Top Thursday Night Games of the NFL Season

The NFL starts Thursday night games in Week 10 when the Oakland Raiders travel to San Diego to play the Chargers. The games couldn't come soon enough for fans, but Roger Goodell rightly wants to maximize ratings by waiting until the college football season comes to a close.

Oddly enough, the only Saturday night game this season takes place in Week 15 involving Dallas and Tampa Bay. Week 16 has every game but the matchup on Christmas Eve instead of Christmas, expecting fans only to be able to focus in on one game on the religious holiday.

The rankings are predicated on storylines as much as how close the games are expected to be. Expectations for games can be thrown out once opening kickoff takes place.

It's going to be a tough next four weeks as football fans await entertainment to take up our Thursday nights.

Here are all 10 Thursday night games ranked, including the only Saturday night game not in Week 16.

10. Week 14: Cleveland Browns vs. Pittsburgh Steelers

It's a divisional matchup. That's all that can be said here.

The Browns have been disappointments more in their play than record because Colt McCoy could step up his game to look like he did during preseason play. The real storyline lies within Pittsburgh, as the Steelers have already lost to Baltimore once while both teams have similar schedules down the stretch.

Pittsburgh needs this game because a wild-card spot may not be guaranteed with the weak schedules AFC South teams like Tennessee and Houston have later on.

Steelers fans can expect a tough game from the Browns and it'll be hard to blow out an AFC North rival when the wind is blowing cold snow both teams' way.

9. Week 15: Jacksonville Jaguars vs. Atlanta Falcons

Atlanta will have to start digging immediately to get themselves out of the 2-3 hole they've dug themselves into. Tampa Bay has seen bad losses but the Bucs are still one game ahead of the Falcons.

Blaine Gabbert will show the coaching staff for Jacksonville what he's got in what is sure to be a tough road-dome environment. If the rookie quarterback isn't impressive in 2011, Jacksonville's game against Indianapolis could mean the Jaguars taking Andrew Luck if a loss results.

Matt Ryan and his Falcons need to cash in on the cookie cutters that include only Jacksonville and the Panthers twice. With the Saints looking like the NFC South champions, Atlanta will need to have this win to likely keep pace with potential wild-card teams including the Bucs and NFC East teams.

8. Week 12: Miami Dolphins vs. Dallas Cowboys

By Week 12 when these two teams meet, the Dolphins and Cowboys will be on opposite ends of the spectrum. Dallas will still be competing for a playoff spot while Miami will continue to compete for first in the Andrew Luck sweepstakes.

The two conflicting storylines make this matchup not one of the more exciting games to be played but Miami still has professional football players on the roster willing to compete. The game is too early to legitimately discuss anything Andrew Luck related for Miami.

In the six games preceding the game, Dallas faces New England, St. Louis, Philadelphia, Seattle, Buffalo and Washington. Jason Garrett's team can expect nothing but four wins is in the realm of possibility. That would leave the Cowboys at 6-4, right on their way to at least a wild-card spot.

7. Week 13: Philadelphia Eagles vs. Seattle Seahawks

Who would have thought that by Week 6 the Seahawks would have a better record than the Eagles?

Don't expect Andy Reid and Philadelphia to put themselves back in the playoff picture. The NFC East is too tightly packed for a 1-4 team to take even a wild-card spot.

Pete Carrol's Seattle defense play well with the home crowd noise. An upset in this Week 13 game will mean the Eagles coming back to Philadelphia with a win.

Assuming Michael Vick isn't injured, he's always must-see TV as Merril Hodge calls him.

6. Week 11: New York Jets vs. Denver Broncos

Rex Ryan's team has a "get right" game in Week 6 against Miami, but it gets much tougher leading up to Denver. San Diego, Buffalo and New England await.

Denver will have no chance of sniffing the playoffs due to their 1-4 hole, but Tim Tebow should get two wins against Miami and Kansas City in the four games the Broncos have before facing the Jets.

New York could be panicking by the time the game happens while Denver and Tebow could be playing loose, in a good way.

