Welcome to the Friday edition of the Pick Six newsletter!
It's going to be a great day for Mike McCarthy, and that's mainly because his hot seat cooled down by one degree Thursday night. If the Cowboys had lost to the Giants, Jerry Jones might have fired McCarthy on the spot, but instead, Dallas edged New York, 20-15. Dak Prescott has now beaten the Giants 13 straight times, which is tied for the second-longest winning streak by any QB against an opponent since 1950.
In today's newsletter, we'll be handing out some grades from last night's game, plus we'll be giving out some bold predictions and NFL picks for Week 4.
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1. Cowboys edge Giants: Grades and notes from Dallas' sloppy win
Going into Thursday night, the Cowboys had won six straight over the Giants; they kept their streak alive by winning a nail-biter over New York, 20-15. The Cowboys' win wasn't sealed until Daniel Jones threw an interception with just five seconds left to play.
Here are our grades from last night's game:
COWBOYS GRADE: B-
It took four weeks, but the Cowboys finally figured out how to stop the run. Sure, they were only playing the Giants, but the Cowboys still came through with an impressive performance, holding New York to just 26 yards on the ground. It was a huge step forward for a defense that had surrendered the most rushing yards in the NFL through the first three weeks. Offensively, the Cowboys weren't flashy -- they barely topped 100 yards in the second half -- but Dak Prescott did come up with two big plays with a 15-yard TD to Rico Dawdle and a 55-yard TD to CeeDee Lamb, which both came in the first half. The Cowboys didn't look overly very impressive, but they did win, and that's all that matters.
Cowboys notes
- Aubrey's amazing streak ends. The Cowboys kicker extended his own NFL record by hitting one field goal from beyond 50 yards on Thursday night, giving him 16 straight kicks from beyond 50 to start his career. However, that streak finally came to an end when he missed a 51-yarder wide right in the fourth quarter (you can see the kick here). That being said, Aubrey did hit a 60-yarder in the game, making him just the second kicker in NFL history to attempt at least three field goals from 60 yards or longer in his career AND make them all.
- Cowboys defense comes up big. The Cowboys defense wasn't just good against the run, it was great. The Giants only totaled 26 yards on 24 carries, which means they averaged just 1.08 yards per rush. That's the fewest yards per carry that the Cowboys have EVER given up in franchise history in a game where their opponent had at least 20 carries.
- Cowboys will be holding their breath after Micah Parsons injury. The Cowboys star had to be carted to the locker room after injuring his leg late in the fourth quarter. It's not clear how serious the injury is, but if Parsons has to miss any time, that would obviously be a devastating loss for the Cowboys defense. Right now, the Cowboys are fearing that Parsons has a high-ankle sprain. You can read the latest on Parsons here.
GIANTS GRADE: C
If the Giants have had one bright spot through four weeks, it's been Malik Nabers, who put on another show in this game. The Giants rookie caught 12 passes for 115 yards and was a big reason New York was able to go toe-to-toe with the Cowboys. With the Giants ground game being absolutely shut down (they were held to just 26 yards), Daniel Jones had to carry the offense, and although that worked at times -- especially when Jones was throwing to Nabers -- the Giants just couldn't finish drives. They settled for five field goals from Greg Joseph on a night where they went 0-for-2 in the red zone. Jones wasn't bad, but he struggled to throw deep, which is something he's going to need to get figured out if this offense wants to get any better. For the second time this season, the Giants played well enough to win against an NFC East opponent. Instead, they picked up a moral victory, which counts for nothing in the NFL.
Giants notes
- Malik Nabers leaves game with injury. The Giants rookie suffered a concussion in the fourth quarter that knocked him out of the game. Since the Giants will now have 10 days before their next game, there's certainly a chance he could play in Week 5 against the Seahawks, but he'll first have to make it through the NFL's five-step protocol before he can return to the field.
- Won't you be my Naber. Before leaving, the Giants rookie had a huge game. He caught 12 passes, which tied the franchise record for a single game. Nabers now has 35 receptions on the season, which is the second-most in NFL history for a rookie through four games. With Wan'Dale Robinson also catching 11 passes, the two receivers became the first pair in franchise history to both rack up at least 11 receptions in a game.
- Danny Dimes should be banned from prime time. Daniel Jones might go down as the worst prime-time quarterback in NFL history. Jones has NEVER won a Thursday game: He's 0-6 in his career, which moves him past Geno Smith for the worst record ever (Smith is 0-5). Jones is also just 1-13 in all prime-time games, which is the lowest winning percentage (.077) ever for any QB with at least 10 prime-time starts. The second-lowest percentage belongs to Andy Dalton, who's 6-21 (.222) in prime-time games in his career.
You can check out our full takeaways from the game here.
2. Justin Fields reveals three of the teams that tried to make a trade for him
When the Steelers made the trade for Justin Fields back in March, Pittsburgh only gave up a sixth-round pick to acquire the former Bears' QB, which made it seem like there wasn't much of a market. However, it looks like there were at least three other teams interested in him, and Fields revealed those teams during a recent interview with Cameron Heyward on the "Not Just Football" podcast.
