There is no wrong way to pick an NFL team for your survivor league. Hours of analyzing matchups to coordinate the perfect selection synergy to optimize your options for every week can all be thrown out the window if the New England Patriots upset the Cincinnati Bengals in the season opener.
After taking a closer look at all 272 games on the schedule for the 2024 NFL season, here are the top weeks you should consider for every team in the league for your upcoming survivor league.
Top Weeks To Select Every Team in Survivor Leagues
Arizona Cardinals
- Week 4 vs. Washington Commanders
- Week 15 vs. New England Patriots
The Arizona Cardinals’ outlook entering the 2024 NFL season has drastically improved compared to last year with the stability of Kyler Murray under center and the multitude of young prospects added via the 2024 NFL Draft — headlined by Marvin Harrison Jr. at No. 4 overall.
The Cardinals actually ranked 12th against opposing passing attacks last year but dead last against opposing rushing attacks. Both the Washington Commanders and New England Patriots’ passing attacks are set to be a work in progress this season and don’t have the type of elite rushing attacks that could exploit the biggest weakness Arizona’s defense showcased last year.
Picking the Cardinals for these two home matchups against non-divisional opponents feels like a sound strategy entering the 2024 NFL season.
Atlanta Falcons
- Week 7 vs. Seattle Seahawks
- Week 16 vs. New York Giants
The addition of a veteran quarterback (Kirk Cousins), a new head coach (Raheem Morris), and a new offensive coordinator (Zac Robinson) has prompted Vegas to set the Atlanta Falcons’ win total at 9.5 entering the 2024 NFL season, which is the highest mark of any NFC South team.
The Seattle Seahawks traveling across the country to play in Atlanta feels like an opportunity for the Falcons to put up some points against a defense that finished in the bottom half of the league against opposing passing attacks (22nd) and ground games (31st) last year.
Additionally, the New York Giants’ pass rush may be formidable, but I don’t see New York being able to generate points on the road to outscore the Falcons on their home turf with Atlanta likely vying for a playoff spot in Week 16.
Baltimore Ravens
- Week 6 vs. Washington Commanders
- Week 10 vs. Denver Broncos
The Baltimore Ravens’ outstanding 2023 campaign makes them a team many survivor-league managers can count on for an automatic win in the right situation.
Lamar Jackson has an incredible 20-3 record against NFC opponents, which makes his Week 6 showdown at home against the Commanders feel like an absolute no-brainer.
Their matchup against the Las Vegas Raiders in Baltimore in Week 2 feels like another solid option, but I would prefer to deploy them at home in Week 9 against the Denver Broncos, who should be starting a rookie quarterback at that point. Denver’s defense gave up an average of 137.1 yards per game last year and could be susceptible to both Jackson and Derrick Henry going off.
Buffalo Bills
- Week 7 vs. Tennessee Titans
- Week 16 vs. New England Patriots
The Buffalo Bills’ offense may be in search of its next leading receiver, but this unit should still manage enough points to handle its business at home against a pair of offenses projected to be among the lowest-scoring units in the league in 2024.
The Bills’ offense ranked fourth last year in both expected points added (EPA) at 76.57 and time of possession margin at 3:34, which could overwhelm these two teams expected to rely on young quarterbacks manufacturing offensive production against one of the most underrated defensive units in the league.
The Buffalo defense was dominant at home last season, allowing just 16.2 points per game to opponents. Unless Will Levis or Drake Maye end up being far better than expected, Josh Allen should be able to put up enough points on these two squads to make them a chalky pick for these two weeks.
Carolina Panthers
- Week 10 vs. New York Giants
- Week 16 vs. Arizona Cardinals
This exercise requires me to provide you with two picks for each team for your survivor league. That doesn’t mean you should choose a bad team like the Carolina Panthers if you don’t have better options.
Sure, there can be some room for optimism with new head coach Dave Canales and a plethora of additions on the offensive side of the ball with Jonathon Brooks, Xavier Legette, and Diontae Johnson joining the mix — but trusting the Panthers in any given week still feels like a risky venture.
The New York Giants’ offense simply doesn’t put fear into opponents because of its lack of talent outside of Malik Nabers, which makes this one of the best chances for the Panthers to snag a win at home in 2024.
