from making noise, especially without Kyler Murray.

This one will almost certainly be one-sided, but it will be so one-sided that it's worth watching. Either Dallas will run up the score ASAP or it will struggle and feed into the "choke" narrative.

Bears vs. Chiefs, 4:25 p.m. ET, (Fox): 3.5 Stars

This one also seems to be one-way traffic, but the Chiefs' inconsistency drops the watchability down a notch. While KC's defense has played well, the offense is yet to truly find its footing. This could be the game where Patrick Mahomes and his receiving corps finally click, but it could also be a mediocre 24-10 victory without many fireworks.

Still, it gets a 3.5 on potential.

Steelers vs. Raiders, 8:20 p.m. ET (NBC): 3 Stars

If not for the Steelers' Monday Night Football win, this would have been scored even lower. While neither team is too compelling, there's now the "are they for real?" factor.

If Pittsburgh can secure another prime-time win, there could be something brewing within Mike Tomlin's locker room. If the AFC North club lays an egg, though, it will be back to square one.

Monday, September 25

Eagles vs. Buccaneers, 7:15 p.m. ET (ABC): 4 Stars

Although this game would be spicier if Tom Brady were still active, the early Monday night game could be a tasty matchup.

On one sideline, the Eagles are 2-0 without playing their best. On the other, Tampa has fought to 2-0 despite the expectation that replacing Brady with Baker Mayfield would lead to a regression.

Through that lens, this is a test for both teams. Can the Eagles finally put together a complete game against a tricky opponent? Will the Buccaneers' hot start come to an end against the defending NFC champs?

We'll have to watch and find out.

Rams vs. Bengals, 8:15 p.m. ET (ESPN): 3.5 Stars

Under most circumstances, the Bengals would be must-see TV because of their explosive offense. This time, though, we're focusing on them for another reason.

Through the first two games of the season, Cincinnati has flopped. It's sitting at 0-2, and Joe Borrow is both struggling and nursing an injury.

Enter the Rams. Sean McVay's team will fight hard, but they simply lack the top-end talent to cause elite teams real trouble. The Bengals, however, haven't looked like an elite team this year.

With the league's eyes on them during a prime-time game, will the Bengals be able to put everything together and look like a genuine Super Bowl contender? Or will the slide continue on national TV?

Those stakes, combined with the potential of a Burrow-led offense, make this one worth watching. And, for better or worse, there's another Monday night game to potentially pick up the slack.