Happy December, everyone! Can you believe it? Another holiday season is already upon us. And playoff football is just around the corner. John Breech is taking the day to drive to Pittsburgh to remind all the Steelers fans what happened on Sunday, so you’ve got me, Cody Benjamin, on board to walk you through all the latest from around the NFL.
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 13 predictions, MVP picks, and drama surrounding RGIII, Urban Meyer and more:
- Today’s show: Will Russell Wilson ever be the same in Seattle?
Brady Quinn joined Will Brinson on Wednesday’s “Pick Six NFL Podcast,” and after a lengthy discussion about the big names shaking up the college football coaching ranks, the two debated whether Russell Wilson can right the ship for both himself and the Seahawks this season. Here are some highlights from their back-and-forth:
- Brady says he “never felt the same” after undergoing finger surgery during his time in the NFL and believes it’ll take time for Russ to “adapt to a new normal,” especially now that he lacks “the same pop or zip” on his throws.
- Will believes Russ will end up trying to fix himself on a new team in 2022, suggesting the Seahawks are more likely to part with Wilson than coach Pete Carroll this offseason.
- Brady thinks the obvious byproduct of Wilson’s finger issues is a lack of confidence. “It takes a lot of confidence in your body” to make consistent throws in the NFL, he said, “and you can just tell he doesn’t have it.”
Catch the entire episode (and subscribe for all kinds of daily NFL talk) right here.
2. Prisco’s picks: Bills edge Patriots, Steelers upset Ravens
“It’s my time.” That’s what Pete Prisco says, exuding confidence in his picks for every single Week 13 game. Check out a couple of his most notable projections to see if you agree:
- Bengals 29, Chargers 23: The Bengals are playing some of their best football. I think that carries over here as Joe Mixon runs wild against the Chargers’ defense to overshadow the Justin Herbert-Joe Burrow showdown.
- Steelers 23, Ravens 20: This has become a great rivalry known for physical play, but the Steelers have hardly looked physical the past two weeks. Even so, the Ravens’ offense isn’t good right now. The Steelers will find a way to win playing in a survival game.
- Bills 26, Patriots 20: This is the game of the week with first place in the AFC East on the line. It will be fun to see what Bill Belichick throws at Josh Allen. But the Bills looked much better last week against the Saints than they did for most of November.
3. QB updates: Eagles, Giants, Saints dealing with injuries
A couple of teams could be starting new signal-callers this weekend, namely the Giants and Saints — both of whom are in desperate need of a victory to stay alive in the wild card race. Check out the latest on both their situations here:
- Daniel Jones uncertain for Dolphins game: The Giants QB is battling a neck injury but will practice
- Sean Payton won’t commit to Saints’ QB: But Taysom Hill says he’s ready to go in place of Trevor Siemian
- Nick Sirianni ‘hopeful’ Jalen Hurts will start: He’s got a sprained ankle ahead of Week 13 vs. the Jets
4. MVP watch: Brady, Rodgers are the clear frontrunners
Jared Dubin has been compiling staff picks for 2021 MVP, and with each passing week, the race gets tighter. Right now, it’s essentially a two-man fight between the ageless Tom Brady and the almost-as-ageless Aaron Rodgers. You’ll wanna check out Jared’s full roundup for a look at every single player to get a vote, but here’s our top five entering Week 13:
- Buccaneers QB Tom Brady (41 points)
- Packers QB Aaron Rodgers (36)
- Cardinals QB Kyler Murray (22)
- Colts RB Jonathan Taylor (14)
- Bills QB Josh Allen (10)
5. QB Power Rankings: Rodgers new No. 1, Stafford falls out of top 10
Every week, we rank all 32 starting QBs from first to worst. This week, Tom Brady was finally dethroned at No. 1, with Aaron Rodgers taking the top spot in the wake of another important NFC victory. Some others took some big leaps (Jimmy Garoppolo) and big falls (Matthew Stafford), but here’s a sneak peek at our latest top 10:
- Aaron Rodgers (+1)
- Tom Brady (-1)
- Kyler Murray (+3)
- Josh Allen (+6)
- Patrick Mahomes (-2)
- Justin Herbert (-1)
- Lamar Jackson (-3)
- Dak Prescott (-1)
- Joe Burrow (+3)
- Kirk Cousins (+1)
6. Rapid-fire roundup: RGIII drama, Urban turns down college
Hungry for more NFL content? We’ve got some more headlines for you right here:
- Robert Griffin III promises to expose Washington: The ex-QB has a book coming out next year
- Inside Kurt Warner’s journey to Hollywood: The NFL legend has a movie releasing on Christmas
- Urban Meyer recommits to Jaguars: Amid more rumors of a return to college football
- Bucs still favored to win Super Bowl: But the Packers are rising as contenders
- 2022 mock draft: Chris Trapasso forecasts some big QB moves in the Big Apple
- Projected playoff standings: John Breech utilizes SportsLine data to forecast the postseason picture
