Happy Wednesday, folks. Just when John Breech thought he'd recovered from the Bengals' sour opener, he broke down again, refusing to come to work. Just kidding; he's off today, and we wish him and his 0-1 Bengals well. In the meantime, you've got me, Cody Benjamin, to deliver 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 top Week 2 bets, early predictions, QB Power Rankings, and much more:
Today's show: Week 2 betting trends, picks, fun factsJohn Breech and Tyler Sullivan joined Will Brinson on Wednesday's "Pick Six NFL Podcast" to assess betting lines entering Week 2, identifying their favorite point spreads and gambles for the upcoming weekend. Some highlights:
Sullivan, the resident Patriots expert, doesn't see any scenario where New England should be favored against the Steelers, even though the Pats currently have the edge as a road team. He's particularly worried about Mac Jones' health. Breech cautions, however, that the Steelers are 0-4 without T.J. Watt since the pass rusher's rookie year. Brinson notes that Monday night's premier AFC matchup has a widening gap between its "contenders," with the Bills now up to 10-point favorites against the Titans. It's a sign, he says, of Buffalo and Tennessee going in opposite directions. The guys are all aboard the Vikings hype train after Minnesota upset the Packers in Week 1, even with the Eagles favored for the second of the "Monday Night Football" matchups. Kirk Cousins is 2-9 on Monday nights, Breech notes, but Kevin O'Connell has seemingly "unlocked" their team, whereas the Eagles have lost in Week 2 in five straight years.Catch the full episode (and subscribe for all kinds of daily NFL talk) right here.
2. Prisco's Picks: Chiefs edge Chargers, Saints beat Brady againPete Prisco went 5-1 on his best bet predictions during last week's "Pick Six" forecast, and now he's back with picks for every single game on the Week 2 schedule. Here's a sampling:
Chiefs 31, Chargers 30: This is the game of the week with Justin Herbert against Patrick Mahomes. The Chiefs rolled against the Cardinals with Mahomes lighting things up. But the Chargers can rush the passer with Khalil Mack and Joey Bosa. Look for a high-scoring game with the Chiefs winning close. Saints 23, Buccaneers 17: The Bucs are playing consecutive road games after a Sunday night game, which is always tough. But they are also banged up on offense in a big way. The Saints' defense gets after Tom Brady. 49ers 29, Seahawks 23: Seattle played well in upsetting the Broncos on Monday night, but now they head out on a short week. That's a challenge. The 49ers didn't play well in the bad conditions at Soldier Field in losing to the Bears, but that will change here. Trey Lance gets it going. 3. QB Power Rankings: Tagovailoa, Wentz on the riseEvery week, we rank all 32 starting quarterbacks, from first to worst. After big wins in Week 1, two much-maligned starters in Carson Wentz and Tua Tagovailoa are climbing our pecking order, though they've still got a ways to go to crack our top 10:
Patrick Mahomes Tom Brady Aaron Rodgers Josh Allen Justin Herbert Lamar Jackson (+2) Joe Burrow (-1) Russell Wilson (-1) Kirk Cousins (+4) Matthew Stafford (-1)Catch the full 1-32 ranking right here.
4. Jets sticking with Joe Flacco at QB ... for nowNew York's offense struggled mightily in a blowout loss to the Ravens in Week 1, but 37-year-old Joe Flacco will remain under center for Sunday's road game against the Browns. Coach Robert Saleh has acknowledged fans' calls to see reserve Mike White, however, as 2021 first-round pick Zach Wilson recovers from a knee injury expected to sideline him into October. Here's this writer's opinion: maybe, just maybe, the Jets should also be calling about a certain veteran QB in San Francisco.
5. Gisele addresses Brady's return: 'He needs to follow his joy'Gisele Bündchen, wife to the ageless Buccaneers QB, finally addressed Tom Brady's abrupt return from retirement in a recent interview with Elle magazine. She made it clear that, while she supports her husband's dreams, she's been anticipating his move into regular family life for a while: "Obviously, I have my concerns: this is a very violent sport, and I have my children and I would
