5. Know The NFL In Brazil Plus 8 Takeaways From Kansas City Chiefs' Wild Opening Win vs Ravens

Welcome to another edition of Pick Six newsletter! Football truly is a game of inches, as the Ravens discovered when their loss to Kansas City on Thursday night left them frustrated but determined for another go at redemption in 2016. On the final play of the game, Isaiah Likely appeared to catch a game-tying touchdown pass but his toes were out of bounds; had his shoe been two sizes smaller, perhaps they might have won! Moral of this tale: He requires smaller shoes. Today we will analyze that play and take an in-depth look back at Kansas City’s 27-20 win, not to mention taking you all on an amazing Brazilian journey in our newsletter! Since our budget doesn’t allow me to take you all to Brazil, instead we will discuss the Packers-Eagles game which kicks off tonight from Sao Paulo and be discussing it all together. You should tell all your friends to sign up for my newsletter; simply click here! 1. Recapping Chiefs Win Over Ravens: 7 Things To Keep In Mind (left and Patrick Mahomes in picture above). 2. Recapping Patriots Win vs Bears (Part One and Two). 3. Examining The Eagles-Both Players are visible below (left and Mahomes in picture above),
Getty Images The Baltimore Ravens 2024 season opened the same way their previous campaign had concluded – with an unfortunate seven-point defeat at the hands of Kansas City.
If you missed it, here’s an outline: Ravens lose by inches on an unpredictable final play of the game: With five seconds left and possession on Kansas City’s 10-yard line for Baltimore to pass to Lamar Jackson who attempted a pass intended for Isaiah Likely of which did not go for touchdown despite appearing to hit it and appear set up what looked like being game-tying pass to Likely; Lamar failed and ended up scoring only an inch-short of scoring touchdown on what appeared like game-tying play before time expired and time ran out on Kansas City on an unpredictable final play that went over into overtime and decidedly back outsh for good this time around; After reviewing, however, Likely was ruled incomplete due to his toe being out-of-bounds by just centimeters – this play can be seen here for better perspective). Had the catch stood, John Harbaugh would have attempted for two-point conversion; instead the game concluded as soon as Likely’s pass went incomplete and John Harbaugh failed on an incompletion play. Lamar Jackson had an uneven performance last night. The Ravens quarterback finished up by throwing three consecutive incompletions from 10-yard line; one such play saw Zay Flowers wide open in the end zone (you can view that here). Jackson actually claimed he intended to throw it towards Rashod Bateman, further compounding his poor throw. Prior to that play, Jackson also missed Likely in the end zone. Overall, Jackson completed 1 of 8 red zone passes at 13% completion rate – one of his lowest single-game percentages ever in franchise history. At times he struggled to throw downfield while also losing one fumble early on; nevertheless he provided numerous memorable plays throughout. He kept the Ravens afloat with his legs on an evening when he ran 16 times for 122 yards and also threw for 273 yards and one touchdown – not bad considering all eyes were focused on Derrick Henry’s debut! Instead, it was Likely who stole the show! Likely caught nine passes for 111 yards – including one 49-yard touchdown that brought Baltimore back into contention during the second half. Additionally, Likely came close to scoring another touchdown that could have tied up the game at any given moment. Henry scored Baltimore’s opening touchdown but only carried 13 times for 46 yards overall. Patrick Mahomes may have found an ideal target with Henry as the Chiefs QB finished 20 of 28 passes for 291 yards and one score. Rashee Rice was Mahomes’ go-to receiver last season. She caught seven passes for 102 yards – no other Chiefs player could match her performance! In spite of facing legal troubles before last season’s arrival, Rice finished second overall among Chiefs players for receptions. With his performance Thursday night, Kansas City rookie Xavier Worthy may end up leading them this year. Although only touching the ball three times throughout the game, Worthy made every touch count and made himself known to opponents and teammates alike. Worthy made history on Thursday by scoring on both his running (you can view that play here) and receiving (two passes for 47 yards in an end zone touchdown), becoming only the third receiver since 1970 to score both types of TDs on his NFL debut. Rick Upchurch accomplished it for the Broncos in 1975 and James Brim did it with the Vikings in 1987). New kickoff rule ends up being ineffective. The NFL implemented its revised kickoff rule with hopes it would bring increased returns, yet none was seen on Thursday night. On only two out of 11 kickoffs during Thursday’s game were returned — which represented 22% of kicks returned last season (a record low) while NFL officials wanted more kickoff returns with 18% returned this time around – leaving Ravens exposed under new officiating emphasis. As part of its 2024 season-opener, the NFL instructed officiating crews to be vigilant for illegal formation penalties, with five penalties against Baltimore Ravens during opening week as opposed to no flaggings against Kansas City Chiefs for improper formation penalties. Ronnie Stanley of the Ravens offensive line wasn’t pleased about their differences with officials as he felt as though they were trying to make an example out of him and shoot themselves in the foot by losing control. They shot themselves in the foot. At its heart, this game ultimately came down to errors: Ravens made some costly ones while Chiefs didn’t. In the first half, the Ravens experienced an unprecedented downfall as they lost a fumble by Jackson that led directly to a Chiefs field goal and failed on fourth down attempts on consecutive possessions. Justin Tucker missed an attempt from 53 yards, becoming just 1 for 6 on his previous seven attempts from beyond 50 yards. Furthermore, Taylor Swift WAS present at this game; she has now helped lead her Chiefs to 11-3 victories when attending games as an audience member! To gain more of our key takeaways from this game, be sure to click here. 2. NFL to invade Brazil: Eagles-Packers matchup in Sao Paulo For the first time ever, the National Football League (NFL) will hold an exhibition game in South America when Philadelphia Eagles face Green Bay Packers this Friday in Sao Paulo – this marks only its seventh week one game since 1970 being scheduled on a Friday!