Additionally, the Cardinals don’t have a ton of exciting options at receiver outside of Harrison — who could potentially be slowed down by CB Jaycee Horn in their Week 16 showdown against the Cardinals in Charlotte, N.C.
Chicago Bears
- Week 5 vs. Carolina Panthers
- Week 10 vs. New England Patriots
The Chicago Bears have one of the most intriguing offenses on paper entering the 2024 NFL season. The collection of DJ Moore, Keenan Allen, Rome Odunze, Cole Kmet, and D’Andre Swift gives rookie Caleb Williams an embarrassment of riches to distribute the ball to in his first year in the league.
Additionally, the Bears’ defense appears to be trending in the right direction with cornerstones like Montez Sweat, Tremaine Edmunds, T.J. Edwards, Jaquan Brisker, and Jaylon Johnson at key positions.
The low expectations for the Panthers and New England Patriots’ offensive units make for an intriguing pair of games at Soldier Field where the Bears’ defense could make life difficult for their young quarterbacks. That would also allow Chicago’s offense to have a defined role by this point of the season, providing a favorable enough outlook to make them a reasonable survivor option these weeks.
Cincinnati Bengals
- Week 1 vs. New England Patriots
- Week 3 vs. Washington Commanders
The Cincinnati Bengals have traditionally been a team that has gotten off to slow starts with Joe Burrow under center. Yet, two of their first three matchups should provide this franchise with an opportunity to get off to a fast start in 2024.
They will face off against teams picked to finish inside the top three of the 2024 NFL Draft in the Patriots and Commanders. Potentially both of these teams could be starting rookie quarterbacks making the first road starts of their NFL careers against a playoff-caliber opponent.
I would be shocked if the Pats come into Cincinnati with either Maye or Jacoby Brissett under center and upset the Bengals to start the year. Commanders QB Jayden Daniels does have a Lamar Jackson-type skill set as a runner — which has given defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo fits in the past — but I don’t see Washington’s secondary being able to slow down Ja’Marr Chase or Tee Higgins enough to pull off the upset.
Cleveland Browns
- Week 3 vs. New York Giants
- Week 5 at Washington Commanders
The Cleveland Browns’ defense flirted with being historically dominant at home in 2023. They allowed just 13.9 points per game and 215.9 yards per game in the Dawg Pound last year — both of which ranked first in the NFL.
This makes the Giants’ chances of scoring more than 17 points with Daniel Jones under center in Week 3 highly unlikely and the Browns a great survivor option that week.
Additionally, Cleveland’s defense gave Jackson issues last season, forcing six sacks and two interceptions through two showdowns with last year’s league MVP. If the Browns can frustrate Jackson, they could certainly give Commanders rookie QB Daniels all kinds of issues too in Week 5.
Dallas Cowboys
- Week 13 vs. New York Giants
- Week 16 vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Dallas Cowboys were one of the most reliable survivor pick performers of the 2023 NFL season. Their high-scoring offense and dominance at home make them a team that is easy to trust if you are in a pinch.
Unfortunately, the Cowboys don’t have a ton of favorable options at home early in the 2024 season. Their matchup against New Orleans in Week 2 feels like an option, but the Saints were actually a pretty dangerous team on the road last year and boast a formidable passing defense.
Personally, I’d rather hold onto the Cowboys until the back half of the year when they have the Giants at home — who they have beaten the last five years straight in Jerry World — and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers — who could have major issues pressuring Dak Prescott and slowing down CeeDee Lamb in Week 16.
Denver Broncos
- Week 2 vs. Pittsburgh Steelers
- Week 8 vs. Carolina Panthers
No matter what you think about the Denver Broncos’ offense entering the 2024 season, one can usually admit this team can be a handful to deal with at Empower Field at Mile High.
Denver averaged three more points per game at home in 2023 and still has schematic guru Sean Payton calling the shots for rookie quarterback Bo Nix, who showcased an outstanding ability to get the ball out of his hands quickly over his final two years at Oregon.
Their Week 8 matchup against the Panthers feels like a bit of a no-brainer due to Bryce Young’s struggles last year.
And the potential matchup of Russell Wilson returning to Denver as the starting quarterback of the Pittsburgh Steelers feels like a chance for the organization to prove it made the right choice parting ways this offseason.
