The second week of October proved just as eventful as the first, with the MLB playoffs and the NFL taking the top spots even as the NHL season gets going.

#5. San Diego Chargers at Oakland Raiders

I know, I know. This game shouldn’t have been close, shouldn’t have been a good game. But, um, it was. It was a great game, Derek Carr showing some of the metal under fire the Raiders have been craving as an organization. But Philip Rivers, not to be outdone, continued his MVP-worty season, scrapping and clawing the Chargers out of tough situations time and again, seemingly every throw landing exactly where it needed to be. At just $71.19, this is your clear-cut bang-for-your-buck game of the week.

#4. Green Bay Packers at Miami Dolphins

Stick a fork in them, the Packers were swiss cheese. But then Aaron Rodgers took a page from Dan Marino’s playbook, faking a spike, and hit Andrew Quarless for a touchdown with three seconds left. Game over. Having played so well for so much of the day, the Dolphins walked away with yet another tough loss.

#3. Kansas City Royals at Baltimore Orioles

How ’bout them Royals? They just won’t lose. Everyone’s so sure they will, so sure they should. But they won’t. Taking an early lead 4-0, the Orioles battled back to tie, but the Royals wouldn’t give way to doubt. They kept hitting, kept scoring, kept throwing out runners. These Royals don’t know that they’re not supposed to be here. Even in Baltimore with a hostile crowd, the Royals kept playing well into the 10th inning, where they finally scored three runs that the Orioles couldn’t match. Great game, great series, great story.

#2. Dallas Cowboys at Seattle Seahawks

The best team in the NFL had also been the best team at home. Only the Cardinals had beaten them at home in the past couple years. But these aren’t your normal 21st century Cowboys. They run the ball – exceedingly well, thanks to MVP candidate DeMarco Murray – and let Tony Romo throw the ball up to Dez Bryant. That formula, it turns out, was too tough to stop for the Seahawks. They looked overmatched and – gasp! – overpowered in a tough loss at home to the Cowboys. At $308.98, this was the most expensive game in sports this past week, but it was also one of the best.

#1. Carolina Panthers at Cincinnati Bengals

Though each team had their chances to pull away, the fact that the game ended as a tie was appropriate. As back-and-forth as this contest was, and as evenly matched as these two teams were all afternoon, a 37-37 tie seemed right. Still, the most painful missed chance had to be the Bengals missed kick as time expired, kicker Mike Nugent missing a 36-yard field goal as time expired in OT.