| |
|
| Wednesday, November 4, 2020 |
| John Breech woke up with big plans this morning: This was the week he was finally going to rise to the occasion and deliver you a Wednesday edition of the Pick Six Newsletter. He downed a protein shake, then downed another. He soaked up the fall breeze with a jog around the neighborhood, pumping obnoxiously large dumbbells as he moved. He returned home with a burst of adrenaline, literally running through the garage door in anticipation of the big moment. Newsletter time. And then ... it happened. He suddenly remembered that Andy Dalton, his beloved flame, landed on the COVID-19 list this week and will miss Sunday's Cowboys game. So John Breech dropped his dumbbells. And there he went, garage door still shattered and protein shake still digesting, down to his cellar to await better days. |
| That, ladies and gentlemen, is why you've got me -- Cody Benjamin, your favorite guy with two first names -- as your friendly guide on this fine Wednesday. 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 trade deadline talk, midseason Super Bowl picks, Week 9 predictions and so much more: |
| Today's show: Did the Packers completely botch the trade deadline? |
| |
| The 2020 NFL trade deadline came and went Tuesday without any notable names swapping teams, and the Pick Six Podcast crew (subscribe and listen to the show here!) couldn't help but discuss the one club seemingly most affected by a lack of activity: The Green Bay Packers. Despite weeks of speculation and then days of reports tying them to Houston Texans wide receiver Will Fuller, the Pack stood pat and stuck with their current group of pass catchers, prompting John Breech and Ryan Wilson to question Green Bay's approach. |
| "If your star receiver is saying, 'Hey, maybe we should bring somebody else in,' maybe that is a sign that the front office needs to get their act together, stop bickering and just trade for a receiver," Breech said. "I was surprised they didn't pull the trigger ... Every other NFC contender got better. The Buccaneers added Antonio Brown. The Saints went out and added Kwon Alexander. The Packers are just sitting still and doing nothing. Green Bay's like, 'Nah, we're fine.'" |
| Will Brinson countered that the Fuller non-move wasn't so much about the Packers refusing to rent a receiver for half a season as much as it was new Texans personnel chief Jack Easterby "wildly overvaluing" Fuller, who's an impending free agent (check out all our trade deadline winners and losers here). |
| |
| 2. Prisco's Picks: Ravens edge Colts, Bucs get revenge vs. Saints |
| We officially enter the second half of the 2020 season in Week 9, and Pete Prisco just dropped his picks for every single game on the docket. As part of his forecast, he likes the Ravens to rebound from their close divisional loss and the Bucs to stay hot and exact revenge on a division rival of their own this weekend: |
| Ravens (-2.5) at Colts |
| This is one of the better games of the week. The Colts have won two straight as Philip Rivers has righted his season. But this is a big challenge for the Ravens. The Baltimore offense has run it well, but it will be the passing that wins this game. Lamar Jackson gets it going. |
| Pick: Ravens 28, Colts 27 |
| *** |
| Saints at Buccaneers (-5.5) |
| The Bucs are playing on a short week and didn't look great against the Giants. But the Saints are playing consecutive road games. New Orleans won the first meeting, but this is a much better Tampa Bay team. The defense will get all over Drew Brees. Tom Brady will beat him in this one. |
| Pick: Bucs 27, Saints 17 |
| 3. Insider notes: Giants could be eyeing changes at GM, QB |
| |
| At 1-7, the New York Giants are staring in the face of another long offseason. If they've done one thing right in 2020, according to CBS Sports NFL Insider Jason La Canfora, it's fix their once-porous defense, which has actually stayed competitive all year. That said, they've now encountered an even bigger issue on the other side of the ball, which could have far-reaching consequences. Here's La Canfora with the latest on what could lie ahead for the G-Men: |
(The) Giants have a serious quarterback problem. It's been quite a while since anyone could argue that Daniel Jones was trending in the right direction, the turnovers are more woven into his DNA than they even were for Eli Manning , and if they make a move at GM, which plenty of people around the NFL expect, you can't help but wonder if this is another situation where the new guy goes and gets his own QB. I would, especially if the market is flooded with young and old quarterbacks again, which I fully expect at this point.
|
| |
| 4. Midseason predictions: Chiefs favored to repeat as Super Bowl champs |
| Who says it's too early to predict the playoffs and award races? We're now halfway through the season, so more than a dozen CBS Sports NFL experts teamed up to project everything from MVP to Coach of the Year to Super Bowl MVP this week. The entire midseason awards breakdown is worth a read, but here are the updated favorites from the staff for each accolade: |
| Super Bowl champion: Chiefs Super Bowl MVP: Patrick Mahomes MVP: Russell Wilson Offensive Player of the Year: Patrick Mahomes Defensive Player of the Year: Myles Garrett Coach of the Year: Mike Tomlin Comeback Player of the Year: Alex Smith Offensive Rookie of the Year: Joe Burrow Defensive Rookie of the Year: Antoine Winfield Jr., Chase Young |
| 5. QB Power Rankings: Brees, Brady climb up in top 10 |
| |
| Cody Benjamin (that's me, folks) is back at it with QB power rankings, and this week's edition saw Drew Brees and Tom Brady, two seniors of the position -- both of whom happen to play in the NFC South and just so happen to be up against each other in Week 9 -- climb up in the top 10. Jared Goff, Carson Wentz and Josh Allen, meanwhile, were among those who fell down the list. Here's a sneak peek at the latest top 10, and don't forget to check out the full rundown for an assessment of all 32 starters: |
| Russell Wilson Patrick Mahomes Aaron Rodgers Kyler Murray Ben Roethlisberger Tom Brady (+3) Deshaun Watson (-1) Drew Brees (+4) Lamar Jackson (-1) Ryan Tannehill |
| |
| 6. Teaser pick rankings: Texans are the smart pick in Week 9 |
| CBS Sports' R.J. White is 5-2-1 on Teaser of the Week picks at the midway point of the season, and he's confident that record will shoot up in Week 9, where several teams make a lot of sense as teaser plays -- none more than the Houston Texans, who will be up against a Jacksonville Jaguars team starting a new quarterback in rookie Jake Luton. If you'd rather not bank on the AFC South, White has also pegged the Indianapolis Colts (+8.5) as a smart play against the Ravens in his official Week 9 teaser rankings: |
| The Colts bring one of the best defenses in the game into this matchup against a Baltimore team that just lost its star left tackle. That should make for a close game throughout in this battle between two of the AFC's best teams. |
| |
| | | | | 24/7 Sports News | | The Golazo Show | ✔Scores & Highlights
✔Fantasy and Betting Advice
✔Interviews with Top Athletes
CBS Sports HQ has you covered. Stream anywhere, anytime, on any device.
Watch Now
| | Thrilling whip-around coverage keeps you updated throughout the day's action, featuring every goal from every match. Watch on CBS Sports Network and stream live on CBS All Access, matchdays at 2:30 PM ET!
Learn More
|
|
| |
| |