It also doesn’t hurt that Patrick Surtain II can be tasked with checking George Pickens in coverage, who projects as the lone receiving threat on the roster entering the 2024 season.
Detroit Lions
- Week 4 vs. Seattle Seahawks
- Week 8 vs. Tennessee Titans
The Detroit Lions are a real contender to lead the league in total points scored this season. Detroit averaged 29.9 points per game at Ford Field last year and will be returning the majority of its main core on the offensive side of the football.
This bodes well for a matchup against a pair of defenses that allowed more than 350 yards and 23 points per game on the road in 2023.
Additionally, both of these offensive units are likely to be a work in progress in comparison to the high-powered Lions unit. Both attempted to address the offensive line this offseason, but I could see Aidan Hutchinson having a major impact on both of these contests.
Green Bay Packers
- Week 6 vs. Arizona Cardinals
- Week 16 vs. New Orleans Saints
The Green Bay Packers’ young collection of playmakers around Jordan Love and their strong postseason outings make this a team that feels like a reliable option for survivor managers entering the season.
Unfortunately, many of their matchups at Lambeau Field are simply a bit riskier than I would like to admit. They face the Indianapolis Colts, Houston Texans, San Francisco 49ers, and Miami Dolphins as some of their non-divisional home games in 2024.
Yet, the Cardinals and Saints do come to Green Bay this season. These two teams both have a clear-cut top receiver (Harrison and Chris Olave) with some uninspiring ancillary options. Jaire Alexander is capable of giving opposing receivers some issues, which could make it a tough task to keep up with Love in these matchups.
Houston Texans
- Week 2 vs. Chicago Bears
- Week 6 at New England Patriots
Some may find it a bit unwise to poke the bear this early in the season by recommending the Houston Texans as a survivor option against, well, the Bears (pun intended), but this will be Williams’ first road start of his career against a secondary that features Derek Stingley Jr., Jimmie Ward, and Jalen Pitre.
Normally, I don’t like to suggest picking teams who are on the road unless I absolutely have to, but I don’t see the Patriots being able to score with the Texans when their main strength as an offense is to run the ball. The Texans gave up an average of just 101.5 rushing yards per game — the eighth-lowest mark in the league last year.
Indianapolis Colts
- Week 13 at New England Patriots
- Week 17 at New York Giants
One common theme you are probably recognizing is the continued recommendation of playing the Patriots, Giants, or Panthers.
Look, if you want to be a contrarian and pick the Kansas City Chiefs over the Baltimore Ravens to start the year because you just want to select the best NFL team available every week … that is your right. There is no wrong way to play survivor.
However, I like to heavily target teams that I believe are going to struggle to win football consistently.
In this case, the Indianapolis Colts have the good fortune of playing both the Giants and Patriots this year — this makes them a rare case study where I believe both of their optimal survivor games are taking place on the road in 2024.
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Week 7 vs. New England Patriots
- Week 10 vs. Minnesota Vikings
The collapse we saw from the Jacksonville Jaguars last year makes this team an interesting survivor option this year. Replacing Calvin Ridley and Zay Jones with Brian Thomas Jr. and Gabe Davis will turn out to be an upgrade, I believe, and potentially allow Trevor Lawrence to hit more chunk plays down the field in 2024.
That all being said, their matchups against the Patriots and Minnesota Vikings in the middle of the year should ensure that this offense is operating at full capacity with the new pieces fully integrated into the scheme by this point.
The Vikings and Patriots blitzed at the first- and fourth-highest rates in the league last year, respectively, which will create an abundance of chances for Lawrence to punish these aggressive schemes with the new vertical playmakers at his disposal.
Kansas City Chiefs
- Week 9 vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Week 12 at Carolina Panthers
Quite frankly, you could list almost every game on the schedule for the Chiefs and I would find nothing wrong with picking them against any team in the league. However, I prefer to mitigate risks whenever I can. This means I want to stay away from divisional opponents and road games whenever possible.
Two teams that stand out to me on the schedule are the Bucs and Panthers because both are going to have some major issues getting after the quarterback this year, which is a death sentence when you are facing off against Patrick Mahomes. It’s hard not to imagine Mahomes extending plays and finding Xavier Worthy or Travis Kelce regularly when the first option isn’t very appealing.
