Hello, boys and girls, and welcome to Week 7, which officially kicks off tomorrow. John Breech is busy browsing Amazon for extra Bengals gear ahead of this Sunday’s anticipated clash with the Ravens, so you’ve got me, Cody Benjamin, to take you through all the latest from around the league.
This is the Pick Six Newsletter. Now let’s get to it. (And please, do yourself a favor and make sure you’re signed up to receive this newsletter every day! You don’t want to miss our daily offerings of everything you need to know around the NFL.)
We’ve got Week 7 picks, QB power rankings, all kinds of injury updates and more:
- Today’s show: Debating Russell Wilson’s legacy, Hall of Fame odds
Wilson isn’t on the field for the Seahawks right now, but that didn’t stop him from making a primetime TV appearance in Week 6, emerging on the sidelines — and at a coin toss — for Seattle’s overtime contest with Pittsburgh. It got Brady Quinn and Will Brinson thinking: What is Wilson’s legacy at this point, and what does the quarterback desire most for his future?
“Would he rather have another Super Bowl or an MVP, if he could only have one?” Quinn asked.
Here’s what Brinson had to say: “I think that Russell Wilson’s answer would be Super Bowl. I think that Russell Wilson’s answer if you jabbed him full of truth serum and didn’t have him in a public setting would be MVP. … I think that Russell Wilson — and maybe to his detriment, because Tom Brady doesn’t think this way, I believe — wants to be the greatest of all-time instead of wanting to win for his team.”
The guys went on to debate the likelihood of Wilson making the Hall of Fame, then pivoted to break down division-race futures. Catch the entire episode (and subscribe for all kinds of daily NFL talk) right here.
2. Prisco’s Picks: Chiefs edge Titans, Giants upset Panthers
Papa Pete Prisco is back with predictions for every single Week 7 game. Here are some of his most notable projections:
- Chiefs 37, Titans 30: With all the injuries in the secondary for the Titans, Patrick Mahomes should have a big game. The Chiefs defense was better last week, but that’s not saying a lot. Look for a lot of points in this game. But the Chiefs will find a way.
- Ravens 31, Bengals 28: I expect the Bengals offense to move the ball with Joe Burrow, so it will come down to whether they can slow Lamar Jackson. I don’t think they can. The Ravens win it, but it’s close.
- Giants 19, Panthers 16: The Panthers have offensive issues of late and the Giants should be able to limit them. The problem is the Giants are banged up on offense, but I think they can do enough to pull this one out.
3. Insider notes: Teams most likely to fuel 2022 QB carousel
Jason La Canfora thinks this past offseason was just a taste of wild QB movement around the NFL. Looking ahead to 2022, he expects pursuit of elite names like Aaron Rodgers and Russell Wilson to be “quite intense,” especially with next year’s QB class not nearly as hyped as it was in 2021. He’s identified 12 different teams who could be in the market for a new signal-caller after the season. Here are some tidbits on a few big ones:
- Dolphins: Passing on Justin Herbert to take Tua Tagovailoa might have been a problem, Brian Flores has never embraced Tua outwardly like he should have, and whether he stays or goes, I have a hard time seeing Miami staying status quo in 2022.
- Eagles: They could end up with three first-round picks in the top half of the first round, and as much as management would love to see Jalen Hurts grab the reigns and cement his status, that is far from a sure thing. Seems a little unlikely right now, frankly.
- Giants: Coach and GM have one foot out the door. Maybe one foot and three toes. Will the next guys think Daniel Jones is the answer? He has been better this year despite a weak staff, but there are reasons to believe he was heavily over-drafted.
- Lions: (Jared Goff) is functional at best. … He was never gonna be more than a look-see, and he could end up benched sooner rather than later. No one will be hotter to draft a QB than the Lions.
- Panthers: Sam Darnold ain’t the answer. The last three games have been brutal and this was never the QB solution owner David Tepper was sold on in the first place. … Tepper has long wanted Deshaun Watson. At some point he may get him.
- Steelers: Big Ben is done. This year looks just like last year in the passing game, he took the pay cut to come back for one more shot. … But this is it. The next guy isn’t likely on the roster.
4. Case Keenum to start for Browns over injured Baker Mayfield
Big news on the “Thursday Night Football” front, with Mayfield set to miss the first start of his NFL career. The former No. 1 pick attempted to fight through a shoulder injury this week with an eye on being a game-time decision against the Broncos. Cleveland opted to declare him out early, however, turning the keys over to Keenum, who last started for Washington in 2019. The latter also made 16 starts for Denver, his Thursday night opponent, in 2018. He figures to be just one of several key injury replacements taking the field to kick off Week 7, when the Browns will look to snap a two-game losing streak.
5. QB Power Rankings: Lamar Jackson leaps into top 5
Every week, we rank all the starting QBs from first to worst. As Week 7 approaches, Lamar Jackson is one of our biggest movers, entering the top 5 for the first time this year. Carson Wentz, Matthew Stafford and Matt Ryan also took leaps this week, with Sam Darnold among those dropping a few spots. Here’s this week’s top 10:
- Tom Brady
- Aaron Rodgers
- Dak Prescott (+1)
- Patrick Mahomes (-1)
- Lamar Jackson (+1)
- Kyler Murray (+2)
- Josh Allen (-2)
- Matthew Stafford (+1)
- Justin Herbert (-2)
- Joe Burrow
6. Rapid-fire roundup: Injury updates, big names released
Hungry for more NFL news? We’ve got a few more nuggets for you right here:
- Nick Chubb also out for Browns vs. Broncos: D’Ernest Johnson is set to step in at running back
- Ronnie Stanley out for season after surgery: The Ravens’ left tackle is still battling ankle issues
- Colts cut QB Jacob Eason: Just a year after they spent a fourth-round pick on the backup
- Von Miller promises to ‘kill’ Browns O-line: And Cleveland is banged up in the trenches
- Texans cut Whitney Mercilus: Tyler Sullivan lists three potential suitors for the former All-Pro
- Washington cuts Dustin Hopkins: The longtime kicker is No. 3 on the team’s all-time scoring list
