NFL

Prisco’s Week 5 picks including Nathanial Hackett Bowl, latest QB Power Rankings, Patriots trade for ex-star

by
SaC Bot
October 4, 2023

Happy Wednesday, folks. Unfortunately, we still don’t know when the real Joe Burrow will show up in 2023, which is why John Breech is taking another day off to breathe deeply and slowly. In the meantime, you’ve got me, Cody Benjamin, to deliver 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 Week 5 predictions, updated quarterback power rankings, a big Patriots trade, and 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 Prisco’s latest Power Rankings, surveying which teams are legit and which ones are in legit trouble going into Week 5. Some highlights:

The guys aren’t sure Prisco is right to have the Giants above the Jets, with Brinson noting that Big Blue has been “terrible for three and a half games.” Breech compares the G-Men to the Jaguars with Blake Bortles, when Jacksonville “dug their own grave” by committing to Bortles following a single playoff run.
Any chance the Vikings keep climbing out of their 1-3 hole, hosting Kansas City in Week 5? Not according to Prisco, who’s all-in on the Chiefs finding their championship footing: “I think Patrick Mahomes is gonna light ’em up this week.”
If the Cowboys beat the 49ers, Wilson believes they have a strong case to be at the top of the pecking order, just because San Francisco is such a well-oiled machine. Prisco credits most of the 49ers’ success to Kyle Shanahan’s “well-designed” offense.

Catch the full episode (and subscribe for all kinds of daily NFL talk) right here.

2. Prisco’s Week 5 picks: Steelers upset Ravens, Jets stun Broncos

Pete Prisco is promising a surge in successful picks against the spread for the month of October. He’s starting off the month with predictions for every single Week 5 matchup. Here’s a sampling:

Steelers 20, Ravens 17: This marks consecutive road games for the Ravens, but they played well at Cleveland. They faced a backup quarterback, and might do so here. Lamar Jackson and the offense seem to be getting it going in Todd Monken’s system. But something says the Steelers regroup in this one, no matter who plays quarterback for them.
Jets 21, Broncos 18: This is the Nathanial Hackett Bowl, given that name because Broncos coach Sean Payton lit up Hackett for his coaching job in Denver last season. Hackett is now the Jets offensive coordinator. Payton is 1-3 and his team hasn’t looked good. The Jets played well in losing to the Chiefs last Sunday night. That will carry over here.
49ers 26, Cowboys 20: This is the game of the week, a rematch of San Francisco’s playoff victory last year. The 49ers are rolling right now and the Cowboys are coming off a beatdown of the Patriots. But this is a tough task on the road. Look for the 49ers to get the best of it again as Christian McCaffrey continues his MVP play.

3. Chargers trade disgruntled J.C. Jackson back to Patriots

In the last few weeks alone, the former All-Pro cornerback was benched, deactivated and targeted with an arrest warrant. Now, Jackson is heading back to his original team, with New England acquiring the cover man in a swap of future late-round draft picks. The Chargers will absorb most of Jackson’s remaining salary from an $82.5 million deal he signed just a year and a half ago. Their marriage never panned out, and now Jackson will help fill in for an injured Christian Gonzalez under Bill Belichick.

4. QB Power Rankings: Josh Allen surges into top three; Jordan Love falls

Every week throughout the 2023 season, we rank all 32 starting signal-callers, telling the story of their rise and fall. This week, Allen is one of the biggest movers, leaping into the top three, thanks to his dominant gun-slinging against the Dolphins. Love, meanwhile, fell more than a dozen spots, carrying a league-worst completion percentage into Week 5. Here’s a look at some other movers:

3. Bills’ Josh Allen (+6)
7. Eagles’ Jalen Hurts (+4)
10. Vikings’ Kirk Cousins (-4)
13. Buccaneers’ Baker Mayfield (+3)
16. Packers’ Jordan Love (-13)

Catch the full 1-32 rundown, with explanations for each QB, right here.

5. Bills’ Von Miller pushing for Week 5 return vs. Jaguars

The star pass rusher has only been an occasional on-field force for Buffalo since landing his $120 million deal in 2022, largely due to injuries. But Miller is eyeing his 2023 debut this weekend, telling reporters this week that fans “can expect to see Von Miller in London,” where the Bills are set to take on the Jaguars in Week 5. That suggests a full-on activation from the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list, which required Miller to sit out the first four games of the season as he recovered from a knee injury.