How does the FSN NFL rooting guide work?

FSN measures how each other game in the current week changes a team’s simulated playoff, division, No. 1 seed and Super Bowl outcomes, then ranks the results that help most.

Why is my team’s own game not included?

Winning your own game is already the most direct way to improve your position. The rooting guide focuses on the other games fans should care about.

Do NFL rooting interests change every week?

Yes. Rooting interests rebuild with the FSN season forecast as standings, tiebreak paths and game probabilities change. Weekly snapshots preserve the pre-week picture.

2026 NFL · WEEK 2 · FSN-ROOT-1.0

NFL Week 2 Rooting Guide: Who Should Every Team Root For?

Pick your team for Week 2. 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.

Playoff Control Center →Playoff Predictor →Game Simulator →

PICK YOUR TEAM

Who should you root for in Week 2?

Team

WEEK 2 ROOTING INTERESTS

Baltimore Ravens fans: here’s who to root for

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

Current playoff odds90.1%11 meaningful outside-game impacts

Huge impact Sun 1:00 PM ET

PITPittsburgh Steelers @ NENew England Patriots

ROOT FOR New England Patriots over Pittsburgh Steelers

+6.7 pts Division odds for Baltimore Ravens in the preferred-result branch

See the simulation impact

If New England Patriots wins69.5%Division odds

If Pittsburgh Steelers wins62.8%Division odds

Playoffs89.9%vs90.5%

Division69.5%vs62.8%

#1 seed22.8%vs22.2%

Reach SB19.6%vs20.0%

Win SB10.6%vs10.2%

High impact Thu 8:15 PM ET

DETDetroit Lions @ BUFBuffalo Bills

ROOT FOR Detroit Lions over Buffalo Bills

+3.9 pts No. 1 seed odds for Baltimore Ravens in the preferred-result branch

See the simulation impact

If Detroit Lions wins25.1%No. 1 seed odds

If Buffalo Bills wins21.2%No. 1 seed odds

Playoffs90.7%vs89.8%

Division67.7%vs66.9%

#1 seed25.1%vs21.2%

Reach SB20.2%vs19.6%

Win SB11.3%vs10.0%

High impact Sun 1:00 PM ET

CINCincinnati Bengals @ HOUHouston Texans

ROOT FOR Houston Texans over Cincinnati Bengals

+3.1 pts Division odds for Baltimore Ravens in the preferred-result branch

See the simulation impact

If Houston Texans wins68.3%Division odds

If Cincinnati Bengals wins65.2%Division odds

Playoffs89.7%vs90.8%

Division68.3%vs65.2%

#1 seed22.6%vs22.4%

Reach SB19.6%vs20.1%

Win SB10.6%vs10.1%

High impact Sun 4:25 PM ET

MIAMiami Dolphins @ SFSan Francisco 49ers

ROOT FOR Miami Dolphins over San Francisco 49ers

+3.2 pts No. 1 seed odds for Baltimore Ravens in the preferred-result branch

See the simulation impact

If Miami Dolphins wins25.1%No. 1 seed odds

If San Francisco 49ers wins21.9%No. 1 seed odds

Playoffs90.1%vs90.1%

Division66.8%vs67.3%

#1 seed25.1%vs21.9%

Reach SB19.9%vs19.8%

Win SB10.3%vs10.5%

Meaningful impact Mon 8:15 PM ET

NYGNew York Giants @ LARLos Angeles Rams

ROOT FOR New York Giants over Los Angeles Rams

+1.7 pts No. 1 seed odds for Baltimore Ravens in the preferred-result branch

See the simulation impact

If New York Giants wins23.6%No. 1 seed odds

If Los Angeles Rams wins21.9%No. 1 seed odds

Playoffs90.5%vs89.9%

Division67.6%vs66.9%

#1 seed23.6%vs21.9%

Reach SB20.4%vs19.4%

Win SB11.6%vs9.7%

Meaningful impact small model edge Sun 8:20 PM ET

INDIndianapolis Colts @ KCKansas City Chiefs

ROOT FOR Kansas City Chiefs over Indianapolis Colts

+1.6 pts Division odds for Baltimore Ravens in the preferred-result branch

See the simulation impact

If Kansas City Chiefs wins67.8%Division odds

If Indianapolis Colts wins66.2%Division odds

Playoffs90.6%vs89.3%

Division67.8%vs66.2%

#1 seed22.4%vs22.8%

Reach SB20.0%vs19.4%

Win SB10.4%vs10.5%

Meaningful impact small model edge Sun 1:00 PM ET

GBGreen Bay Packers @ NYJNew York Jets

ROOT FOR Green Bay Packers over New York Jets

+1.1 pts Division odds for Baltimore Ravens in the preferred-result branch

See the simulation impact

If Green Bay Packers wins67.7%Division odds

If New York Jets wins66.6%Division odds