- What Fields had to say. "I'm not sure of all the teams," Fields said, per NBC Sports, "but there were a lot of teams that already had solidified quarterbacks, and I didn't want to do that. Chargers were one, Ravens were another. Raiders, they talked a little bit. I don't know too much. Who else was in there, I don't know, but a lot of teams had solidified quarterbacks who just got new contracts, so I didn't want to [go] there."
- Why the Chargers and Ravens deals likely fell through. When the Bears decided they were going to trade Fields, general manager Ryan Poles said they were going to do him right, which essentially meant they were going to give him some say and weren't going to send him to a team with an established QB. The Chargers have Justin Herbert and the Ravens have Lamar Jackson, and as Fields noted, he "didn't want to do that."
- Raiders would have been an interesting option. Fields might have had a shot to start for the Raiders, but going to Las Vegas would have meant reuniting with Luke Getsy. The Raiders offensive coordinator was Fields' OC in Chicago for two seasons (2022-23), and they didn't exactly have a ton of success together, so both sides might have felt that the pairing probably wasn't going to work.
In the end, Fields definitely ended up in the best spot. He's now with the Steelers and he's off to a 3-0 start for the first time in his career. You can read our full story here on the trade options for Fields.
3. Atlanta expected to be tabbed to host Super Bowl LXII
When the NFL's 32 owners get together for the league's fall meeting next month, one of the biggest items on the docket will be handing out the hosting duties for Super Bowl LXII.
According to the Sports Business Journal, the owners are expected to approve Atlanta as the host city for the game. The fall meeting is being held in Atlanta (Oct. 15-16), so it would obviously be fitting for the owners to approve the city for Super Bowl hosting duties while they're in the Georgia capital.
If Atlanta does get the Super Bowl, it would mark the fourth time the city has hosted the game and second time Mercedes-Benz Stadium has hosted. Atlanta previously hosted Super Bowl XXVIII (Cowboys over Bills), Super Bowl XXXIV (Rams over Titans) and Super Bowl LIII (Patriots over Rams).
The city didn't host a Super Bowl from 2001 thru 2018, but Atlanta got put back in the rotation after the construction of Mercedes-Benz Stadium. The building opened in 2014 and then ended up hosting its first Super Bowl in February 2019. If Atlanta gets the game, it would mark the second time in nine years the city has hosted the Super Bowl.
Once Atlanta gets officially approved, we'll know the host city for the next four Super Bowls and here's what that looks like:
- Super Bowl LIX (February 2025): New Orleans (Caesars Superdome)
- Super Bowl LX (February 2026): Santa Clara, California (Levi's Stadium)
- Super Bowl LXI (February 2027): Inglewood, California (SoFi Stadium)
- Super Bowl LXII (February 2028): Atlanta (Mercedes-Benz Stadium)
After that, things will be up in the air, but don't be surprised if Super Bowl LXIII in February 2029 ends up in Nashville. The city is building a new stadium that's expected to be finished by February 2027.
4. NFL Week 4 picks: Commanders pull off another upset, Steelers stay undefeated
Welcome to your favorite part of the Friday newsletter, which is where I round up five NFL writers and we all make some picks for the upcoming week. Just in case you've forgotten, our five writers are: Pete Prisco, Will Brinson, Jordan Dajani, Tyler Sullivan and myself. After going 1-4 in Week 2, we rebounded in Week 3 by going 3-2 against the spread. That means we're now 7-8 ATS on the season with the picks that we've featured in this part of the newsletter (and 6-9 straight-up).
If you're new here, here's how things work: I'll give you one Week 4 pick from each writer and then direct you to the rest of their picks. That way, if you like their pick, you'll be able to click over and check out all of their Week 4 picks, but if you hate their pick, you can ignore the rest of their picks and move on with your life.
- Pete Prisco -- Saints (+1.5) 20-17 over Falcons. From Prisco: "The Saints offense came back to reality last week in the loss to the Eagles and now must play an improved Falcons defense. The Atlanta offense will be challenged, too, by a solid Saints defense. Look for a low-scoring game with the Saints pulling off the upset." For the rest of Prisco's Week 4 picks, be sure to click here.
- Tyler Sullivan -- Steelers (-2) 23-19 over Colts. From Sullivan: "Anthony Richardson has the lowest completion percentage (49.3%) and the most interceptions (6) in the NFL this season. On the flip side, Justin Fields has been playing well and keeping the Steelers offense moving at a respectable level. I'll happily lay less than a field goal in this spot." For the rest of Sullivan's Week 4 picks, be sure to click here.
- Will Brinson -- Seahawks at Lions UNDER 46.5 total points. From Brinson: "Mike Macdonald's defense won't give up a ton of shot plays to the Lions offense, leading to a slower game environment than we might expect."
- Jordan Dajani -- Commanders (+3.5) 30-26 over Cardinals. From Dajani: "The Cardinals are a feisty team, but it seemingly depends on the week. They had ample opportunity to come back against the Lions on Sunday, but the offense scored just two field goals over the final three quarters. Washington can be a feisty team too, and I love getting the hook at 3.5." For the rest of Dajani's Week 4 best bets, be sure to click here.
