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Happy midweek, everyone! John Breech is busy deciding which Joe Burrow jersey he's going to wear this Sunday (or so we think), so today's Pick Six newsletter is brought to you by Cody Benjamin, with tidbits on all the latest from around the NFL.

Be sure to subscribe right here, to ensure you never miss a daily dose of NFL updates. And keep on reading for everything from Pete Prisco's first picks of the 2025 season to our first edition of Quarterback Power Rankings:

1. Prisco's Week 1 picks: Eagles edge Cowboys in opener

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Real football is finally upon us! Which means it's time for Pete Prisco to restart his annual tradition of forecasting each and every game. All of Prisco's Week 1 picks are now in. Here are a couple of his most notable predictions:

  • Eagles 27, Cowboys 24: The Eagles are the defending champs, which is why they open at home here. They are again loaded and have the look of a team that can repeat. The Cowboys are coming off trading Micah Parsons last week, which could impact the team psyche, but I don't think it will. Dak Prescott will keep Dallas in it, but the Eagles get to 1-0.
  • Chiefs 30, Chargers 21: The Chiefs appear to have solved their offensive line issues while the Chargers suffered a big loss there losing Rashawn Slater for the season. That matters. Patrick Mahomes with time is a bad thing for a defense. and he will have that here as he gets off to a fast start in a season where he will rack up big numbers again. Chiefs take it.
  • Jets 20, Steelers 16: This is the return of Aaron Rodgers to face the Jets in what should be the top storyline to highlight the game. But it's also Jets quarterback Justin Fields against his former team from last season. This has the look of a defensive battle with the Jets finding a way at home.

2. Upset alert: These favorites could drop their season opener

Who says the oddsmakers have it right? Tyler Sullivan combed through the entire slate of Week 1 matchups to identify top upset candidates. Here are a few favorites he thinks could go down in the first game of the year:

  • 49ers (-2.5) vs. Seahawks: The Niners are primed for a bounce-back year after they were ravaged by injuries in 2024. But I've also done a 180 on the Seahawks as the season has drawn closer. At the time, I wasn't the biggest fan of swapping out Geno Smith for Sam Darnold, but what if it works? The Seattle ground game could also be lethal with Kenneth Walker III and Zach Charbonnet as a two-headed monster.
  • Packers (-2.5) vs. Lions: The Packers are still an unknown. Jordan Love has historically struggled out of the gate, and the club went 1-5 (0-5-1 ATS) against divisional opponents last year, which included two losses to Detroit. Yes, the Lions lost both coordinators this offseason, but they still have one of the most talented and deepest teams in the NFL. They could very well walk out of Lambeau Field with a win on Sunday.
  • Vikings (-1.5) at Bears: There's a remarkable amount of pressure on J.J. McCarthy. The Vikings quarterback is entering his first season as the full-time starter after being a first-round pick of the franchise in 2024. McCarthy missed all of his rookie season due to a knee injury, but after Minnesota let Sam Darnold leave in free agency, he now has the keys to the offense. Despite the talent around him, to make a virtual unknown under center a road favorite seems a bit rich.

3. QB Power Rankings: Lamar Jackson starts 2025 up top

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Kim O'Reilly, CBS Sports

A new season is here, and so is our weekly rundown of all 32 signal-callers. That's right: Quarterback Power Rankings are back in full force ahead of Week 1. Who's up top to start the year? None other than Lamar Jackson, who probably should've won NFL MVP a year ago. And he's just one of four AFC superstars to grace the very top of the pecking order. Here's the full top 10:

  1. Lamar Jackson (Ravens)
  2. Josh Allen (Bills)
  3. Joe Burrow (Bengals)
  4. Patrick Mahomes (Chiefs)
  5. Jalen Hurts (Eagles)
  6. Jayden Daniels (Commanders)
  7. Jared Goff (Lions)
  8. Jordan Love (Packers)
  9. Matthew Stafford (Rams)
  10. Justin Herbert (Chargers)

Find the complete 1-32 ranking of all projected starters right here.

4. All-Breakout Team: Patriots' Drake Maye set for major leap?

We talk plenty about the big-name stars of the NFL. But sometimes it's the under-the-radar players who make an even bigger difference. Which is why Mike Renner compiled a lineup of 2025 breakout candidates. Leading the way? A certain AFC East quarterback now operating under the direction of Mike Vrabel.

Not many quarterbacks in NFL history have been poised for a bigger leap in year two than Drake Maye. That's because the Patriots have seemingly put a brand new team around him over the course of the offseason. The Patriots' final 53-man roster features four new starting offensive linemen, four new receivers and a new running back. Maye already showed an uncanny ability to create something out of nothing as a rookie; now he hopefully will have some help.

Check out Renner's full rundown of breakout candidates right here.

5. Saquon ready to run wild (again): 'Love what I'm able to do'

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The 2024 season saw Saquon Barkley find new life as a member of the Philadelphia Eagles. Now the star playmaker is free to run wild (again) after an offseason in which he all but became the face of the franchise. How, exactly, did Barkley get to this point? What childhood struggles helped fuel his meteoric surge? And why did the Eagles bother to take a lucrative chance on a running back in this day and age anyway? We unpack it all in our deep dive on the reigning Offensive Player of the Year.

6. Extra points: Belichick flops, Dart rises, Bills reunite with WR

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