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| Tuesday, August 22, 2023 |
| Monday was a doozy in the NFL! Not only did we wrap up Week 2 of the preseason in dramatic fashion, but it looks like we might have another blockbuster trade on the horizon as well. Of course, we'll get to all of that as I, Tyler Sullivan, will guide you through all the latest happenings across the league as our pal John Breech continues to help nurse Joe Burrow's calf back to full strength over his vacation. |
| Before we dive in, however, make sure you're signed up to receive the Pick Six newsletter every day so that you are fully in the know throughout the upcoming season. |
| Alright, let's get to it: |
| 1. Today's show: NFL Honors predictions, odds |
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| With the season now just a few weeks away, now is as good of a time as ever for the Pick Six crew to dive into who'll be taking home some hardware at the NFL Honors. Katie Mox and Will Brinson welcomed in SportsLine's Emory Hunt to comb through the latest odds for all of the seasonal awards in the NFL and came up with who they think will be on stage as the winner when it's all said and done. |
| Most Valuable Player: Brinson is leaning toward Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence as the pick this year at +1500. His reasoning stems from some of the other quarterbacks who are in the running potentially cannibalizing one another within their respective divisions. For instance, Patrick Mahomes (the betting favorite at +600) has to deal with Justin Herbert (+1200) twice a season. The same goes for Joe Burrow (+750) and Lamar Jackson (+1500). Lawrence, meanwhile, is the lone elite quarterback in the AFC South and the Jaguars' easy schedule should allow him to put up the type of numbers to get him in the running. |
| Offensive Player of the Year: Hunt is rolling with Browns running back Nick Chubb for this award at +1700. He notes Chubb's stellar production of averaging around five yards per carry in today's NFL. It also doesn't hurt that Chubb is now going to see even more work out of Cleveland's backfield with Kareem Hunt still a free agent. That leaves 123 rushing attempts open from last season and some of that could be added to Chubb's plate, further helping his chances to lead the league in rushing yards. |
| Defensive Player of the Year: Mox has her sights set on Steelers pass rusher T.J. Watt at +850 to bring home the DPOY honor for the second time in his career. Watt was limited to just 10 games last season due to injury and Mox notes that the 28-year-old is one of the NFL's game-wreckers when he's healthy. |
| To catch the full episode (and subscribe for all kinds of daily NFL talk) click here. |
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| 2. Takeaways: Commanders snap Ravens' preseason win streak |
| It was the end of an era on Monday night as the Commanders were able to snap the Ravens' NFL-record 24-game preseason winning streak. |
| That came thanks to a game-winning drive from Jake Fromm, who took the Washington offense 60 yards down the field to set up a 49-yard go-ahead field goal from Joey Slye. This was the first preseason loss for John Harbaugh and the Ravens since Sept. 3, 2015, against the Falcons. Since then, they were able to surpass the prior record held by Vince Lombardi and the Green Bay Packers, who won 19 straight preseason exhibitions from 1959 to 1962. |
| As for the game itself, Shanna McCarriston and Jared Dubin cooked up some key takeaways from the contest: |
| Sam Howell gives solid performance: I was not so sure how Sam Howell would work out on the Washington Commanders this year, but then again, did anyone? The 22-year-old was drafted in the fifth round in 2022 and since then we have only seen him play in and start one regular season NFL game. The Commanders currently have Howell, who was recently named the starter, Jacoby Brissett , and Jake Fromm in their quarterback room. Howell made an impact right away on Monday night. The team's first drive ended in a field goal and he finished the first half going 19-for-25 with 188 yards, no touchdowns and no interceptions. |
| Zay Flowers living up to the hype: Flowers was selected with the No. 22 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft and has high expectations heading into the season. He showed some more promise Monday with two receptions for 37 yards, one of which was a touchdown. [Lamar] Jackson did not dress, but he was still doing his research on his newest offensive weapons. Jackson said he likes what he sees from Flowers, calling him "shifty." |
| 3. Taylor landing spots: Colts allow star RB to seek trade |
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| The latest chapter in the saga between the Indianapolis Colts and Jonathan Taylor signals that the two sides have reached the point of no return. After initially denying Taylor's trade request, CBS Sports NFL Insider Josina Anderson confirmed on Monday that Indy is granting the All-Pro back permission to seek a trade. That said, a Taylor trade likely won't come cheap as ESPN reports that the Colts are said to be looking for a first-round pick, or similar value, in exchange for the back. That's a lofty price tag, especially considering that Taylor's new team would also need to sign him to a long-term contract. |
| There's also the question of Taylor's health. He is still rehabbing from offseason ankle surgery and it's unclear if he is also dealing with a back injury. Indianapolis was reportedly considering putting him on the non-football injury list with a back injury that he suffered on his own, but Taylor has come out and said that he never had a back issue. That's the due diligence that prospective teams will have to hammer out before ultimately executing a deal to bring Taylor aboard. |
| Speaking of potential suitors, Jeff Kerr and Josh Edwards broke down a handful of potential landing spots for the 24-year-old back. |
