Worth the replay?

Saturday, August 15'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
JaguarsatSaints
NFL· ESPN UnlmtdDown to the wireBig comeback
B
65/100
▸ Why this grade
Late tension30/30
Swings23/25
Comeback16/20
Decided late15/15
Back-and-forth3/10
Drama 86 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 65
#2
VikingsatGiants
NFL· ESPN UnlmtdDown to the wire
B
58/100
▸ Why this grade
Late tension30/30
Swings17/25
Comeback10/20
Decided late15/15
Back-and-forth5/10
Drama 77 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 58
#3
CowboysatSeahawks
NFL· NFL Net
C
42/100
▸ Why this grade
Late tension23/30
Swings15/25
Comeback10/20
Decided late6/15
Back-and-forth3/10
Drama 56 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 42
#4
RamsatChiefs
NFL· NFL Net
D
34/100
▸ Why this grade
Late tension14/30
Swings14/25
Comeback6/20
Decided late3/15
Back-and-forth8/10
Drama 45 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 34
#5
BrownsatBears
NFL· NFL Net
D
25/100
▸ Why this grade
Late tension2/30
Swings17/25
Comeback13/20
Decided late0/15
Back-and-forth3/10
Drama 34 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 25
#6
PanthersatBills
NFLOne-sided
D
12/100
▸ Why this grade
Late tension3/30
Swings13/25
Comeback0/20
Decided late0/15
Back-and-forth0/10
Drama 16 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 12
#7
EaglesatRavens
NFL· ESPN UnlmtdOne-sided
D
7/100
▸ Why this grade
Late tension0/30
Swings7/25
Comeback2/20
Decided late0/15
Back-and-forth0/10
Drama 9 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 7

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.