If you want to watch this game on television, make alternate plans: it won’t be broadcast. Instead, the matchup will stream exclusively via Peacock (although Philadelphia and Green Bay residents can watch via TV). Tonight is what to watch out for as Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Saquon Barkley makes his Eagles debut and could make an immediate statement against a Packers defense that gave up fifth most rushing yards last season. Here’s what to keep an eye out for tonight. The Packers scored just 181 total rushing yards last season against Barkley; so Barkley may find success against them right off the bat! Last season, when their opponents allowed 145 or more yards on the ground against them, the Packers went 2-5-1 against Philly rushing attacks with that total or greater than that total allowed. If Barkley is singled out and dealt with first by Packers’ defensive players then A.J. can thrive for Philly’s offense. Brown and Devonta Smith could make plays. Offensive coordinator Kellen Moore may provide some learning curve for Philadelphia as they adjust. Why the Packers Can Win: Jordan Love may decide this matchup! QB Russell Wilson had one of the strongest second halves of last season in terms of quarterback performance in the NFL, facing an Eagles defense which allowed second most passing yards over all. The Eagles have revised their secondary, with Quinyon Mitchell starting and Cooper Dejean likely seeing ample playing time as rookies; Love should take full advantage of it against this defense. You can get a complete preview from Cody Benjamin by clicking here; their first game in South America has certainly been exciting so far! Eagles were instructed not to wear green. Since Corinthians arena is home to Brazilian soccer team Corinthians – with whom there exists an intense rivalry – any efforts towards wearing green in that stadium would likely cause offense and should therefore be discouraged by wearing an Eagle jersey in green. According to the Associated Press, Corinthians specifically asked the Eagles not to wear green during tonight’s match against Corinthians; their colors being black and white so the Eagles decided on wearing this uniform for tonight (black helmet, white jersey and black pants). Packers to wear green uniform on road trip per NFL rules | View story on Packers wearing their green jersey during road games here Today’s game could prove particularly difficult for Green Bay as Sao Paulo traffic could take anywhere between 1.5 to two hours to arrive at their stadium, according to Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports lead NFL insider services. That puts Philadelphia ahead slightly. One would assume the Packers would stay closer to their stadium; however, instead they chose a hotel further from it. Also banned in Brazil. NFL reporters currently in Brazil won’t be able to provide updates using Twitter due to it being banned there – this should make for some interesting interactions between Packers and Eagles social media teams as they try to manage things together. Players were less-than enthusiastic about traveling to Brazil. Darius Slay of the Eagles expressed concern about Brazil’s high crime rate; many other players agreed and suggested spending most of the trip inside their hotel room due to fear. Things so far are proceeding smoothly on this trip and by its conclusion it won’t come as any shock if players change their views about this visit to Brazil. NFL is planning a return visit. Roger Goodell recently disclosed in an interview that the NFL intends to host seven international games by 2025; one such contest may occur in Brazil (more information here). Finally, for anyone curious as to who we’re picking tonight: Cody has taken the Packers 27-26 over Eagles while Myke favors Eagles 27-24 as her pick on our CBS Sports Picks Page; six of our eight experts picked Packers to win as you can view in our Week 1 picks page here.
3. NFL Week 1 Picks: Steelers and Lions Both Lose Dan Campbell of the Lions (right). Getty Images.
Today we are giving out free picks that I believe everyone loves reading; that is why we gathered five NFL experts – Pete Prisco, Will Brinson, Jordan Dajani, Tyler Sullivan and myself — and asked each one kindly for one pick for our newsletter. I will present one pick from each expert before providing their full Week 1 predictions; that way if their selection agrees with yours you can continue browsing all their Week 1 picks while otherwise just ignore those you dislike and continue your day-by-day journey!
