NFL 2025 Survivor Pool Journey - Mapping Out The Season And Your Week 8 Pick
One more week down. While we had some wild ones pretty much everything went chalk on Sunday after Joe Flacco stung the Steelers on Thursday Night Football. Denver coming back to score 33 in the 4th quarter to beat the Giants would have been a nice little chunk taken off for me and Arizona had a chance to do the same all within the same time frame in the late slate. But not to be. Time to tighten up the ship, because we are in this for the long haul (hopefully).
Quick check-in with where we're at through Week 7.
Tennessee got the blood going a little bit to start the Week, but that ended up being a nice easy breezy Sunday. Let's see what our options are now for Week 8.
BENGALS vs Jets
What a difference a couple weeks makes. The Bengals go from the surefire "play against them every week" team with Browning to now being a team I think some people might actually pick this week. Joe Flacco still got it. And he's never had a receiving crew like he does now. This could really be a sneaky pick for a team you had no plans for.
But wait.
What about the other Joe? He's still coming back, right? I believe he's set for a mid-December return. Which doesn't leave much room for dilly dally when he does. But they end the season after this time frame with the Dolphins, Cardinals, and Browns. And if we're trying to go the distance here, we might be wise to wait on this one.
FALCONS vs Dolphins
Falcons seem like home team to me. A rough outing out in San Francisco in Week 7 might scare some off too. But the Dolphins are just absolutely unravelling. I don't know what else there is to say. This team quit. Tua is awful. And Quinn Ewers is too. We might have a new leader in the club house for team to target every week.
BUCCANEERS at Saints
The Bucs got absolutely beat up in Detroit Monday night and lost Mike Evans once again. Things were looking really good for the team overall though and this might be the little ass kicking they needed to step it up a level. Then again it is a division game. Even if it's the Saints.
CHIEFS vs Commanders
The Chiefs are fully back. They might even be back to the point that they're almost a free space in our pocket to use whenever we are ready for it. And this week certainly seems like a week you can cash that in with Jayden Daniels out on a soft roster for the Commanders. Certainly doesn't hurt that over half the entries left last week picked the Chiefs either. Very much considering this one.
49ERS at Texans
Someone needs to do something about the travesty going on in Houston. This is an elite defense going to absolute waste from a wilting CJ Stroud. I always wondered about him his rookie year seeing how elite his offensive line was. I think we're seeing what happens now when they're not elite. I have the same thoughts on Jordan Love which makes me kick myself for taking the Packers with my other entry vs the Browns earlier this year.
The 49ers are rounding into form themselves. But I think Kittle might need another week or two before this team gets back to it's best self.
The Pick!
FALCONS vs Dolphins
Ugly game for the Falcons in San Francisco. Let's use that to our advantage and hope we don't get too many that see this as a week to pick a team we might not have much else use for. It's easy to fall into the trap of picking a team like KC or San Francisco who you have confidence in getting you through another week, but you have to assume you'll need to pretty much make through the entire season if you want a chance at your leagues #1 jackpot prize.
The Bengals seem like a good team to use this theory with until you remember Joe Burrow will be back and they have a cupcake schedule to end the season as we discussed. Joe Flacco is fun as hell. But he's capable of anything. ANYTHING. Let's hold this card too.
Spent some time reworking the rest of season road map. Easily the funnest part of doing these survivor pool picks. Like a general moving pieces around in the war room. We still have some good picks in our bag here: KC, Philly, Seattle, LA Rams, Green Bay, Tampa Bay, and perhaps later on Baltimore and San Francisco as they round into form.
Here's what I ended on.
See you on the other side. Or maybe not.