2025 NFL Game of the Year rankings: Giants-Cowboys OT epic better than Ravens-Bills stunner?

• Week 1 | Sunday, Sept. 7 (SNF) | Highmark Stadium (Orchard Park, N.Y.)
• FINAL SCORE: Bills 41, Ravens 40 (Watch replay)
• Previously: No. 1

This game was supposed to be a heavyweight fight, and it didn't disappoint. The Ravens scored 40 points in only 25 minutes of possession. Bills quarterback Josh Allen showed why he won last year's MVP award by passing for 394 yards and scoring four total touchdowns. Baltimore actually dominated this contest with Lamar Jackson's passing and the running of Derrick Henry (169 yards and two touchdowns), but a late Henry fumble helped Buffalo rally from a 15-point deficit with a little more than four minutes to go. In the end, Allen put his team in position with timely runs and devastating throws. The Ravens, on the other hand, lost another opportunity to win a big game, sparking more questions about when they'll stop beating themselves in these moments. -- Jeffri Chadiha

• Week 2 | Sunday, Sept. 14 | AT&T Stadium (Arlington, Texas)
• FINAL SCORE: Cowboys 40, Giants 37, OT (Watch replay)
• Previously: Not ranked

The teams scored a combined 41 points in the fourth quarter, including an insane 17 points in the final 52 seconds of regulation. Russell Wilson threw for 450 yards and three touchdowns, with the 48-yard scoring pass to Malik Nabers with 25 seconds left standing as a beautiful pitch and catch. And Brandon Aubrey nonchalantly booted a 64-yard field goal with several yards to spare to extend the game before hitting the winner in OT. If you like defense, this was probably not the game for you. But the Cowboys and Giants were both desperate to avoid an 0-2 start, and it produced a thriller with one mind-boggling play after another -- a memorable installment in this classic rivalry. -- Judy Battista

• Week 1 | Sunday, Sept. 7 | MetLife Stadium (East Rutherford, N.J.)
• FINAL SCORE: Steelers 34, Jets 32 (Watch replay)
• Previously: No. 2

The Steelers got a throwback four-touchdown performance from Aaron Rodgers and, importantly, received contributions from many of the new faces who joined the team this season (Jonnu Smith, DK Metcalf, Jalen Ramsey). The defense wasn’t good, the running game was quiet and the offensive line has to protect better, but Rodgers called it a "coach’s dream journal," and that was the perfect description: a win, coupled with a lot of things to clean up. As for the Jets, there are no moral victories, but absolutely nobody predicted it would take a 60-yard field goal to end a shootout to defeat them, and Justin Fields might have played the best game of his career, throwing downfield and using his legs as a weapon, as the Jets hoped he would. New York's offensive line, including rookie Armand Membou, looked like a strength of the team, and Garrett Wilson clearly showed his potential to produce at a high level with Fields. This was a thriller that should have left both teams encouraged. -- Judy Battista

• Week 2 | Sunday, Sept. 14 | Lucas Oil Stadium (Indianapolis)
• FINAL SCORE: Colts 29, Broncos 28 (Watch replay) 
• Previously: Not ranked

If back-and-forth affairs and clutch kicking performances tickle your fancy, Broncos-Colts was right up your alley. Denver gained an early lead and seemed a step ahead of Indy, thanks to the offensive stylings of Bo Nix, J.K. Dobbins and Troy Franklin, but the Colts stayed in the fight, buoyed by a second encouraging outing from Daniel Jones and a truly massive effort from Jonathan Taylor (215 scrimmage yards, 8.0 yards per touch). And then Denver kicker Wil Lutz's untimely doink from 42 yards out cracked the door open for a comeback. Spencer Shrader proved to be the hero of the day, drilling all five of his attempts -- but only after an end-of-game penalty bought him a second chance to send the Colts home winners. -- Nick Shook

• Week 2 | Monday, Sept. 15 (MNF) | NRG Stadium (Houston)
• FINAL SCORE: Buccaneers 20, Texans 19 (Watch replay)
• Previously: Not ranked

An early burst of eye-pleasing fireworks gave way to a scoreless middle stretch -- but even that was compelling, in a sort of stressful way. What would happen first? Would the Bucs crack under the strain of fending off the Texans' pass rush without injured tackle Luke Goedeke? Or would Houston, which had been slowed by Todd Bowles' manufactured pressure and a no-show ground game, figure out how to move the ball again? Some special teams chaos (Tampa missed a field-goal try, had a punt blocked and gave up a 53-yard punt return to Jaylin Noel) perked up the night and helped get the Texans oh so close to giving the home crowd a cathartic win -- only for Baker Mayfield to rudely rush headlong into the spotlight and steal their moment. A last-second scoring plunge from Rachaad White rounded out another gutsy triumph for Tampa, with a splash of clock-management drama thrown in to keep things spicy. -- Tom Blair

• Week 1 | Sunday, Sept. 7 | Mercedes-Benz Stadium (Atlanta)
• FINAL SCORE: Buccaneers 23, Falcons 20 (Watch replay)
• Previously: No. 3

• Week 1 | Sunday, Sept. 7 | Lumen Field (Seattle)
• FINAL SCORE: 49ers 17, Seahawks 13 (Watch replay)
• Previously: No. 4

• Week 1 | Thursday, Sept. 4 | Lincoln Financial Field (Philadelphia)
• FINAL SCORE: Eagles 24, Cowboys 20 (Watch replay)
• Previously: No. 5