The best remaining games on the NFL schedule

The Chiefs have already lost three games at home this season, and they'll face another difficult test this Sunday against the Vikings — more than likely without MVP quarterback Patrick Mahomes. Meanwhile, the Vikings have won four in a row but are still chasing the Packers in the NFC North race.

It's hard to believe, but fans haven't seen this unnatural rivalry since December 2016. This Sunday night's matchup will be a great test for not only Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson but also the Patriots top-ranked defense, which has faced a lot of below-average offenses on its way to that ranking this season.

At the beginning of the decade, Seahawks-49ers was one of the top rivalries in the NFL, so it's only fitting it returns to end the 2010s. If the 49ers can take care of business against the Cardinals, then they will bring an 8-0 record into the NFC West matchup against the Seahawks, who are likely San Francisco's biggest competition for the division title.

This game will feature two of not only the most exciting young NFL signal-callers but also the most electric players in the league. This will be the first time Lamar Jackson and Deshaun Watson square off since that thrilling Clemson-Louisville 2016 matchup, and if this rematch is anything like the original, NFL fans are in for a real treat.

The Saints are running away with the NFC South, but the Panthers can make it a tighter division race if they win this contest. This has been an entertaining series over the years regardless of team records. New Orleans leads the all-time series 25-24.

These teams don't meet often but when they do, it's usually a must-see contest. Dak Prescott will get a major test on the road against Tom Brady and the Patriots top defense, as both teams figure to be fighting for playoff positioning around Thanksgiving.

San Francisco's opponents from Week 12-14 currently own a 19-4 record. It's hard to call a matchup with Aaron Rodgers an "easier" win, but the other two tough games during that stretch for the 49ers are on the road.

A rematch of Super Bowl XLVII, this is no longer the Harbaugh Bowl, but with these two teams a combined 12-2 this season, this figures to be another highly entertaining and key intra-conference matchup. 

For the second straight season, Minnesota's trip to the Pacific Northwest will be on "Monday Night Football." Kirk Cousins has been playing extremely well lately, but he still has to prove he can beat winning teams in prime time.

Right after playing the Packers and Ravens, the 49ers will face another cross-country road test with playoff positioning on the line. This will be a key battle for the Saints, who would love to once again claim home-field advantage in the NFC.

If we were ranking which of these matchups we wanted to see the most, Patriots-Chiefs might be No. 1. Hopefully Patrick Mahomes is healthy again, so fans can see him once again attempt to take the reins from the greatest quarterback of all time.

Last year, the Seahawks and Panthers met in Charlotte after Thanksgiving, and the loser didn't make the playoffs. If these two teams can't knock off their current division leaders, the same could happen in this year's showdown. 

The Rams and Cowboys will meet for the first time since last year's NFC divisional playoffs but this time in Dallas. The Cowboys have the inside track to the NFC East, but if they lose control of the division, this matchup will have major implications for the NFC wild-card race.

This matchup could be on the list even if the teams were both 1-13. The Cowboys and Eagles don't like each other at all, and it's always (well, usually; it wasn't in Week 7) a close, entertaining battle. If the Cowboys lose the prior week to the Rams, this game becomes even more important.

The Packers currently hold a one-game lead and the tiebreaker over the Vikings in the NFC North. But after jumping out to a 21-0 lead, the Packers just held on to beat their rival, 21-16, when they met at Lambeau Field in Week 2. At home, Kirk Cousins will be looking to put to rest once and for all that he can beat elite competition in important games.

The Steelers are the only team featured on our list without a winning record, but they have won three of the last four since starting 0-3. As readers will notice, we also wanted to provide one game to watch each week, and the other top matchups of Week 17 are the Saints-Panthers and 49ers-Seahawks, which are already featured on our list. That left us with this AFC North battle. Even if this contest doesn't decide the division, it's always must-watch television when these two teams get together.