Well, that escalated quickly.
The NFL survivor pool suddenly has a lot more space to swim after Week 1, thanks to a meltdown by the Los Angeles Chargers against the Arizona Cardinals that no one saw coming. Turns out, the “Chargering” brand was stronger than we gave it credit for.
In other words, congratulations are in order if you were one of the lucky ones who lived to fight another week. Now the real fun begins.
Join USA TODAY's NFL Survivor Pool (free to play)
You have just 31 teams left to pick and a bunch of evidence from Week 1 – with a fair amount of it being misleading. So the question is, who should you believe in?
Here are our picks for your survivor pool for Week 2 of the 2026 NFL season and, while you're at it, join our free-to-play
USA TODAY NFL Survivor Pool.
NFL survivor picks Week 2
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (vs. Cleveland Browns)
The Browns are proving to be the survivor pool equivalent of a free space. After getting demolished by the Jaguars in Week 1, Cleveland now heads back to the Florida heat to play on the opposite coast of the “Sunshine State.”
Tampa will be eager to avoid an 0-2 start, even in a division that seemingly no one wants to win. Turnover issues plagued Baker Mayfield’s team in the opener, but the Bucs still hung around against a potential Super Bowl contender like the Bengals. There’s no need to overthink it when Deshaun Watson is getting another start. Ride the wave while you can, especially with a Bucs team that might not be of use further down the road.
Philadelphia Eagles (at Tennessee Titans)
If the NFL had relegation like soccer leagues in Europe, the Titans would be a lock to go down. Tennessee struggled in all three phases against the Jets, who made the trip to Nashville and dominated their former coach. The early returns on the Robert Saleh and Brian Daboll-led group aren’t promising, especially with Cam Ward showing no real sign of a second-year leap. He avoided costly turnovers in the Titans’ opener, but he also didn’t do anything to move the ball downfield. Essentially, nothing happened for the quarterback and that might be worse than if he was putting the ball in harm's way.
Couple that with a fanbase that is already fed up and this is a recipe for disaster. The Eagles fans will likely take over Nissan Stadium, creating a home environment for the visitors. After Philly’s cruise control in Week 1 almost backfired, the Eagles will leave no doubt in Week 2.
San Francisco 49ers (vs. Miami Dolphins)
It is going to be a long year for the Dolphins. After being dominated by the Raiders in Week 1, Miami gets a second straight game out west, this time against the Niners. San Francisco’s trip to Australia was a resounding success, barely breaking a sweat against the Rams – a team that many already crowned as the Super Bowl champions.
This game is a mismatch on paper and in reality. Some will point out the “any given Sunday” nature of the NFL, but the Dolphins only have a chance if the Niners are still sleeping. And even that might not be enough.
Kansas City Chiefs (vs. Indianapolis Colts)
Jonathan Taylor’s touchdown on the opening drive might’ve been the high point of the Colts season. A missed extra point immediately followed and the Colts were outscored 41-17 the rest of the way. Indy gave up 150 receiving yards to Zay Flowers in the first half before the receiver exited with an injury. Indy also gave up four rushing touchdowns, including three to Derrick Henry – who totaled 144 rushing yards for the day.
None of that is good news against a Chiefs team that did all its damage on the ground against one of the league's top defenses. If Kenneth Walker III could post 173 rushing yards and a touchdown against the Broncos, imagine what he’ll do to the Colts. Kansas City is in a completely different weight class and should expect another blowout victory, this time against what might be the league's worst team.
Best NFL survivor pool pick this week
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
For the risk-averse crowd, we won’t fault you for siding with one of the other three teams on this list. However, there is no clear spot for us to trust the Bucs again this season. Our time fading Watson as the Browns starter could be limited and we’re going to take full advantage.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Best NFL survivor pool picks Week 2: Which team should you trust?
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