Expecting New York to enter this Week 11 game at 4-5, a loss would mark the end of the Jets' season, especially with a loss to Buffalo.

5. Week 16: Houston Texans vs. Indianapolis Colts

With two games left to play for Indianapolis by the time Week 16 rolls around, general manager Bill Polian will know if it's time to pull the horses back in order to secure Andrew Luck.

Houston can expect a loss against Baltimore in Week 6 without Andre Johnson, but Cleveland, Carolina and Jacksonville twice can help add wins to a team competing against Tennessee for first in the AFC South. The division will not be decided until the very end.

If Indianapolis does get a chance to beat Houston or Tennessee just once, it could end up being the tiebreaker that decides the division between the Texans and Titans.

4. Week 15: Dallas Cowboys vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

This Saturday night game means avoiding the movie theater and enjoying some free prime-time action

With the way the Buccaneers lost to the 49ers Week 5, Raheem Morris may have a hard time getting his players back on track. It doesn't help when the schedule has Tampa Bay playing New Orleans twice in four weeks.

Dallas gets a break from the NFC East because the Cowboys have three divisional games in the last four weeks. Week 9 through Week 14 is more favorable to Dallas, as they get Seattle, Buffalo, Washington, Arizona and the New York Giants while Tampa Bay has New Orleans, Houston, Green Bay, Tennessee, Carolina and Jacksonville.

This Week 15 winner may beat out the loser for one NFC wild-card spot.

3. Week 10: Oakland Raiders vs. San Diego Chargers

The first Thursday night game will feature a good divisional rivalry including two franchises that will finish 1-2 in the AFC West race.

Philip Rivers will need to pick up his game because Oakland's defensive line is sure to get after him from the interior. The Chargers will also have to keep 22 eyes on Darren McFadden because of his speed.

Oakland has Cleveland, Kansas City and Denver for the team's next three games to gain momentum for Week 10.The game could be a deciding factor in determining who takes the division crown, meaning San Diego could be left out in the cold for the second straight year regarding the playoffs.

The likely scenario is that the Week 10 game will be a great appetizer to Week 17 when the two teams meet in Oakland for what very well could have the real playoff implications because of how close the teams' schedules are down the stretch, as both the Chargers and Raiders will face the Lions, Broncos, Chiefs, Packers and Bears.

2. Week 12: San Francisco 49ers vs. Baltimore Ravens

This game will feature two of the most physical teams in the league, both on offense and defense. As of Week 5, the Ravens and 49ers rank No. 1 and 2 in points allowed per game.

Offensively, Ray Rice of the Ravens is a versatile, entertaining little runner who can score a touchdown from anywhere on the field while Frank Gore has been elite for many years now when healthy. Both rushing offenses rank in the top 12 in rushing yards per game.

The game will come down to which quarterback is less affected by the pressure thrown at them and it's better to bet on Joe Flacco. San Francisco's Alex Smith won't be able to dump off short throws all game. The best example of this? The 2008 NFL playoffs when Baltimore traveled down to Miami and murdered Chad Pennington.

The 49ers and Ravens are bound for the playoffs either way, but it'll be a good game to enjoy good, hard football even though Roger Goodell may not deem it "clean."

1. Week 12: Green Bay Packers vs. Detroit Lions

For once since the new millennium, the Detroit Lions will give Americans a good game to watch for Thanksgiving. The one thing many will be thankful for is some good football.

Green Bay and Detroit are undefeated as of now and it would be great if it remains that way until the two NFC North rivals meet. That, of course, is unlikely but the Packers could come into the game without a loss. Aaron Rodgers' only decent chance of losing comes at San Diego against Philip Rivers Sunday night in Week 9.

Even if the Lions come into the game 9-2—seeing how two losses could come out of their games against San Francisco, Atlanta and Chicago—the matchup will still include great aerial attacks. The defense is also entertaining because there are sure to be big hits from Ndamukong Suh and Clay Matthews, especially factoring in both teams' leaky line play.