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2026 NFL · WEEK 6 · FSN-ROOT-1.1

NFL Rooting Guide: Who Should Your Team Root For?

Pick your team for Week 6. FSN ranks every other unplayed game by how much each result helps your playoff path—using the same 5,000 full-season simulations behind the Playoff Predictor.

PICK YOUR TEAM

Who should you root for in Week 6?

WEEK 6 ROOTING INTERESTS

New England Patriots fans: here’s who to root for

Your own game is excluded. Winning that one is still the best possible rooting strategy.

Current playoff odds89.1%10 meaningful outside-game impacts
Huge impact
ROOT FOR Las Vegas Raiders over Buffalo Bills
+15.0 pts Division odds for New England Patriots in the preferred-result branch
See the simulation impact
If Las Vegas Raiders wins42.4%Division odds
If Buffalo Bills wins27.4%Division odds
Playoffs88.9%vs89.1%
Division42.4%vs27.4%
#1 seed7.0%vs6.7%
Reach SB12.3%vs10.6%
Win SB6.0%vs4.9%
High impact
ROOT FOR Houston Texans over Jacksonville Jaguars
+4.4 pts No. 1 seed odds for New England Patriots in the preferred-result branch
See the simulation impact
If Houston Texans wins9.5%No. 1 seed odds
If Jacksonville Jaguars wins5.1%No. 1 seed odds
Playoffs87.9%vs89.7%
Division33.2%vs30.8%
#1 seed9.5%vs5.1%
Reach SB10.8%vs11.2%
Win SB5.1%vs5.2%
Meaningful impact
ROOT FOR Carolina Panthers over Philadelphia Eagles
+1.8 pts Playoff odds for New England Patriots in the preferred-result branch
See the simulation impact
If Carolina Panthers wins89.8%Playoff odds
If Philadelphia Eagles wins88.0%Playoff odds
Playoffs89.8%vs88.0%
Division32.1%vs31.1%
#1 seed6.9%vs6.7%
Reach SB11.3%vs10.8%
Win SB5.3%vs5.0%
Meaningful impact small model edge
ROOT FOR Los Angeles Chargers over Kansas City Chiefs
+1.4 pts Division odds for New England Patriots in the preferred-result branch
See the simulation impact
If Los Angeles Chargers wins32.9%Division odds
If Kansas City Chiefs wins31.5%Division odds
Playoffs89.5%vs89.0%
Division32.9%vs31.5%
#1 seed8.1%vs6.6%
Reach SB11.1%vs11.1%
Win SB4.5%vs5.3%
Meaningful impact small model edge
ROOT FOR Los Angeles Rams over Arizona Cardinals
+1.8 pts Division odds for New England Patriots in the preferred-result branch
See the simulation impact
If Los Angeles Rams wins32.0%Division odds
If Arizona Cardinals wins30.2%Division odds
Playoffs89.0%vs89.2%
Division32.0%vs30.2%
#1 seed7.0%vs5.7%
Reach SB11.3%vs10.0%
Win SB5.3%vs4.8%
Meaningful impact
ROOT FOR Tennessee Titans over Indianapolis Colts
+1.8 pts Playoff odds for New England Patriots in the preferred-result branch
See the simulation impact
If Tennessee Titans wins90.4%Playoff odds
If Indianapolis Colts wins88.6%Playoff odds
