Week 2 rooting guide: Who Saints fans should want to win and who they should be rooting against

Week 1 was a good week to be a Saints fans. The Saints won, while the Falcons, Panthers, Vikings and 49ers all floundered to 0-1 starts. While the two lattermost teams don’t have the most direct implications on the Saints’ playoff hopes (yet), they’re two teams the Saints likely don’t particularly want to see in the playoffs.

As Week 2 approaches, Saints fans will look for more of the same. There are a few interesting matchups on the schedule, including another tough game against a division-favorite for the Falcons and a divisional matchup for the Panthers and Buccaneers.

Starting from the top, here are who to root for across the NFC in Week 2.

1 p.m. games

Bears vs. Giants

Not much hate to go around in this game. The Bears eked out a win against the Lions in Week 1 while the Giants were tossed around a bit by the Steelers in primetime. Ultimately, the Bears could be a bit peskier, but don’t get too invested in this game. Both of these teams are figuring things out. Conclusion: Root for an Allen Robinson trade.

Rams vs. Eagles

This is the opposite situation. Both of these teams can be very pesky down the line if they figure things out. The Rams beat the Cowboys in a nail-biter in Week 1 after a questionable pass interference call (stop me if you’ve heard this before). The Eagles, however, play in a division that’s more prone to chaos. Root for the Eagles, but hope that they’re slow by December. They’re the kind of team that can give you a lot of issues with momentum.

Falcons vs. Cowboys

You know the drill. Hope the Falcons go into an 0-2 hole. It’s a hard one to dig out of.

Panthers vs. Buccaneers

The Tom Brady hot takes are FLOWING, but the bottom line is that the Buccaneers played a really good team on Sunday and they actually played them fairly well, despite what the score suggests. Don’t expect Brady to make those mistakes all season, but hope he’s slower to get the ball rolling. Panthers get the edge in this one, they’re still very much a work in progress under Matt Rhule and c’mon, we have to root for Teddy.

49ers vs. Jets

This game is a longshot, but it goes without saying you always root outside of the conference. Hope for the Jets to stun the 49ers as the 49ers try to bounceback from a tough Week 1 loss to the Cardinals.

Lions vs. Packers

After the Lions’ devastating loss to the Bears last week, they need this one. Plus, the Packers can always be a problem. Take the team that’s 0-1 over the one that’s 1-0.

4 p.m. games

Vikings vs. Colts

See: 49ers vs. Jets. It’s literally the same rationale. Go Colts.

Washington Football Team vs. Arizona Cardinals

Can both of these teams win? A Washington-Arizona concurrent storyline making runs in their divisions would be incredibly fun.

Patriots vs. Seahawks

The Seahawks got a pass playing the Falcons last week, but make no mistake they’re a threat. Saints fans should kick back and enjoy Cam Newton vs. Russell Wilson in primetime, but quietly root for the Patriots.