Additionally, I could see this Chiefs defense moving Chris Jones all over the front and hunting the best possible matchup along the interior of the offensive line for two units who have vulnerabilities at the guard position.
Las Vegas Raiders
- Week 3 vs. Carolina Panthers
- Week 16 vs. Jacksonville Jaguars
The Las Vegas Raiders finally managed to name Gardner Minshew their starting quarterback, which doesn’t exactly inspire any more confidence in this offense finishing the year as a top-20 unit in 2024.
Outside of their matchup against the Panthers in Week 3, there aren’t very many favorable options on the schedule to confidently select the Raiders in 2024.
Last year, the Jacksonville Jaguars did have some protection issues up front — which could give Maxx Crosby and Christian Wilkins a chance to heat up Lawrence.
Additionally, the Jaguars really struggled to slow down opposing passing attacks. Jacksonville allowed 2,140 YAC to opposing offenses, which was the eighth-highest mark in the league in 2023. That is a vulnerability that dynamic playmakers like Davante Adams and Brock Bowers could potentially exploit in Week 16.
Los Angeles Chargers
- Week 8 vs. New Orleans Saints
- Week 10 vs. Tennessee Titans
New Los Angeles Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh has a lengthy track record of success as the leading man of a football team. His impact on this offensive unit was both swift and potentially telling of the identity this team wants to have in 2024.
If there was one way to attack the Saints’ defense in 2023, it was on the ground. They allowed 119 rushing yards per game last year, which could provide a vulnerability for the Chargers to exploit in Week 8.
Additionally, both of these units had protection issues last season. Sure, both teams addressed the position via the 2024 NFL Draft, but the pass-rushing duo of Joey Bosa and Khalil Mack will likely give the young tackles some fits in protection these weeks. In particular, the Titans had a sack percentage of 11.47% last season — which was the second-highest mark in the NFL in 2023.
Los Angeles Rams
- Week 7 vs. Las Vegas Raiders
- Week 11 at New England Patriots
The Los Angeles Rams’ offense projects as formidable on paper, with Kyren Williams, Puka Nacua, and Cooper Kupp well-positioned to be the driving force behind this unit’s production in 2024.
A matchup against the Raiders in Week 7 is just what the doctor ordered for these YAC threats when you realize no team in the NFL gave up more YAC to opposing pass catchers in 2023 than Las Vegas. Expect Nacua and Kupp to terrorize this secondary in this matchup.
As for the Patriots, I would have to imagine the Drake Maye experience has begun by this point of the season — which could make it difficult to keep up with Matthew Stafford and company.
Miami Dolphins
- Week 4 vs. Tennessee Titans
- Week 11 vs. Las Vegas Raiders
The Miami Dolphins’ offense can simply embarrass you in so many different ways that it becomes difficult to find a reason why they won’t succeed on a weekly basis.
The Titans’ defense was pretty formidable at times against opposing rushing attacks, but I could still see this unit being vulnerable to many of the outside-zone concepts Mike McDaniel likes to deploy. Additionally, L’Jarius Sneed can only cover either Tyreek Hill or Jaylen Waddle on any given play — which means Miami can attack Chidobe Awuzie on the other side.
Additionally, I just mentioned some of the Raiders’ struggles to slow down dynamic YAC threats last year. That is a recipe for disaster for the Las Vegas secondary with the plethora of dynamic playmakers in this high-powered offense.
Minnesota Vikings
- Week 9 vs. Indianapolis Colts
- Week 13 vs. Arizona Cardinals
The Minnesota Vikings’ loss of rookie QB J.J. McCarthy for the entire 2024 NFL season definitely deals a blow to the potential upside of this unit, with Sam Darnold now slated to be under center for the foreseeable future.
Yet, a veteran quarterback with weapons like Justin Jefferson, T.J. Hockenson, and Jordan Addison out on the perimeter gives the Vikings a fighting chance to beat any team in the league on any given week. Part of the reason why I am suggesting two games either at or past the midway point of the season is because Hockenson should be back on the field by that point.
Additionally, the Vikings had the highest blitz rate in the NFL last year at 51.5% — which could create issues for dynamic dual-threat playmakers Kyler Murray and Anthony Richardson, who love to extend plays with their mobility.