Playoffs90.4%vs88.6%
Division32.8%vs31.4%
#1 seed6.4%vs6.9%
Reach SB10.1%vs11.4%
Win SB4.3%vs5.5%
Meaningful impact small model edge
ROOT FOR San Francisco 49ers over Washington Commanders
+1.8 pts Division odds for New England Patriots in the preferred-result branch
See the simulation impact
If San Francisco 49ers wins32.0%Division odds
If Washington Commanders wins30.2%Division odds
Playoffs89.1%vs89.0%
Division32.0%vs30.2%
#1 seed6.9%vs5.9%
Reach SB11.1%vs10.8%
Win SB5.2%vs5.1%
Meaningful impact
ROOT FOR Chicago Bears over Atlanta Falcons
+1.8 pts Playoff odds for New England Patriots in the preferred-result branch
See the simulation impact
If Chicago Bears wins90.0%Playoff odds
If Atlanta Falcons wins88.2%Playoff odds
Playoffs90.0%vs88.2%
Division31.9%vs31.5%
#1 seed6.4%vs7.2%
Reach SB10.9%vs11.2%
Win SB5.3%vs5.0%
Meaningful impact small model edge
ROOT FOR Seattle Seahawks over Denver Broncos
+1.7 pts Division odds for New England Patriots in the preferred-result branch
See the simulation impact
If Seattle Seahawks wins32.3%Division odds
If Denver Broncos wins30.7%Division odds
Playoffs89.3%vs88.7%
Division32.3%vs30.7%
#1 seed6.6%vs7.1%
Reach SB10.4%vs12.1%
Win SB4.8%vs5.7%
Meaningful impact
ROOT FOR Baltimore Ravens over Cleveland Browns
+1.8 pts Playoff odds for New England Patriots in the preferred-result branch
See the simulation impact
If Baltimore Ravens wins89.7%Playoff odds
If Cleveland Browns wins88.0%Playoff odds
Playoffs89.7%vs88.0%
Division31.4%vs32.3%
#1 seed6.3%vs7.7%
Reach SB10.8%vs11.6%
Win SB5.0%vs5.5%
Small edge small model edge
ROOT FOR Tampa Bay Buccaneers over Pittsburgh Steelers
+0.5 pts Playoff odds for New England Patriots in the preferred-result branch
See the simulation impact
If Tampa Bay Buccaneers wins89.3%Playoff odds
If Pittsburgh Steelers wins88.8%Playoff odds
Playoffs89.3%vs88.8%
Division31.9%vs31.6%
#1 seed6.9%vs6.7%
Reach SB11.4%vs10.8%
Win SB5.4%vs5.0%
Minimal impact small model edge
ROOT FOR Dallas Cowboys over Green Bay Packers
+0.5 pts Division odds for New England Patriots in the preferred-result branch
See the simulation impact
If Dallas Cowboys wins31.9%Division odds
If Green Bay Packers wins31.5%Division odds
Playoffs88.8%vs89.2%
Division31.9%vs31.5%
#1 seed7.0%vs6.7%
Reach SB11.5%vs10.7%
Win SB5.3%vs5.1%
Minimal impact small model edge
ROOT FOR New Orleans Saints over New York Giants
+0.2 pts Playoff odds for New England Patriots in the preferred-result branch
See the simulation impact
If New Orleans Saints wins89.2%Playoff odds
If New York Giants wins89.0%Playoff odds
Playoffs89.2%vs89.0%
Division31.7%vs31.7%
#1 seed7.0%vs6.7%
Reach SB10.9%vs11.2%
Win SB5.0%vs5.3%
ALL 32 TEAMS

