Regardless of what happened on Thursday, I am thankful for a full slate of Sunday NFL games that I can watch from 1 p.m. ET until “Sunday Night Football” comes to a close around 11:30 p.m. ET. Covering the Detroit Lions exclusively makes it difficult to catch any other football happening, but in Week 2, I can literally catch action from all 16 games.
While it may be a little early to start thinking about the playoffs—especially after the game the Lions just played—the fact of the matter is that every
game counts, so why not start our rooting guide for the 2026 season while we get to watch all of the games Week 2 has to offer?
Here are the teams you should be rooting for while watching NFL football without the Lions this Sunday.
Note: I am skipping all AFC vs. AFC games, because they have no (or very little) bearing on the Lions’ playoff chances.
1 p.m. ET slate
Panthers (0-1) at Falcons (0-1)
Root for: Whoever. The Lions play the entire NFC South this year and can take care of business against either or both teams to win the tiebreaker. That division is currently winless, so there’s not much at stake here. But maybe peek in and see how the Panthers are doing since they’re Detroit’s Week 4 opponent.
Vikings (1-0) at Bears (1-0)
Root for: Vikings. Personally, I think the Bears are the biggest threat to win the NFC North, and they are certainly riding high after scoring a league-high 59 points in Week 1. It would be nice to have Brian Flores humble Caleb Williams and company, even if it means moving Minnesota to 2-0.
Eagles (1-0) at Titans (0-1)
Root for: Titans. Always root for AFC over NFC when it comes to playoff standings.
Packers (0-1) at Jets (1-0)
Root for: Jets. I don’t have to convince you of this one. FTP, always. Though it would be interesting to see how Week 3 plays out with an undefeated Jets team coming to Ford Field.
Browns (0-1) at Buccaneers (0-1)
Root for: Browns. AFC over NFC, but good luck rooting for a hapless Cleveland team.
Saints (0-1) at Ravens (1-0)
Root for: Ravens. While it would feel a little better if the Saints turned out to be a really good team, you still have to go AFC over NFC. I know the Lions already have the tiebreaker up on the Saints, but a Ravens win only hurts Detroit in the unlikely event a tiebreaker goes all the way to strength of victory.
4 p.m. ET slate
Commanders (0-1) at Cowboys (0-1) — 4:25 p.m. ET
Root for: Commanders. Personally, I think the Cowboys are the better team and the less likable. So give them the L. But there is certainly still some residual Commanders hate for the 2024 playoffs, so I wouldn’t judge you if you go the other way.
Seahawks (1-0) at Cardinals (1-0) — 4:25 p.m. ET
Root for: Cardinals. The Cardinals picked up one of the most unlikely Week 1 wins over the Chargers, but I’m not ready to be afraid of them. The returning Super Bowl champs, however, are still a big NFC threat.
Dolphins (0-1) at 49ers (1-0) — 4:25 p.m. ET
Root for: Dolphins. Miami is a 13.5-point underdog, so probably won’t matter how hard you root for this one, but it would be nice to see the 49ers melt down. They were my NFC Champion pick this year, and they looked impressive against the Rams in Week 1.
Monday Night Football
Giants (1-0) at Rams (0-1) — 8:15 p.m. ET
Root for: Giants. New York may be better than expected, but continue to root for the downfall of the “superteam” Rams. One, because it would be hilarious to watch the most hyped offseason team fall on its face. Two, because they still seem like the best of these two teams.
