About this episode
Mackenzie Rivers and Dan Rivera talk NFL Survivor for week 14. Dan and Mack review their NFL Survivor run that ended in Week 13 after the Eagles’ loss to the Bears, agreeing the pick was still correct given the alternatives and that hindsight doesn’t change the logic. They felt their season-long strategy of selecting strong favorites was sound and that they consistently avoided land mines, even benefiting from lucky timing with teams like the Jets and Bengals earlier in the year. They discuss how the Eagles’ short-yardage dominance has collapsed, possibly due to offensive line injuries, defensive adjustments, or simple sloppiness, making the tush push far less reliable. They also note the Eagles’ vulnerability going forward after giving up 287 rushing yards to Chicago and needing turnovers to survive games. Turning to Week 14 Survivor, they view the Buccaneers as the strongest available favorite despite concerns over their offensive line, Baker Mayfield’s inconsistency, and the Saints’ ability to backdoor cover. The Rams are also viable—last week’s loss to Carolina was deemed fluky due to turnovers, and underlying metrics still rate L.A. strongly. They see Arizona as feisty with Jacoby Brissett but lacking the firepower to pull an upset if the Rams avoid big mistakes. Denver is another option: although Bo Nix is volatile, the Broncos’ defense matches well against a Raiders offense ranked near the bottom of the league in non-turnover EPA, and their low-variance style makes them viable in Survivor. Seattle is a riskier favorite because defenses appear to have adjusted to Sam Darnold, and Atlanta’s recent competitiveness suggests real upset potential, especially if Drake London plays. Cleveland is mentioned as an ugly but sharp leverage option for players needing differentiation. They lament that their planned route—saving the Buccaneers for Week 14—would have worked if not for the Eagles’ late fumble, describing it as a slow-motion crash. They also criticize Caleb Williams and the Bears’ fluky wins, arguing his accuracy is a concern and Ben Johnson appears frustrated despite public walk-backs, suggesting Chicago’s offense could face major regression next season once the schedule tightens. Despite the elimination disappointment, they reaffirm the value of the podcast for strategy discussion and plan to continue offering insights for the remainder of the season. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices