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NFL Survivor Pool Picks and Advice: Week 5

by Chris Vasile - 10/7/2020

Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott

We are now into the “second quarter” of the NFL season (if you will), and from here on out the opportunities to lock in a very confident Survivor Pool pick are few and far between. I’m sure by now you’ve used a couple of the good teams like Kansas City, Baltimore, Seattle or even Buffalo, which leaves you scratching your head on which direction to go next. For starters, if you’re still alive in your pool, congratulations. I believe it’s time to shift the focus from picking which teams will win because they are good, to which teams will lose because they are bad. Teams like the Jets, Falcons, Jags, Texans, Giants and Dolphins are prime candidates to fade each and every week, as these six teams will likely make up the top-six in next year’s draft.

For those of you who are reading this and are unsure what a survivor pool is, or are new to the survivor pool world, give this piece a quick read as it’ll break down what it is and offer up a few strategies on how to navigate the season.

As far as last week’s selections went, we hit another 11 winners, including our top six plays, with just Detroit losing to New Orleans for seven in a row. Let’s try and go perfect this week. These survivor plays ranked from strongest to weakest for Week 5 of the National Football League Season. The team I list first is my selection.

Dallas Cowboys over New York Giants: Normally when a team gives up 49 points and looses by 11, you’re not supposed to back them the following week. Well, the Cowboys couldn’t have played any worse, yet were in the game trailing by three points with just under four minutes left to play. The Cowboys offense will score points. And if they allow the Giants’ pathetic offense to duplicate what the Browns did, well than the joke is on me. Cowboys bounce back and win this game.

Seattle Seahawks over Minnesota Vikings: Many people thought that last week’s game vs the Dolphins was a trap for the Seahawks. They shot that down and then some, putting up 31 points in an eight-point victory. Now they get to take on a banged-up Vikings squad at home. The Seahawks should have no troubles with that as they march toward 5-0.

Kansas City Chiefs over Las Vegas Raiders: The Chiefs played pretty much as bad as they could on offense on Monday but still covered a double-digit spread. Now they take on a Raiders team who travels across the country for this one after getting torched by Buffalo. The Chiefs will roll in this one.

Carolina Panthers over Atlanta Falcons: Don’t look now, but the Panthers are 2-2 and just one game back of the division lead. They’ve played some great football over the last two weeks and now get to take on an 0-4 Falcons team who just have no momentum whatsoever. Panthers pull off the upset and get above .500.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers over Chicago Bears: We are never a fan of taking Thursday games, which is why this is a bit lower down the list. However, the Bucs and their high-powered offense should handle the lethargic Bears offense. Even with Nick Foles, the Bears looked slow and uninterested on offense. And once they fall behind the Bucs, there will be no catching up.

Baltimore Ravens over Cincinnati Bengals: If you somehow managed to avoid using the Ravens through four weeks, congratulations. You know get to use them against a Bengals team they should beat with ease. The Ravens returned to their winning ways last week with a dominant effort against Washington, while Cincy got by a bad Jacksonville team. Order is restored here, and the Bengals another notch in the L column.

Los Angeles Rams over Washington: We gave out the Rams as our top play last week, and they made easy work of the Giants despite a 17-9 score line. If you decided to go with the Packers or Ravens, the Rams would make a great pick against a Washington team already playing out the remaining 12 games of the season.

New Orleans Saints over Las Angeles Chargers: If you’re a Chargers fan, I feel for you. There hasn’t been a season I can remember that hasn’t had major injury issues or terrible luck. This year, it’s the former, and it’ll be almost impossible for you to make the postseason. The Saints played a good game (minus the opening two drives) and beat Detroit emphatically despite the close score line. Saints roll in this one at home.

Cleveland Browns over Indianapolis Colts: The absence of Nick Chubb is going to be felt, but the Browns offense has shown enough pop to make me think they can ride Kareem Hunt and still maintain their scoring prowess. The Colts benefitted from playing a brutal Bears team last week. And with this being their second straight road game, we’ll take Cleveland who should be amped for this home game.

Denver Broncos over New England Patriots: If anyone other than Cam Newton starts under center for the Patriots, the Broncos have every chance to win this game. Both Hoyer and Stidham were brutal last week vs. the Chiefs, while Brett Rypien actually looked serviceable (albeit against the Jets). If Newton is under center, the Patriots win this game. I suggest staying far away from this one.

San Francisco 49ers over Miami Dolphins: Similar to the Patriots game, the problem with this game is we don’t really know who is going to be in the lineup for the Niners. They have so many injuries that the books haven’t even put out a line. We know Fitzpatrick is starting again for the Dolphins, but we can’t see the Niners losing two straight games at home and falling below .500.

Tennessee Titans over Buffalo Bills: If this game gets the green light, it’s going to be one of the best games of the week. I like the Titans here as it’s a great situational spot for them, as they are rested off a “bye” (Covid week), while the Bills will be playing their second straight road game after an emotional win in Vegas. Titans grab the win in this one.

Arizona Cardinals over New York Jets: After what we saw last week with both of these teams, we’ll bury this game in the sand and forget about it. The Cardinals should be better than what they are, while the Jets are just the Jets. I’m only suggesting the Cardinals because on paper they have more playmakers. Please don’t pick this game.

Pittsburgh Steelers over Philadelphia Eagles: I’ve seen enough Steelers games to know that this is a game they should win but likely find a way to lose. The defense should be able to handle the Philly offense and get to Wentz, but I’m not convinced the offense can dominant the Eagles defense. Much better games on the board to choose from.

Jacksonville Jaguars over Houston Texans: I’m picking the Jaguars over the Texans for the sole reason being the Texans are a disaster. They are wasting away Deshaun Watson’s best years and the final handful of J.J Watt’s career. The Jags are no better, but at least they didn’t just fire their head coach/general manager.

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