We’re past Halloween and on to some November football. That means the stakes are getting higher as we move closer to the post-season. There are several matchups that have high stakes this first weekend in November. Below are the five I’m most excited to see.

Early Games:

Dallas Cowboys (3-4) at Atlanta Falcons (5-3)
About: The Cowboys came off a bye and loss to the 49ers. That has the Cowboys below .500 and feeling the pressure to get wins to catch the Eagles and the Commanders. The Falcons, meanwhile, are in first in the NFC South. But while the Falcons are 4-0 in the division, they’re just 1-3 against non-division opponents. In order to make a statement in the playoffs, they need to beat other good NFC Teams. Both teams need a statement win.

Miami Dolphins (2-5) at Buffalo Bills (6-2)
About: The Dolphins lost to the Bills earlier this season, and nearly lost Tua Tagovailoa for the season. He returned in Week 8, but the Dolphins still couldn’t get a win. Now, their backs are against the wall in Buffalo. The Bills, meanwhile, remain hot. The team is 6-2, comfortably ahead in the AFC East and fighting to be among the best in the conference. A win Sunday puts them closer to locking up the division before Thanksgiving.

Late Games:

Detroit Lions (6-1) at Green Bay Packers (6-2)
About: The Lions have been a juggernaut. Despite a Week 2 loss to the Buccaneers, the Lions have rolled off five straight wins and they’ve been pouring on the points. That included knocking the Vikings from the ranks of the unbeaten. Now, they’ll be looking to stop a hot Packers squad in its tracks to hold on to a commanding lead in the division. The Packers, meanwhile, might be playing without Jordan Love. But to have a shot to win the NFC North, they need to hold serve at home against the Lions. This is the game of Week 9.

Los Angeles Rams (3-4) at Seattle Seahawks (4-4)
About: This is a fight for first place in the NFC West, as hard as that is to believe. The Seahawks are nominally holding on, in a 4-4 tie with the 49ers. The Rams want to get there, and by virtue of their win would take the tiebreaker over the 49ers, who are on a bye week. If the Seahawks win, they’ll move a half game in front. So, this is winner takes first in the NFC West.

Sunday Night Football:

Indianapolis Colts (4-4) at Minnesota Vikings (5-2)
About: The Vikings have lost two straight games coming off a bye. That’s not great. The Vikings are now chasing the Lions and the Packers, both of which are sitting on six wins. The Vikings will be looking to get back on track at home against a Colts team that has been hot-and-cold this season. Can Anthony Richardson step up, or will the Vikings get the best out of Sam Darnold and their defense?

Matthew Fox is a graduate of the Radio, Television and Film program at Biola University, and a giant nerd. He spends his free time watching movies, TV, and obsessing about football. He is a member of the FSWA. You can find him @knighthawk7734 on Twitter and as co-host of the Fantasy Football Roundtable Podcast.