New England Patriots
- Week 2 vs. Seattle Seahawks
- Week 17 vs. Los Angeles Chargers
The uncertainty regarding the Patriots on both sides of the ball entering the 2024 NFL season limits the confidence we can put in this team. Maye should see the field at some point this season, and we really don’t know what to expect from the defense with mad scientist Bill Belichick no longer crafting game plans to torture opposing quarterbacks on a weekly basis.
Yet, I believe two of the best shots the Patriots will have to pull off wins this year will be at home against the Seahawks and Chargers.
Both of these teams had issues slowing down opposing passing attacks last year, which could raise the scoring floor enough at home for New England to pull off an upset.
New Orleans Saints
- Week 1 vs. Carolina Panthers
- Week 7 vs. Denver Broncos
The New Orleans Saints will be a popular survivor pick in Week 1 with their matchup against the Panthers at the Superdome. Last year, Bryce Young threw for just 137 yards with no scores and lost a fumble in his lone career visit to the Big Easy. The Saints’ secondary should be able to continue to give the Panthers retooled receiving corps issues to start the year.
Additionally, the Denver Broncos’ passing attack isn’t exactly one that is going to strike fear into the hearts of opposing defenses with the rookie Nix under center. In a similar manner to the Panthers, I could see some potential separation issues for the Broncos’ collection of pass catchers against this stingy secondary in Week 7.
New York Giants
- Week 1 vs. Minnesota Vikings
- Week 10 vs. Carolina Panthers
One of the best ways to find a survivor week where the Giants could secure a win at home is to identify teams who have some glaring weaknesses where New York has a strength.
One thing the Giants do possess is one of the best defensive-line units in the league with Brian Burns, Kayvon Thibodeaux, and Dexter Lawrence. Young was sacked an obnoxious 62 times his rookie year behind a woeful Panthers offensive line, and Darnold, the Vikings’ starting signal-caller, has fumbled the ball 38 times over his 56 professional starts.
Additionally, the Vikings’ aggressive blitzing scheme is susceptible to dynamic YAC threats on the back end, which is evident by the 2,319 YAC they surrendered last year — the second-highest mark in the league.
Why do I bring that up? Well, there is an outside chance Malik Nabers could lead the league in YAC his rookie year — which could be just enough for the Giants to hand the Vikings a loss in the season opener.
New York Jets
- Week 4 vs. Denver Broncos
- Week 5 vs. Minnesota Vikings
Speaking of RAC threats potentially torching the Vikings, Garrett Wilson is no slouch in this department either, and an upgrade at the quarterback position to Aaron Rodgers could unlock the true potential of the talented wideout in 2024.
Additionally, the New York Jets’ defense features one of the best secondary units in the league, which could give both the aforementioned Darnold and Nix issues sustaining drives through the air in these back-to-back homes games in Weeks 4 and 5.
Philadelphia Eagles
- Week 11 vs. Washington Commanders
- Week 14 vs. Carolina Panthers
The Philadelphia Eagles’ collapse over the back half of the season is still a bit tough to fathom given the amount of talent on this roster, but the offense still showed enough flashes last year to suggest they can be dominate with the right matchup.
No matchup was more enticing last season for a potent passing attack than facing the Washington Commanders, who allowed a league-worst 262 yards through the air on a per-game basis. Look no further than A.J. Brown’s 17 receptions for 305 yards and four TDs over the two games he played against Washington last year as proof.
Additionally, the Eagles still have plenty of pass-rushing talent littered across their unit up front — which could make life very rough for Young in Week 14.
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Week 8 vs. New York Giants
- Week 10 at Washington Commanders
The Pittsburgh Steelers have been a tough team to trust in survivor over the last few years with their bevy of offensive woes under offensive coordinator Matt Canada. Fortunately, the team has a new offensive coordinator, two new quarterbacks, and three new offensive linemen, which could help this group finally resemble a competent unit on the offensive side of the ball to complement a solid defense.
Few teams in the league applied more pressure on the quarterback than the Steelers last year — Pittsburgh fielded a top-12 unit in the areas of QB knockdowns, hurry rate, pressure rate, and sacks in 2023. This could be the driving force behind goading both the Giants’ Jones and the Commanders’ Daniels into crucial mistakes if New York and Washington can’t slow T.J. Watt in the middle of the season.
