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| Wednesday, February 7, 2024 |
| Happy midweek, everyone! Can you believe we're only four days away from finally watching the Chiefs and 49ers go at it for the Super Bowl title? John Breech is so tired from posting 3 a.m. photos of CBS' Bellagio set that you've got me, Cody Benjamin, stepping in to deliver all the latest happenings 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.) |
| We've got Prisco's Super Bowl pick, bold predictions for the game, retirement rumors and much more: |
| 1. Today's show: Bold predictions for Super Bowl LVIII |
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| Pete Prisco, Ryan Wilson, John Breech and Will Brinson teamed up on the latest "Pick Six NFL Podcast," aired live from the Fountains at Bellagio in Las Vegas, to offer bold predictions for the big game. Some highlights: |
| Brinson believes Travis Kelce is going to "come out motivated" by the heavy boos of 49ers fans in Vegas and catch three scores against San Francisco, while also whipping out three different Taylor Swift-related celebrations. Prisco doesn't buy it.Breech is still concerned about Brock Purdy, who "played one good quarter against Green Bay and two good quarters against Detroit," predicting zero touchdown passes for the 49ers quarterback. Besides the Chiefs presenting a great challenge, he says, "Kyle Shanahan doesn't always trust his QBs in these big situations." Prisco likes Chris Jones to be the "ultimate game-wrecker" with three sacks, while predicting an "okay" 49ers interior front struggling to contain K.C.'s run game: "I think it's gonna be an Isiah Pacheco game early, and a Patrick Mahomes game late." |
| Catch the full episode (and subscribe for all kinds of daily NFL talk) right here. |
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| 2. Prisco's Super Bowl pick: Chiefs make history in close one |
| It all comes down to this. After 21 weeks of regular-season and postseason picks, Pete Prisco is back with his final prediction for Super Bowl LVIII between the Chiefs and 49ers. Here's a sneak peek at his call: |
While Mahomes hasn't racked up the big numbers in the playoffs, he's been steady, capable and made the big plays when needed without making mistakes. Game manger? Hardly. But he hasn't thrown a pick in three postseason games and has been sacked just three times behind a leaky offensive line. That's playing big in the moment.
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| Purdy has been outstanding against the blitz this year -- No. 1 in the league -- so (Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve) Spagnuolo will have to be creative with how he uses it. The Chiefs secondary is the strength of the defense, and its disguises and late rotations could be big in getting Purdy to hesitate a tick. |
| Early on, I see two teams running the football against weak rush defenses. The game will be close late. But in the end, it will be Mahomes time. I can see it now: 49ers lead by three at 20-17, Mahomes with the ball at his own 25 with 2:20 left in the game and two timeouts. From there, it's Mahomes pulling out another magical moment, a surgical carving of the 49ers defense to get the Chiefs a game-winning touchdown, even though the field goal would tie it. |
| Prediction: Chiefs 24, 49ers 20 |
| 3. Las Vegas coverage: 58 bets to make, notable soundbites |
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| Here's the latest on the Super Bowl showdown, including reports straight from and around the Strip in Vegas: |
| 58 bets to make on Super Bowl 58: An expert collection of props and themed wagers for the big gameFormer MVP expects 'huge' game from Purdy: Some insight from an NFL great on the youngster's prospectsChris Jones says 49ers fans' boos 'brings a fire out': And he promises the Chiefs are 'ready for Sunday'How will K.C.'s defense slow Shanahan's attack?: Jordan Dajani gets insight from several key veterans |
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| 4. Kelce brothers: Travis predicts Jason will return in 2024 |
| Hidden in the shuffle that is Super Bowl Week, Chiefs star Travis Kelce revealed that his brother, Eagles icon Jason Kelce, may not be done with football after all. Widely believed to be hanging up the cleats after the 2023 season, the elder Kelce will most likely be on the field, playing center, when Philadelphia opens the 2024 campaign in Brazil, at least according to Travis' guess. The brothers had previously downplayed the finality of Kelce's apparent retirement on previous episodes of their "New Heights" podcast. |
| 5. Colts owner Jim Irsay 'on the mend' after illness |
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| Almost two months after he was reportedly found unresponsive in his home, the Colts' 64-year-old owner took to X (formerly Twitter) on Tuesday to assure fans he is "on the mend." Irsay had been receiving medical treatment for a severe respiratory illness, the team announced in January, after what police documented as a suspected overdose. It's unclear what Irsay may have ingested, but he was found unconscious, per police records, and has not spoken publicly since before the end of the 2023 season. |
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| 6. Extra points: Eagles' Brazil opponent, Chargers moves, more |
| Hungry for more headlines? We've got you covered: |
| Ranking Philly's potential opponents for 2024 Brazil game: There are four viable possibilities for the overseas contestMahomes identifies favorite all-time players: And former teammate Tyreek Hill cracks the QB's list of greatsJim Harbaugh makes OC, DC hires for Chargers: Greg Roman is reportedly reuniting with the ex-49ers coachWho's won the most Super Bowls of all time? Resident historian Bryan DeArdo dives back into the recordsAndy Reid downplays retirement talk: The Chiefs coach says he's not entertaining the idea of stepping down "today" |
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| | | | | Super Bowl LVIII | | The First Cut | The Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers punched their tickets to Super Bowl LVIII in Las Vegas as each team hopes to hoist the Lombardi Trophy and celebrate as it rains confetti in Las Vegas at Super Bowl LVIII. Want to know how to tune in for Super Bowl 58? We've got you covered!
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