- John Breech -- Ravens (-2.5) 23-20 over Bills. The Ravens ran the ball on 45 of their 60 plays against the Cowboys in Week 3, and I won't be surprised if they run it EVEN MORE this week. If the Ravens can run the ball, that will burn the clock while keeping Josh Allen off the field, which would be a win-win situation for them. For the rest of my Week 4 picks, be sure to click here.
For more Week 4 NFL picks, you can check out out our CBSSports.com picks hub here.
5. NFL bold predictions for Week 4
After giving you some bold predictions for Week 3 last Friday, Garrett Podell is back with five more for Week 4. And if last week is any indication, he might nail them all. In Week 3, Garrett correctly predicted that Andy Dalton would lead the Panthers to an upset over the Raiders. He also predicted that the Vikings would beat the Texans as an underdog. You want more? Our resident Nostradamus said Quentin Johnston would score a touchdown, and he ended up scoring the Chargers' only TD of the game against Pittsburgh.
Here's a look at his predictions for Week 4:
- 1. Packers beat Vikings no matter who's playing QB for Green Bay. "Malik Willis has filled the void left by Jordan Love's absence admirably in victories against the Colts and Titans the last two weeks. His 9.8 yards per pass attempt and 9.5 yards per carry both lead the NFL since Week 2 among players to have a minimum of 12 attempts for each category. ... But If Love does play on Sunday, that's a clear advantage for the Packers. LaFleur and Love made a mockery of Flores' defense in Week 17 last season, throwing for 256 yards and three touchdowns on 24 of 33 passing in a 33-10 Packers road win over the Vikings on New Year's Eve"
- 2. Panthers win again: Andy Dalton gets revenge on the Bengals. "In his first start in a year, Andy Dalton became the first quarterback to throw for 300 or more yards (319) and three or more touchdowns (three) in a game this season. ... Now, Carolina will face a Bengals defense that surrendered 38 points, 22 first downs, three touchdowns in three red zone drives, three fourth-down conversions while forcing zero punts against the Commanders in Week 3. If Dalton beats the Bengals, Cincinnati will be 0-4 this season. The last time the Bengals started 0-4, Andy Dalton was their starting QB (2019, started season 0-11). Time is a flat circle, and Dalton will have a hand in the Bengals going 0-4 once again."
- 3. Chargers upset Chiefs... but only if Justin Herbert plays. "If Herbert, who was limited in practice on Wednesday and Thursday this week with the ankle injury, can suit up on Sunday, the Chargers will snap the defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs' nine-game winning streak. Jim Harbaugh's bunch has been stout defensively, ranking third in scoring defense (11.0 PPG allowed) and sixth in rushing defense (91.7) this season. That group will face a Chiefs team that has been begging for someone to beat them throughout their nine-game winning streak, as they have the smallest margin of victory in a 9-0 stretch in NFL history (+54)."
Garrett made a total of five bold predictions for Week 4, and you check out all of them here.
6. Extra points: Dolphins don't know who QB will be in Week 4
It's been a busy 24 hours in the NFL, and since it's nearly impossible to keep track of everything that happened, I went ahead and put together a roundup for you.
- Dolphins dealing with a QB dilemma. The Dolphins don't play until Monday this week, which is probably for the best, because Mike McDaniel is going to need that extra day to figure out who his starting QB is going to be. Skylar Thompson started in Week 3, but he's dealing with a rib injury. If he can't go, then Tyler Huntley or Tim Boyle will start against the Titans on Monday night.
- Rex Ryan says Cowboys were too cheap to hire him. The Cowboys could have hired Rex Ryan to be their defensive coordinator, but that didn't happen, because the team is apparently too cheap. "They couldn't pony up the money, or I would've been there," Ryan said this week. The Cowboys ended up hiring former Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer for the job, which is a move Ryan wasn't impressed with. You can read Ryan's full comments here.
- Austin Ekeler ruled out for Week 4. Ekeler had a huge game in Week 3 against the Bengals with 119 total yards, including a key 62-yard kickoff return, but he won't be on the field in Week 4. The running back has already been ruled out of Sunday's game against the Cardinals due to a concussion.
- 49ers could get back two of their offensive stars this week. George Kittle (hamstring) and Deebo Samuel (calf) both returned to practice Thursday, which will open the door for them to possibly play Sunday against the Patriots. Kittle and Samuel both missed last week's loss to the Rams due to their respective injuries. On the other hand, the 49ers are dealing with two new defensive injuries after linebacker Curtis Robinson and defensive tackle Jordan Elliott both got hurt in practice Thursday.
- Packers' opponent is planning to do Lambeau Leap. Aaron Jones will be returning to Lambeau Field on Sunday, and if he scores a touchdown, he has made it clear that he'll "definitely" be attempting a Lambeau Leap. The running back spent the first seven seasons of his career in Green Bay before signing with the Vikings in the offseason. It will be interesting to see how Packers' fans respond if he attempts to pull off the leap. You can read more about Jones' return to Green Bay here.
