Happy midweek, everyone! Can you believe we're already approaching Week 13? John Breech can't, so he took the day off. He might also be ordering a Jake Browning jersey, I'm not sure. Either way, you've got me, Cody Benjamin, to deliver all the latest.
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 Prisco's Week 13 picks, key injury updates, a 2024 mock draft and much more:
1. Today's show: Debating Prisco's Power Rankings
Pete Prisco, Ryan Wilson and John Breech joined Will Brinson on the latest "Pick Six NFL Podcast" to dissect and debate Prisco's latest Power Rankings, where the Eagles reign supreme, but plenty of other teams have shuffled up and down.
Some highlights:
- The guys are in agreement over the Vikings' recent dip, but Prisco says people shouldn't be surprised: "You are what you are. You can have aberration games. But Josh Dobbs is a backup quarterback in the National Football League. That's what he is."
- Breech has real concerns about Jared Goff's ball security in Detroit, but the guys also highlight issues with the Lions' pass defense and offensive line. Dan Campbell's squad dropped six spots to the back of the top 10 in Prisco's rankings.
- One team Prisco expects to rise even more: the Rams. "If (they) beat the Browns this week, I think they're gonna get to 10 wins." Los Angeles is currently trying to overtake the Seahawks in the NFC wild-card race.
Catch the full episode (and subscribe for all kinds of daily NFL talk) right here.
2. Prisco's Picks: Saints stun Lions, 49ers get revenge on Eagles
CBS Sports' NFL experts have a solid track record of making weekly picks this year; one of them just went 14-1-1 in against-the-spread projections for Week 12. Now, Pete Prisco is looking to replicate that mark with picks for every single Week 13 contest. Here's a sampling:
- Saints 32, Lions 30: The Lions are coming off a bad home loss to the Packers, while the Saints are coming off a road loss to the Falcons. The Lions defense has become a major problem as of late. I look for Derek Carr to play well here.
- Texans 24, Broncos 22: In terms of playoff implications, this is a big game. Denver has won five in a row and the defense has keyed the turnaround. The Texans lost to the Jaguars last week in a big game, but they will bounce back here as they win a tight one with C.J. Stroud getting the best of the Denver defense.
- 49ers 27, Eagles 23: This is the game of the week, a rematch of last year's NFC Championship. That game was won by the Eagles when Brock Purdy got hurt. He's back and playing well. The Eagles defense is not. The San Francisco defense seems to be back on track after a lull a few weeks back. That's the difference.
3. NFC title-game rematch: Key matchups, injury updates, more
There isn't a bigger game on the Week 13 slate than the Eagles hosting the 49ers. Philly has the NFL's best record but enters the contest as a home underdog, and both sides have been jawing about the matchup. Here's the latest:
- Three reasons each contender can win: Both sides have a strong case to come out on top
- Lane Johnson expects to play: The Eagles' star right tackle is coming off a groin injury
- Deebo Samuel calls Eagles corner 'trash:' The 49ers wideout has no issue fueling the fire
4. Injury news: Justin Jefferson returning, Jonathan Taylor sidelined again
As always, we've got some big-name medical reports worth monitoring. Here's the latest:
- Colts RB Jonathan Taylor to have thumb surgery: He's expected to be out at least two or three weeks
- Vikings activate WR Justin Jefferson: The star pass catcher is set to return from a hamstring issue in Week 14
- Saints work out emergency kickers: Blake Grupe is banged up, so they're exploring possible replacements
5. QB Power Rankings: Hurts, Purdy up top as Love makes big leap
Every week, we rank all 32 starting QBs according to current standing. It's fitting that the Eagles and 49ers are up top entering their Week 13 clash, but plenty of other signal-callers changed spots as well. Here are some of the most notable movers:
1. Jalen Hurts, Eagles (+1)
2. Brock Purdy, 49ers (+4)
9. Russell Wilson, Broncos (+2)
12. Jared Goff, Lions (-2)
14. Jordan Love, Packers (+7)
Why Hurts at No. 1? His encore to a 2022 MVP bid has been much less pretty, with 14 turnovers in 11 games. But he's shown up in the clutch week in and week out, executing back-to-back-to-back late-game heroics against the Cowboys, Chiefs and Bills. Undeniable as a critical-down runner, he's up to 29 total touchdowns on the season, making him the new MVP favorite.
6. Mock draft: Bears trade Fields, start fresh at QB; Patriots also reset
Chris Trapasso foresees plenty of QB drama in the 2024 draft, starting with a blockbuster trade sending Justin Fields to the Raiders. He's got multiple teams addressing QB early in the first round, but he also has hyped USC prospect Caleb Williams lasting until No. 3 overall. The Giants and Vikings also come away with new passers in Trapasso's mock.
