Worth the replay?

Sunday, September 28's games ranked by how good they turned out to be: late drama, comebacks, lead swaps and overtime. No scores, no winners, so you can decide what to watch without spoilers.

Best games of the season →
  1. #1
    PackersatCowboys
    NFL· NBCOvertimeDown to the wireBig comebackBack and forth
    A
    75/100
    ▸ Why this grade
    Late tension30/30
    Swings24/25
    Comeback15/20
    Decided late15/15
    Back-and-forth10/10
    Overtime+8

    Drama 100 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 75

  2. #2
    BearsatRaiders
    NFL· CBSDown to the wireBack and forth
    B+
    66/100
    ▸ Why this grade
    Late tension30/30
    Swings21/25
    Comeback12/20
    Decided late15/15
    Back-and-forth10/10

    Drama 88 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 66

  3. #3
    ColtsatRams
    NFL· FoxDown to the wireBack and forth
    B+
    66/100
    ▸ Why this grade
    Late tension30/30
    Swings20/25
    Comeback14/20
    Decided late15/15
    Back-and-forth10/10

    Drama 88 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 66

  4. #4
    ChargersatGiants
    NFL· CBSDown to the wire
    C+
    53/100
    ▸ Why this grade
    Late tension30/30
    Swings17/25
    Comeback11/20
    Decided late14/15
    Back-and-forth0/10

    Drama 71 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 53

  5. #5
    Jaguarsat49ers
    NFL· Fox
    C+
    51/100
    ▸ Why this grade
    Late tension28/30
    Swings16/25
    Comeback9/20
    Decided late12/15
    Back-and-forth3/10

    Drama 68 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 51

  6. #6
    SaintsatBills
    NFL· CBS
    C
    38/100
    ▸ Why this grade
    Late tension30/30
    Swings13/25
    Comeback0/20
    Decided late6/15
    Back-and-forth3/10

    Drama 51 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 38

  7. #7
    EaglesatBuccaneers
    NFL· Fox
    C
    36/100
    ▸ Why this grade
    Late tension30/30
    Swings14/25
    Comeback0/20
    Decided late5/15
    Back-and-forth0/10

    Drama 49 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 36

  8. #8
    VikingsatSteelers
    NFL· NFL Net/NFL+
    D
    33/100
    ▸ Why this grade
    Late tension19/30
    Swings15/25
    Comeback8/20
    Decided late0/15
    Back-and-forth3/10

    Drama 44 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 33

  9. #9
    CommandersatFalcons
    NFL· CBS
    D
    22/100
    ▸ Why this grade
    Late tension15/30
    Swings12/25
    Comeback2/20
    Decided late0/15
    Back-and-forth0/10

    Drama 29 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 22

  10. #10
    RavensatChiefs
    NFL· CBSOne-sided
    D
    16/100
    ▸ Why this grade
    Late tension0/30
    Swings11/25
    Comeback8/20
    Decided late0/15
    Back-and-forth3/10

    Drama 22 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 16

  11. #11
    PanthersatPatriots
    NFL· FoxOne-sided
    D
    15/100
    ▸ Why this grade
    Late tension0/30
    Swings11/25
    Comeback6/20
    Decided late0/15
    Back-and-forth3/10

    Drama 20 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 15

  12. #12
    BrownsatLions
    NFL· FoxOne-sided
    D
    8/100
    ▸ Why this grade
    Late tension1/30
    Swings8/25
    Comeback0/20
    Decided late0/15
    Back-and-forth3/10

    Drama 11 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 8

  13. #13
    TitansatTexans
    NFL· CBSOne-sided
    D
    4/100
    ▸ Why this grade
    Late tension0/30
    Swings5/25
    Comeback0/20
    Decided late0/15
    Back-and-forth0/10

    Drama 5 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 4

Ranked from each game's win probability as it was played (ESPN's for football and basketball; ours, from the goals, for hockey): how in doubt it was near the end, how far the winner came back from, how late it was decided, how big its momentum swings were and how often a team erased a deficit, with a bonus for overtime. That drama is then weighted by how good a matchup it was going in (its pre-game Watchability score), so a thriller between top teams ranks above an equally wild game between minor ones.

Get the weekend's best games every Friday

The most watchable games across every sport, what's at stake in the playoff races, and last week's best games, spoiler-free. Free, one email a week.

Sports you care about