Pete Prisco — Falcons (+3) 23-17 over Steelers. According to Prisco: Wilson and the Steelers hadn’t looked sharp during preseason play while Cousins is back from an Achilles injury that sidelined him completely for months prior. “Falcons should beat Steelers 27-17 with Wilson turning over. Falcons win it at home.” For Prisco’s complete Week 1 picks, click here.Tyler Sullivan picked Texans (-2.5) over Colts 27-17 as his pick for Week 1. From Sullivan: Houston has won and covered in its last eight AFC South games while Indianapolis remains winless against the spread since 2015. Check back with him next week for all his Week 1 picks here. For Will Brinson’s pick against Bears (+3.5 points), click here. Brinson writes: “Everyone loves the Bears this year, which is understandable given their strong start under Caleb Williams at quarterback – though expectations might become overinflated given he is still relatively inexperienced as an NFL quarterback.” Any dip in performance wouldn’t come as an unexpected shock either! Brinson offers his Week 1 best bets here. Jordan Dajani recommends backing Dolphins (-3.5) over Jaguars 30-24 as his pick. According to Dajani: The Dolphins boast one of the league’s most explosive offenses while Anthony Weaver from Baltimore now leads their defense. Dajani recommends Miami in Week 1, given their track record as favorites with Tua Tagovailoa starting. Click here for his other Week 1 bets: John Breech prefers Rams (+3) over Lions (30-27). Matthew Stafford no doubt circled this game on his calendar the second the schedule was released in May, having lost out against them during last year’s playoffs and wanting a victory against them once and for all. 4. Week 1 picks may not make up for playoff losses, but will still provide comforting relief. Click here for my Week 1 selections; for additional NFL picks visit CBSSports.com’s picks page here. 4. Quarterbacks Looking to Prove themselves in 2024Almost every quarterback in the NFL — save for Patrick Mahomes — appears eager to prove themselves this season. Who do these players need to prove? Cody Benjamin suggested some names such as Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers. Rodgers doesn’t have much left to prove in terms of career achievement; he’s already on track for inclusion into the Pro Football Hall of Fame as one of football’s premier precision passers. Late-career legacies depend heavily on whether or not he lives up to the Super Bowl hopes that quickly emerged in New Jersey after being traded from Green Bay Packers in 2023. Rodgers, 41 and just weeks removed from an Achilles tear that limited him to four snaps during his Gang Green debut, is determined to prove to everyone – both inside and outside his organization – that he still possesses what it takes as the headlining quarterback of an effective playoff-caliber lineup. “Steelers QB Russell Wilson. Wilson earned himself a one-year, prove-it contract after narrowly beating Justin Fields to secure one in an outcast summer competition, once offering dual threat magic as part of an elite Steelers offense. At 35, however, it may well be his last chance at an elite job on such an unspectacular team.” Deshaun Watson of the Browns. Since being acquired from Texas, former Texans star Deshaun Watson has delivered little for Cleveland: Barely 12 healthy games of availability with 59% completion rates & nearly as many turnovers (11) than touchdown throws (14). It would definitely pay to review Cody’s full list here:
5. NFL Coaches in Hot Water heading Into 2024Cowboys Head Coach Mike McCarthy will face scrutiny heading into 2024
Before this weekend’s Week 1 schedule begins for 30 of 32 NFL teams, several coaches already find themselves under fire. Before we dive in to Week 1, Jeff Kerr of this site compiled five hot seat rankings that we think could potentially put under scrutiny: Mike McCarthy of Cowboys was number one with Robert Saleh (Jets), Dennis Allen (Saints), Nick Sirianni of Eagles and Brian Daboll (Giants). Here is our initial hot seat rankings list heading into week 1. Here they are in alphabetical order as ranked according to Jeff Kerr: Mike McCarthy Cowboys 2. Robert Saleh (Jets), Dennis Allen (Saints), Nick Sirianni of Eagles) 5. Brian Daboll (Giants).
If you want to understand why 75% of the NFC East made Kerr’s list, click here and read his explanation of his rankings. 6. Extra points: Russell Wilson Dealing With Calf IssueIt has been an eventful 24 hours in the NFL, making it nearly impossible to stay informed with everything happening so here is my attempt at summarizing everything: Wilson could miss first start for Steelers Wilson reported to his team Thursday morning that they are limited in practice due to tightness in his calf which initially affected him early during training camp and still affects him now – an unfavorable sign indeed! If Wilson can’t go, Justin Fields would replace him in their opening matchup against Atlanta Falcons. Jalen Ramsey also received an extension. The Dolphins announced on Wednesday they have reached an agreement with Ramsey that will see him receive an estimated annual average salary of $24.1 Million – making him the highest-paid corner in NFL. Patrick Surtain briefly held onto that honor this week before Aaron Ramsey passed him by a couple days. DeAndre Hopkins is determined to play through an MCL injury this season despite suffering an MCL tear a month ago; according to reports he’s going foreword to do just that this season. “My MCL tore four to five weeks ago; these injuries typically take one full year to heal,” Hopkins explained this week via paulkuharsky.com. “Clearly it can cause considerable pain at that point.” Hopkins remains hopeful he can play against the Bears this Sunday; if his injury worsens further, surgery could become necessary and sideline him for up to a month or more. Cowboys made significant headway in contract extension talks with Dak. With less than 48 hours left before Cowboys season kickoff, Dak Prescott may yet reach a deal. Prescott told reporters Thursday that both parties are working tirelessly towards reaching an agreement. Meanwhile, Chiefsaholic Xaviar Babudar received nearly 20-year prison term on Thursday for participating in 11 bank robberies that occurred across seven different states – you can read about his case here.

Unfortunately for her, that time had come. Now the house will fall to pieces…