Top rooting interest at a glance

This server-rendered table gives every fan base’s strongest current outside-game rooting interest. Use the picker above for the full slate.

TeamRoot forAgainstImpact
ARIArizona Cardinals Los Angeles ChargersKansas City Chiefs+0.1 ptsPlayoff odds ATLAtlanta Falcons Philadelphia EaglesCarolina Panthers+7.4 ptsPlayoff odds BALBaltimore Ravens Tampa Bay BuccaneersPittsburgh Steelers+4.8 ptsDivision odds BUFBuffalo Bills New York JetsNew England Patriots+13.1 ptsDivision odds CARCarolina Panthers Chicago BearsAtlanta Falcons+6.7 ptsPlayoff odds CHIChicago Bears Denver BroncosSeattle Seahawks+3.6 ptsPlayoff odds CINCincinnati Bengals Cleveland BrownsBaltimore Ravens+6.7 ptsDivision odds CLECleveland Browns Kansas City ChiefsLos Angeles Chargers+3.6 ptsPlayoff odds DALDallas Cowboys New Orleans SaintsNew York Giants+5.9 ptsPlayoff odds DENDenver Broncos Los Angeles ChargersKansas City Chiefs+11.3 ptsDivision odds DETDetroit Lions Los Angeles ChargersKansas City Chiefs+2.8 ptsPlayoff odds GBGreen Bay Packers Arizona CardinalsLos Angeles Rams+5.3 ptsPlayoff odds HOUHouston Texans Seattle SeahawksDenver Broncos+4.4 ptsPlayoff odds INDIndianapolis Colts Buffalo BillsLas Vegas Raiders+3.7 ptsPlayoff odds JAXJacksonville Jaguars Las Vegas RaidersBuffalo Bills+8.7 ptsNo. 1 seed odds KCKansas City Chiefs Seattle SeahawksDenver Broncos+7.4 ptsDivision odds LVLas Vegas Raiders Tennessee TitansIndianapolis Colts+2.8 ptsPlayoff odds LACLos Angeles Chargers New York JetsNew England Patriots+0.1 ptsPlayoff odds LARLos Angeles Rams Atlanta FalconsChicago Bears+3.6 ptsPlayoff odds MIAMiami Dolphins Washington CommandersSan Francisco 49ers+0.1 ptsPlayoff odds MINMinnesota Vikings Washington CommandersSan Francisco 49ers+4.7 ptsNo. 1 seed odds NENew England Patriots Las Vegas RaidersBuffalo Bills+15.0 ptsDivision odds NONew Orleans Saints Los Angeles ChargersKansas City Chiefs+1.9 ptsPlayoff odds NYGNew York Giants Green Bay PackersDallas Cowboys+8.8 ptsDivision odds NYJNew York Jets Seattle SeahawksDenver Broncos+1.5 ptsPlayoff odds PHIPhiladelphia Eagles New Orleans SaintsNew York Giants+7.2 ptsPlayoff odds PITPittsburgh Steelers Cleveland BrownsBaltimore Ravens+3.1 ptsDivision odds SFSan Francisco 49ers Denver BroncosSeattle Seahawks+4.8 ptsDivision odds SEASeattle Seahawks Washington CommandersSan Francisco 49ers+5.4 ptsDivision odds TBTampa Bay Buccaneers Philadelphia EaglesCarolina Panthers+1.8 ptsPlayoff odds TENTennessee Titans Denver BroncosSeattle Seahawks+0.0 ptsPlayoff odds WASWashington Commanders Green Bay PackersDallas Cowboys+1.6 ptsPlayoff odds
WEEKLY ARCHIVE

Rooting guides change as the playoff picture changes

Saved weekly checkpoints let fans revisit what helped their team at that point in the season.

WHY THIS IS DIFFERENT

It measures the impact instead of guessing at rooting interests

For each unplayed Week 6 game, FSN looks at the season simulations where the away team won and the simulations where the home team won. Then it compares what happened to every other team’s playoff path.

The ranking gives playoff qualification the most weight for bubble teams. For strong contenders, division and No. 1 seed leverage becomes more important. Super Bowl paths remain a smaller secondary signal so the guide does not tell a 5–8 team to root for an exotic championship path instead of the result that actually helps it reach January.

Because these are Monte Carlo estimates, very small differences can move from refresh to refresh. FSN explicitly labels those as small or minimal rather than pretending a tenth of a percentage point is destiny.

FAQ

NFL rooting interests, explained

Why isn’t my team’s own game listed?

Because winning your own game is already the strongest direct way to improve your position. This tool answers the harder question: what should you want to happen everywhere else?

Does “+4.7 points” mean the result guarantees my playoff odds rise by exactly 4.7 points?

No. It is the difference between two conditional Monte Carlo branches in the current forecast. It is a useful estimate of leverage, not a guaranteed future update.

Will the rooting guide update after games are played?

Yes. The live guide follows the current unplayed slate. Weekly archive pages preserve the checkpoint from that week so later results do not rewrite what fans were supposed to root for beforehand.

NFL data via nflverse (CC BY 4.0) · College data via CollegeFootballData.com