Worth the replay?

Sunday, October 26'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
    JetsatBengals
    NFL· CBSDown to the wireBig comeback
    B+
    68/100
    ▸ Why this grade
    Late tension30/30
    Swings21/25
    Comeback19/20
    Decided late15/15
    Back-and-forth5/10

    Drama 90 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 68

  2. #2
    LakersatKings
    NBABack and forth
    B+
    66/100
    ▸ Why this grade
    Late tension30/30
    Swings22/25
    Comeback11/20
    Decided late15/15
    Back-and-forth10/10

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

  3. #3
    NetsatSpurs
    NBADown to the wireBack and forth
    B
    64/100
    ▸ Why this grade
    Late tension30/30
    Swings22/25
    Comeback9/20
    Decided late14/15
    Back-and-forth10/10

    Drama 85 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 64

  4. #4
    SharksatWild
    NHL· ESPN+OvertimeDown to the wire
    B
    63/100
    ▸ Why this grade
    Late tension30/30
    Swings24/25
    Comeback0/20
    Decided late15/15
    Back-and-forth7/10
    Overtime+8

    Drama 84 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 63

  5. #5
    OilersatCanucks
    NHL· ESPN+OvertimeDown to the wire
    B
    59/100
    ▸ Why this grade
    Late tension30/30
    Swings22/25
    Comeback0/20
    Decided late15/15
    Back-and-forth3/10
    Overtime+8

    Drama 78 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 59

  6. #6
    AvalancheatDevils
    NHL· NHL NetOvertimeDown to the wire
    B
    59/100
    ▸ Why this grade
    Late tension30/30
    Swings19/25
    Comeback0/20
    Decided late15/15
    Back-and-forth7/10
    Overtime+8

    Drama 78 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 59

  7. #7
    CelticsatPistons
    NBA
    B
    56/100
    ▸ Why this grade
    Late tension28/30
    Swings19/25
    Comeback13/20
    Decided late12/15
    Back-and-forth3/10

    Drama 74 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 56

  8. #8
    PacersatTimberwolves
    NBABack and forth
    B
    55/100
    ▸ Why this grade
    Late tension30/30
    Swings15/25
    Comeback4/20
    Decided late15/15
    Back-and-forth10/10

    Drama 74 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 55

  9. #9
    MammothatJets
    NHL· ESPN+Down to the wire
    C+
    51/100
    ▸ Why this grade
    Late tension30/30
    Swings16/25
    Comeback7/20
    Decided late9/15
    Back-and-forth7/10

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

  10. #10
    Golden KnightsatLightning
    NHL· ESPN+OvertimeDown to the wire
    C+
    49/100
    ▸ Why this grade
    Late tension30/30
    Swings9/25
    Comeback0/20
    Decided late15/15
    Back-and-forth3/10
    Overtime+8

    Drama 65 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 49

  11. #11
    BucksatCavaliers
    NBADown to the wire
    C+
    48/100
    ▸ Why this grade
    Late tension30/30
    Swings15/25
    Comeback0/20
    Decided late15/15
    Back-and-forth5/10

    Drama 64 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 48

  12. #12
    Trail BlazersatClippers
    NBA
    C+
    47/100
    ▸ Why this grade
    Late tension21/30
    Swings19/25
    Comeback11/20
    Decided late5/15
    Back-and-forth8/10

    Drama 62 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 47

  13. #13
    StarsatPredators
    NHL· ESPN+
    C
    43/100
    ▸ Why this grade
    Late tension20/30
    Swings17/25
    Comeback13/20
    Decided late4/15
    Back-and-forth3/10

    Drama 58 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 43

  14. #14
    HornetsatWizards
    NBABig comebackBack and forth
    C
    40/100
    ▸ Why this grade
    Late tension7/30
    Swings22/25
    Comeback15/20
    Decided late0/15
    Back-and-forth10/10

    Drama 54 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 40

  15. #15
    KingsatBlackhawks
    NHL· ESPN+
    D
    34/100
    ▸ Why this grade
    Late tension20/30
    Swings12/25
    Comeback6/20
    Decided late4/15
    Back-and-forth3/10

    Drama 45 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 34

  16. #16
    PackersatSteelers
    NFL· NBC
    D
    33/100
    ▸ Why this grade
    Late tension4/30
    Swings20/25
    Comeback11/20
    Decided late1/15
    Back-and-forth8/10

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

  17. #17
    BearsatRavens
    NFL· CBS
    D
    31/100
    ▸ Why this grade
    Late tension12/30
    Swings14/25
    Comeback8/20
    Decided late4/15
    Back-and-forth3/10

    Drama 41 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 31

  18. #18
    RaptorsatMavericks
    NBA
    D
    30/100
    ▸ Why this grade
    Late tension7/30
    Swings16/25
    Comeback9/20
    Decided late0/15
    Back-and-forth8/10

    Drama 40 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 30

  19. #19
    KnicksatHeat
    NBA
    D
    25/100
    ▸ Why this grade
    Late tension7/30
    Swings14/25
    Comeback7/20
    Decided late0/15
    Back-and-forth5/10

    Drama 33 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 25

  20. #20
    BrownsatPatriots
    NFL· FoxOne-sided
    D
    14/100
    ▸ Why this grade
    Late tension0/30
    Swings11/25
    Comeback2/20
    Decided late0/15
    Back-and-forth5/10

    Drama 19 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 14

  21. #21
    CowboysatBroncos
    NFL· CBSOne-sided
    D
    12/100
    ▸ Why this grade
    Late tension0/30
    Swings10/25
    Comeback4/20
    Decided late0/15
    Back-and-forth3/10

    Drama 16 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 12

  22. #22
    DolphinsatFalcons
    NFL· CBSOne-sided
    D
    12/100
    ▸ Why this grade
    Late tension0/30
    Swings9/25
    Comeback7/20
    Decided late0/15
    Back-and-forth0/10

    Drama 16 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 12

  23. #23
    49ersatTexans
    NFL· FoxOne-sided
    D
    10/100
    ▸ Why this grade
    Late tension5/30
    Swings9/25
    Comeback0/20
    Decided late0/15
    Back-and-forth0/10

    Drama 13 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 10

  24. #24
    GiantsatEagles
    NFL· FoxOne-sided
    D
    10/100
    ▸ Why this grade
    Late tension0/30
    Swings10/25
    Comeback0/20
    Decided late0/15
    Back-and-forth3/10

    Drama 13 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 10

  25. #25
    BuccaneersatSaints
    NFL· FoxOne-sided
    D
    8/100
    ▸ Why this grade
    Late tension1/30
    Swings10/25
    Comeback0/20
    Decided late0/15
    Back-and-forth0/10

    Drama 10 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 8

  26. #26
    RangersatFlames
    NHL· ESPN+One-sided
    D
    7/100
    ▸ Why this grade
    Late tension1/30
    Swings9/25
    Comeback0/20
    Decided late0/15
    Back-and-forth0/10

    Drama 9 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 7

  27. #27
    BillsatPanthers
    NFL· FoxOne-sided
    D
    5/100
    ▸ Why this grade
    Late tension0/30
    Swings6/25
    Comeback0/20
    Decided late0/15
    Back-and-forth0/10

    Drama 6 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 5

  28. #28
    TitansatColts
    NFL· CBSOne-sided
    D
    2/100
    ▸ Why this grade
    Late tension0/30
    Swings2/25
    Comeback0/20
    Decided late0/15
    Back-and-forth0/10

    Drama 2 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 2

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.

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