3 must-see NFL games in Week 13

The weather's getting colder but the playoff races are heating up. Sunday's slate of NFL action is a little lighter than usual thanks to three Thanksgiving Day games, but it doesn't lack compelling matchups. 

Here are three games you can't miss this week:

New England Patriots at Green Bay Packers

4:25 p.m. ET, CBS

Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers on the same field for the first time ever. What else needs to be said to hype this game?

It's remarkable this contest isn't in prime time, but CBS protected it from being flexed and it will remain in the late-afternoon slot. With only Arizona Cardinals-Atlanta Falcons playing concurrently, it's safe to say there will be a lot of eyeballs on the action at Lambeau Field. 

Both teams enter the game as the hottest in their conference. Both quarterbacks are at the forefront of the MVP race. Las Vegas pegs the over/under somewhere around 58.5 points, the highest we've seen in a long time. Expect fireworks. 

You probably don't need much more context to get pumped about this one, do you? Jordy Nelson. Darrelle Revis. Eddie Lacy. Rob Gronkowski. The star power is ridiculous. There's a good chance this ends up as the game of the year. Watch it.

Denver Broncos at Kansas City Chiefs

8:30 p.m. ET, NBC

Patriots-Packers isn't the Sunday nighter, but Al Michaels and Cris Collinsworth get a great game on their schedule nonetheless. If not for the Kansas City Chiefs' disappointing loss to the Oakland Raiders a little over a week ago, first place in the AFC West would be on the line in this one.

Instead, with the Denver Broncos now a game ahead of the Chiefs in the standings, Peyton Manning and Co. can take a big step toward clinching another AFC West title with a win Sunday. That's much easier said than done, however, and the Arrowhead Stadium crowd should do its best to propel the home team back into hot pursuit of the division crown. 

The Broncos won the first meeting between these two rivals 24-17 in Week 2, but that was ages ago in the fast-moving NFL. Injuries have since forced the Broncos to cobble together a rushing attack with C.J. Anderson and Juwan Thompson, and there's a chance star tight end Julius Thomas will miss the game with a sprained ankle.

The Chiefs won't be at full strength, either. Safety Eric Berry was recently diagnosed with what doctors fear is Lymphoma and will miss the rest of the season. Expect an emotional atmosphere. 

San Diego Chargers at Baltimore Ravens

1 p.m. ET, CBS

Two seven-win teams with playoff aspirations will face off Sunday in Baltimore knowing they can't afford many more losses – if any – in the tightly contested AFC playoff race.

The San Diego Chargers, in particular, must take care of business against the Baltimore Ravens with difficult games against the Patriots, Broncos and Chiefs looming on their December schedule. It may be tempting for Philip Rivers' squad to look beyond Sunday, but doing so could be fatal for its playoff aspirations. 

The Ravens have a significantly less arduous upcoming schedule, but they are perched on a knife's edge in the nearly unprecedented AFC North race. With all four teams in the division sitting on seven wins, a victory could vault the Ravens to the top of the division and a loss could drop them to the basement.