NFL Survivor Picks for Week 1: Can We Trust the Bengals at Home?

The best advice for competing in a Survivor Pool in Week 1 is just to make it to Week 2. You don’t want to put your money into a Survivor Pool only to be out before you close your swimming pool.

This is not the time to try to be the smartest person in the room and play an underdog who could pull off the upset. This is when you take a team that’s a big favorite.

Let’s look at teams that can get you through Week 1 in the NFL.

Week 1 NFL Survivor Picks

Los Angeles Chargers (vs. Arizona Cardinals)

The Chargers will likely be the week's most popular pick because of the lopsided matchup. Los Angeles will be a playoff contender, with most of the top stars returning on both sides of the ball.

This might be the best week to take the Chargers because they go through a gauntlet later in the year, with a stretch against the Bills, Seahawks, Broncos, Chiefs, Rams, Texans and Ravens.

This week they play the Cardinals, who will likely contend for the No. 1 overall pick. Rookie head coach Mike LaFleur is learning a new job, and journeyman quarterback Jacoby Brissett is learning a new offense.

This was also an Arizona defense that ranked 29th in points allowed per game (28.7) and 27th in yards allowed per game (357.7).

Picking against the Cardinals could be a great strategy this season, and starting with the Chargers this week is a solid call.

Jacksonville Jaguars (vs. Cleveland Browns)

The Jaguars are coming off their best season with Trevor Lawrence as their quarterback, which includes an AFC South title.
It's a great idea to play them this week because they are on a first-place schedule, and picking them later in the season will be riskier. This season, they have seven games against teams that made the playoffs last season.

The Browns aren’t one of those teams and likely won't make the playoffs. There isn’t much confidence in Deshaun Watson at quarterback, with him only throwing for 162 yards, zero touchdowns, one interception, and a 59.2% completion rate in two preseason games. On the defensive side, the loss of Myles Garrett and his single-season NFL record of 23.5 sacks will leave a huge hole in what was an average defense last season.

Oddsmakers love the Jaguars even more since the Browns announced Watson as the starter, moving Jacksonville’s odds from 7.5-point favorites to 8.5-point favorites.

Cincinnati Bengals (vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers)

Recently, the Bengals have been in decline. Over their last three seasons, they were 25-30 and finished third or worse in the AFC North. Injuries have been a huge reason for the team’s lack of success, especially with Joe Burrow missing 16 games over the past three seasons.

When this team is healthy, especially on offense, they can compete with anyone. Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase are two of the top players at their positions, and Tee Higgins would be the leading receiver on most teams.

What could make the Bengals a true contender is the improvement on defense. They overhauled their defensive personnel and added talent. They traded for Giants DT Dexter Lawrence and signed former Vikings DT Jonathan Allen and former Seahawks edge rusher Boye Mafe. If the Bengals' defense lives up to its talent, this could be a dangerous team.

The Bengals are hosting the Buccaneers, who had a turbulent offseason. It began with the loss of longtime wide receiver Mike Evans. Now, Baker Mayfield will likely rely on second-year Emeka Egbuka and the injury-prone Chris Godwin as his top two options.

The Bucs’ biggest concern is their pass defense, as they ranked 25th in passing yards allowed per game last year (238.2). This offseason, they lost their best defensive back, Jamel Dean, and their secondary could struggle against Burrow's above-average passing ability.