San Francisco 49ers
- Week 4 vs. New England Patriots
- Week 5 vs. Arizona Cardinals
The San Francisco 49ers have arguably the most talented 53-man roster in the NFL, which always makes them an enticing top-tier team to deploy in your survivor league.
Their Week 4 showdown against the Patriots can be simply described as a game where the 49ers pretty much outclass the opponent in almost every facet of the matchup. Whether it’s Maye or Brissett under center for New England, I don’t think they will be able to keep pace with the Niners’ high-powered offense.
Additionally, the Niners will have a matchup against the Cardinals the very next week. San Francisco outclassed Jonathan Gannon’s defense in their two 2023 matchups by outscoring Arizona, 80-45.
Seattle Seahawks
- Week 1 vs. Denver Broncos
- Week 5 vs. New York Giants
Lumen Field offers one of the better home-field advantages in the NFL when the Seattle Seahawks have a quality football team. This team is loaded with talent on both sides of the ball and has a defensive schematic savant in Mike Macdonald as the new head coach.
These exotic and complex defensive schemes should torture both a rookie quarterback in the Broncos’ Nix and a struggling veteran signal-caller in the G-Men’s Jones over the first half of the season in front of a hostile crowd.
The Seahawks were a bit susceptible to opposing passing attacks last year, but neither of these teams have many proven big-play threats to worry about outside of Courtland Sutton and Nabers.
Additionally, the defenses of the Giants and Broncos both struggled mightily to slow down opposing rushing attacks in 2023 — finishing 29th and 30th, respectively, in rushing yards allowed last season. This could put Kenneth Walker and Zach Charbonnet in a prime position to run wild with a positive game script in these matchups.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Week 1 vs. Washington Commanders
- Week 3 vs. Denver Broncos
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers surprised many survivor managers last year when they managed to win a third consecutive NFC South division title without the services of Tom Brady. This means this unit, which plays in one of the weakest divisions in the league, shouldn’t be overlooked when trying to formulate your survivor strategy.
Yet, I see two non-divisional home games that I really like the matchup for Baker Mayfield and this passing attack in — clashes against the Commanders and Broncos.
Washington sported the worst passing defense in the league last year, while the Broncos ranked 23rd against the pass. The Bucs’ addition of Jalen McMillan and capable pass-catching back Bucky Irving alongside Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, and Cade Otton should make Tampa Bay’s air attack even more formidable than last season.
Additionally, the Bucs’ biggest defensive weakness is along the secondary — where both Washington and Denver are likely to be starting a rookie quarterback against the hyper-aggressive defensive scheme of head coach Todd Bowles.
Don’t be surprised if the Bucs get off to a fast start this season.
Tennessee Titans
- Week 9 vs. New England Patriots
- Week 11 vs. Minnesota Vikings
The reign of Henry in the Music City has come to an end, which makes this new-look vertical passing attack under second-year quarterback Levis a bit of a mystery entering the 2024 NFL season.
My line of thinking behind targeting the Titans’ home games against the Patriots and Vikings is banking on Levis being able to punish a pair of defenses that blitzed north of 35% of the total defensive snaps last year.
Additionally, DeAndre Hopkins’ ailing knee should be fully recovered by this point of the season, which makes me feel comfortable projecting the Titans to handle their business at home against two teams that feature new starting new quarterbacks in 2024.
Washington Commanders
- Week 7 vs. Carolina Panthers
- Week 13 vs. Tennessee Titans
The unknown impact of a rookie QB like Daniels makes these predictions a bit tricky, but the Commanders do have some competent pass-catching options to help ease the Heisman Trophy winner’s transition into the NFL.
One reason why I feel comfortable selecting these two opponents is because I think they are going to have major issues pressuring Daniels. The Panthers’ top three sack producers from last year (Burns, Frankie Luvu, and Yetur Gross-Matos) are all elsewhere. To further that point, the Titans lost Denico Autry’s 11.5 sacks worth of production from last year when he joined the Houston Texans.
If you can’t pressure a dynamic dual-threat talent like Daniels, then he could drop a stat line like 225 passing yards, 110 rushing yards and three total touchdowns on your defense really quickly.
Additionally, both of these opposing offenses may be ill-equipped to capitalize on the weakness of the Washington secondary — which gives the Commanders a very plausible path to winning these two games at home in the middle of the season.