| Miami Dolphins: Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel likes to use the running back-by-committee approach, which will save the tread on Taylor's tires as the season wears on. Is that needed? Miami didn't win the Dalvin Cook sweepstakes, but it apparently has interest in the Colts' disgruntled star back. The Dolphins will at least explore a trade for Taylor, according to the Miami Herald. The Dolphins still have a solid rotation with Raheem Mostert and Jeff Wilson , as they combined to average 4.8 yards per carry last season. Rookie De'Von Achane provides even more speed in the backfield, giving a Miami a solid trio between the three. Taylor would be the No. 1 back in Miami, regardless of what McDaniel wants to do with his rotation. That may be the move to put the Dolphins over the top in the AFC East. |
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers: The Buccaneers moved on from Leonard Fournette this offseason in favor of Rachaad White and Chase Edmonds. Tampa Bay will rely on White to be the featured back in the offense, but Taylor would provide a much-needed boost for an offense that already has two good skill position players in Mike Evans and Chris Godwin . Taylor would also take significant pressure off Baker Mayfield to carry the offense as well. |
| Meanwhile, Will Brinson explains why this situation surrounding Taylor signals that Jim Irsay is running things within the organization and why this is bad news for the Colts. |
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| 4. Under-the-radar QBs who could put up big numbers in 2023 |
| There's always going to be one or two quarterbacks who burst onto the scene in a given season. With that in mind, Doug Clawson scoured the quarterback landscape and found a handful of under-the-radar signal-callers who could be primed to put up big numbers in 2023. |
| 49ers QB Brock Purdy: Purdy was Mr. Irrelevant, so it doesn't get any more under-the-radar than that. He will open the season as the 49ers' starting QB and has fully recovered from offseason elbow surgery. He also led the NFL in touchdown passes and yards per pass attempt in his first five career starts from Weeks 14-18 last season. He has all the pieces he needs to put up big numbers if he stays healthy -- offensive mastermind Kyle Shanahan, perhaps the best group of offensive skill players in the league and Trent Williams blocking his blindside. He has 40-1 odds to lead the NFL in touchdown passes. Since he led the NFL over a short span last season, it might be worth taking a flier! |
| Lions QB Jared Goff: Goff will always be a little bit under the radar after the Rams traded him with two first-round picks to get Matthew Stafford . It's taken some time, but Goff has rebuilt his reputation as a quality starting QB in the National Football League after his second-half surge in 2022, something he can build on in 2023. He enters the season with 324 straight passes without an interception, the longest streak in Lions history. He has a good offensive line, anchored by Penei Sewell, a go-to wideout in Amon-Ra St. Brown and a new weapon in first-round pick Jahmyr Gibbs. Gibbs could be a valuable gadget player in Detroit's offense after leading all SEC RB in yards per touch (7.0) last season, while playing nearly 100 snaps at wide receiver. Once Jameson Williams returns from his six-game gambling suspension the Lions' offense could really be humming. |
| To see the other quarterbacks Clawson has primed for a big year, click here. |
5. Overreactions, reality checks from Week 2 of the preseason
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| Week 2 of the preseason is now in the books, which means we have a full grasp of how each team is shaping up as we get closer to the start of the regular season. Given that these are just exhibitions, it is sometimes hard to figure out if certain developments throughout the preseason are things that will translate into the regular season or if they'll fall by the wayside once the summer comes to an end. Lucky for us, we have Jeff Kerr to decipher some of the biggest headlines to come out of Week 2 of the preseason and tell us if they're mere overreactions or if they are rooted in reality. |
| Marcus Mariota should be replaced as Eagles QB2: Overreaction. Mariota has not been good in his two preseason games, showcasing an overthrow of receivers and questionable footwork that has led to poor quarterback play. Sandwich that in between rookie Tanner McKee's strong preseason and Mariota's inconsistency during training camp -- adding to the discussion whether the Eagles should replace Mariota for McKee as the No. 2 quarterback on the Eagles. Philadelphia has five million reasons (Mariota's salary for 2023) why that's not happening. The Eagles signed Mariota as the No. 2 quarterback so they wouldn't have to alter the offense if Jalen Hurts has to miss time. Mariota also should be better with the Eagles' first-team players (especially the offensive line) as opposed to the second team. Mariota has to be better, but his job isn't in jeopardy. |
| Steelers will have a top-10 offense in the NFL: Reality. The Steelers offense has been quite impressive in two preseason games, specifically Kenny Pickett (9 of 11, 113 yards, 2 TD, 149.0 rating). This unit has plenty of talent to supplement Pickett, starting with George Pickens and Diontae Johnson at wide receiver (Allen Robinson and Calvin Austin III backing them up). Pat Freiermuth is emerging into a very good tight end and Najee Harris is their starting running back with a highly productive No. 2 in Jaylen Warren. The offensive line is significantly better with the additions of Isaac Seumalo and Broderick Jones (who isn't a starter yet). If Pickett keeps showing his progression consistently, this offense is going to significantly complement the defense. Of course it's preseason, but the Steelers' first-team offense has the potential to be very good. |
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| 6. Extra points: Terry McLaurin injures toe on Monday night |
| Oh, you wanted even more news heading into the weekend? Say no more: |
| Commanders' Terry McLaurin leaves preseason game vs. Ravens with toe injury, X-rays negativeBears' Teven Jenkins out indefinitely with leg injury, expected to miss start of 2023 season, per report Bills to sign veteran Ty Johnson, bolster backfield after losing Nyheim Hines to injury, per reportJoe Burrow calf injury: Bengals head coach Zac Taylor says QB looks 'as good as he's ever looked' Buccaneers' kicking competition concludes after team waives Rodrigo Blankenship |
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