Playoffs90.3%vs89.9%

Division67.7%vs66.6%

#1 seed22.3%vs22.9%

Reach SB19.9%vs19.7%

Win SB11.1%vs9.7%

Meaningful impact small model edge Sun 1:00 PM ET

MINMinnesota Vikings @ CHIChicago Bears

ROOT FOR Minnesota Vikings over Chicago Bears

+1.2 pts No. 1 seed odds for Baltimore Ravens in the preferred-result branch

See the simulation impact

If Minnesota Vikings wins23.3%No. 1 seed odds

If Chicago Bears wins22.1%No. 1 seed odds

Playoffs90.2%vs90.1%

Division67.8%vs66.9%

#1 seed23.3%vs22.1%

Reach SB18.9%vs20.3%

Win SB9.3%vs11.1%

Meaningful impact small model edge Sun 4:05 PM ET

JAXJacksonville Jaguars @ DENDenver Broncos

ROOT FOR Denver Broncos over Jacksonville Jaguars

+1.4 pts No. 1 seed odds for Baltimore Ravens in the preferred-result branch

See the simulation impact

If Denver Broncos wins23.4%No. 1 seed odds

If Jacksonville Jaguars wins22.0%No. 1 seed odds

Playoffs89.7%vs90.4%

Division66.8%vs67.4%

#1 seed23.4%vs22.0%

Reach SB20.7%vs19.2%

Win SB10.6%vs10.4%

Meaningful impact Sun 1:00 PM ET

CARCarolina Panthers @ ATLAtlanta Falcons

ROOT FOR Carolina Panthers over Atlanta Falcons

+1.5 pts Super Bowl trip odds for Baltimore Ravens in the preferred-result branch

See the simulation impact

If Carolina Panthers wins20.4%Super Bowl trip odds

If Atlanta Falcons wins18.9%Super Bowl trip odds

Playoffs90.2%vs90.0%

Division67.2%vs67.2%

#1 seed22.4%vs22.7%

Reach SB20.4%vs18.9%

Win SB10.7%vs10.1%

Meaningful impact Sun 4:25 PM ET

WASWashington Commanders @ DALDallas Cowboys

ROOT FOR Dallas Cowboys over Washington Commanders

+1.6 pts No. 1 seed odds for Baltimore Ravens in the preferred-result branch

See the simulation impact

If Dallas Cowboys wins23.2%No. 1 seed odds

If Washington Commanders wins21.6%No. 1 seed odds

Playoffs90.0%vs90.2%

Division66.7%vs67.9%

#1 seed23.2%vs21.6%

Reach SB20.3%vs19.0%

Win SB10.6%vs10.2%

Small edge small model edge Sun 4:25 PM ET

SEASeattle Seahawks @ ARIArizona Cardinals

ROOT FOR Seattle Seahawks over Arizona Cardinals

+0.8 pts Playoff odds for Baltimore Ravens in the preferred-result branch

See the simulation impact

If Seattle Seahawks wins90.4%Playoff odds

If Arizona Cardinals wins89.6%Playoff odds

Playoffs90.4%vs89.6%

Division67.2%vs67.2%

#1 seed22.8%vs22.1%

Reach SB20.2%vs19.1%

Win SB10.7%vs10.0%

Small edge small model edge Sun 4:05 PM ET

LVLas Vegas Raiders @ LACLos Angeles Chargers

ROOT FOR Los Angeles Chargers over Las Vegas Raiders

+0.7 pts Playoff odds for Baltimore Ravens in the preferred-result branch

See the simulation impact

If Los Angeles Chargers wins90.4%Playoff odds

If Las Vegas Raiders wins89.7%Playoff odds

Playoffs90.4%vs89.7%

Division67.4%vs66.9%

#1 seed22.6%vs22.6%

Reach SB20.0%vs19.4%

Win SB10.4%vs10.5%

Small edge small model edge Sun 1:00 PM ET

PHIPhiladelphia Eagles @ TENTennessee Titans

ROOT FOR Tennessee Titans over Philadelphia Eagles

+0.8 pts Division odds for Baltimore Ravens in the preferred-result branch

See the simulation impact

If Tennessee Titans wins67.8%Division odds

If Philadelphia Eagles wins66.9%Division odds

Playoffs89.9%vs90.2%

Division67.8%vs66.9%

#1 seed22.4%vs22.6%

Reach SB19.6%vs19.9%

Win SB10.0%vs10.7%

Small edge small model edge Sun 1:00 PM ET

CLECleveland Browns @ TBTampa Bay Buccaneers

ROOT FOR Tampa Bay Buccaneers over Cleveland Browns

+0.8 pts Division odds for Baltimore Ravens in the preferred-result branch

See the simulation impact

If Tampa Bay Buccaneers wins67.5%Division odds

If Cleveland Browns wins66.7%Division odds

Playoffs89.9%vs90.5%

Division67.5%vs66.7%

#1 seed22.5%vs22.6%

Reach SB19.5%vs20.4%

Win SB10.4%vs10.5%

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

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.

Week 1 →Week 2 →Week 3 →Week 4 →Week 5 →Week 6 →

WHY THIS IS DIFFERENT

It measures the impact instead of guessing at rooting interests

For each unplayed Week 2 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.