Worth the replay?

1. #1

   LionsatVikings

   NFL· NetflixDown to the wire

   C+

   53/100
   ▸ Why this grade

   Late tension30/30

   Swings15/25

   Comeback11/20

   Decided late12/15

   Back-and-forth3/10

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

2. #2

   BroncosatChiefs

   NFL· Prime VideoDown to the wire

   C+

   52/100
   ▸ Why this grade

   Late tension30/30

   Swings13/25

   Comeback4/20

   Decided late15/15

   Back-and-forth8/10

   Drama 70 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 52

3. #3

   CowboysatCommanders

   NFL· Netflix

   D

   20/100
   ▸ Why this grade

   Late tension16/30

   Swings11/25

   Comeback0/20

   Decided late1/15

   Back-and-forth0/10

   Drama 27 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 20

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.