2021 NFL Schedule: Ranking the 5 best & worst games

With the NFL schedule now available, the best and worst games of the season are also made available.

The best games pit two top teams against each other. They always feature high stakes and high emotions. Meanwhile, the worst games pit two bottom-tiered teams against each other.

These games tend to lean later in the season as the games get more and more pointless after getting knocked out of the playoff hunt. That said, here are the best and worst games of the 2021 NFL schedule.

The 5 best and worst games in the 2021 NFL schedule ranked

# 1 BEST - Kansas City Chiefs vs Baltimore Ravens - Week Two

IT’S HERE! The reigning AFC champion Kansas City Chiefs' 2021 NFL schedule. pic.twitter.com/GB9xm3GUpH

— Arrowhead Pride (@ArrowheadPride) May 12, 2021

This matchup has been one of the best games of each NFL schedule for the last few years. The contrast between Kansas City's air-it-out mentality and Baltimore's running game creates really interesting dynamics. The matchup is also likely to determine playoff seedings later in the season.

WORST - New Orleans Saints vs. New York Jets - Week 14

Will Jameis Winston or Ian Book be taking snaps by this point in the NFL schedule? How well will the Jets' millionth quarterback be doing this late into his rookie season? Why is this a game? These will be the questions viewers will be asking while playoff-caliber football is played on other channels.

# 2 BEST - Cleveland Browns vs Pittsburgh Steelers - Week Eight

The matchup has been one of the top games on the NFL schedule in recent years. It seems that there is usually controversy, some close calls, and hurt feelings. All in all, this game is usually a hoot. Circle it on the NFL schedule.

WORST - New York Jets vs Miami Dolphins - Week 11

The New York Jets will have to make an amazing start to their season for this game to have any stakes this late into the NFL schedule. Otherwise, the Miami Dolphins will win this date on the NFL schedule and life will go on. With so many other games on television, why waste time with this meaningless mid-season bout?

# 3 BEST - Los Angeles Rams vs Seattle Seahawks - Week Five

The NFC West usually seems to come down to this game on the NFL schedule. Will the Rams' new quarterback prove to be too much for Russell Wilson? Both Matthew Stafford and Wilson seem to come alive in the 4th quarter, so there could be a thrilling end to this one.

WORST - Cincinnati Bengals vs Denver Broncos - Week 15

Around this late in the NFL schedule, both teams will likely be hopelessly out of the hunt. If not, it will be because Aaron Rodgers will be a Denver Bronco. In other words, this game will either be a huge blowout or a middling, pointless affair. Either way, change the channel.

# 4 BEST - Buffalo Bills vs Kansas City Chiefs - Week Five

Could this be a playoff preview? The Bills will need to show that Josh Allen is indeed the truth. However, both teams will likely be leading their divisions at this point based on their surrounding rosters alone.

Overall, this could be the first big test for both franchises for 2021. This game will answer the question of whether the Chiefs are still good and whether the AFC East is the Bills' division this year.

WORST - New York Giants vs Philadelphia Eagles - Week 16

This game on the NFL schedule will likely feature Daniel Jones and Jalen Hurts fighting for their lives. With that angle, the game suddenly feels like a great win-or-get-fired game. However, that is until one realizes that this game is on Sunday and every other game will have higher stakes or better teams.

The @buffalobills 2021 schedule ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/zkjlJgGAgQ

— Buffalo Bills PR (@BuffaloBillsPR) May 12, 2021

# BEST - New England Patriots vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Week Four

This is a moment decades in the making. This is where the student faces the teacher. This is Brady versus Belichick. The game will hope to settle the eternal argument of who is better. The game will be one of the last pages in the story of Brady and Belichick.

The implications of this game reach across seasons in a way that other games simply cannot.

WORST - Houston Texans vs Jacksonville Jaguars - Week 15

This game will be one of the biggest snoozefests of the year. It will feature Trevor Lawrence, who, for all of his hype, will be struggling in his rookie year just like most other quarterbacks.

On the other side will be the Houston Texans, who will feature either one of the most questionable quarterback selections of the year in Davis Mills or Tyrod Taylor. This game could be competitive on the field but not for viewers attention.

Philadelphia Eagles v New York Giants