The NFL has a COVID-19 outbreak, plus Super Bowl best bets, Week 15 predictions and contenders for league MVP

Hello and a happy Wednesday to all of you fine folks on the receiving end of my digital correspondence. John Breech is taking the day off to sort through all of the Bengals‘ playoff scenarios, so you’ve got me, Cody Benjamin, to guide you through all the latest 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 of everything you need to know around the NFL.)

We’ve got Super Bowl best bets, Week 15 predictions, updates on the Browns‘ COVID outbreak and more:

1. Today’s show: Which teams are best bets to win Super Bowl?

Brady Quinn joined Will Brinson on Wednesday’s “Pick Six NFL Podcast” for a deep dive into a couple of hot topics. Does Urban Meyer actually deserve the benefit of the doubt in Jacksonville? And which teams are best bets to win it all? Here are some highlights of the conversation:

• Brady thinks the Rams‘ win over the Cardinals could set them on a “warpath” that leads all the way to the NFC Championship: “They could be that hot team that Tampa Bay was a year ago.”
• Will isn’t buying Arizona as a true title contender, mainly because Kyler Murray and Kliff Kingsbury have no playoff experience.
• Brady is out on the Bills as contenders, too, noting how problematic it is that they “can’t run the football and can’t stop the run.”

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

2. Prisco’s Picks: Colts upset Patriots, Rams edge Seahawks

Pete Prisco went 10-4 making straight-up picks in Week 14. Now, he’s back to predict every single game on the Week 15 slate. Here are some of his boldest calls:

• Colts 24, Patriots 20: The Patriots were dominant in the wind last game against the Bills with their run game. They will try and use that again here to key the offense, but it won’t be nearly as successful. The Colts will do the same with Jonathan Taylor.
• Steelers 26, Titans 20: The motivation factor goes to the Steelers. I think that matters. The Steelers will play good defense, and they will be able to do just enough on offense to pull this one out.
• Rams 29, Seahawks 26: The Rams are due for a big letdown and Russell Wilson is playing well now after his finger injury slowed him some. The Rams will win it late, but Seattle will keep it close.

3. Insider notes: NFL discussing changes to COVID-19 protocols

The NFL suddenly has something of a COVID crisis on its hands, as CBS Sports NFL insider Jason La Canfora reported Wednesday, with league execs scrambling to quiet surges in positive tests and avoid potential scheduling mishaps. Teams are hopeful for updates to COVID protocols at this week’s NFL meetings, La Canfora says:

(Many) of them fear that the situation in the final weeks could threaten to derail games, and seasons, far more even than this virus did a year ago, because of the lack of more stringent protocols in place. … Bottom line, competitive balance has been, and will be impacted by COVID unless some changes are made ASAP. Nothing is foolproof, but clearly there are major holes in a system in which vaccinated players are only being tested once a week, and the only teams that are in intensive protocols are already dealing with outbreaks. Not particularly proactive.

4. Browns COVID outbreak: Mayfield, Stefanski sidelined

The Browns play the Raiders on Saturday, but they might be fielding a whole new team when they do it. A day after eight players landed on COVID reserve, quarterback Baker Mayfield and head coach Kevin Stefanski also tested positive for COVID-19. Neither will be available for Week 15 unless they test negative for COVID two times, 24 hours apart, before then.

In total, the Browns have more than a dozen players potentially out due to COVID. The list includes wide receiver Jarvis Landry, tight end Austin Hooper, All-Pro guard Wyatt Teller, left tackle Jedrick Wills Jr. and cornerback Troy Hill. As of now, the NFL has no plans to reschedule the game, but it’s clear Vegas will have an advantage in depth.

5. MVP watch: Brady now clear favorite over Rodgers

Jared Dubin has been collecting staff votes for 2021 NFL MVP, and for a while, it looked like a legitimate three-man race between Tom Brady, Aaron Rodgers and Kyler Murray. Now? Father Time himself (that would be Brady) appears to be distancing himself. Brady received 10 out of 12 first-place votes from our staff entering Week 15. Here’s the top five from Dubin’s roundup:

1. Buccaneers QB Tom Brady (58 points)
2. Packers QB Aaron Rodgers (44)
3. Colts RB Jonathan Taylor (21)
4. Cardinals QB Kyler Murray (18)
5. Rams QB Matthew Stafford (9)

6. Rapid-fire roundup: QB rankings, 2022 mock draft, more

Hungry for more NFL content? Go ahead and chew on these headlines:

• COVID-19 tracker: Mayfield, OBJ among more than 80 players on COVID list
• QB Power Rankings: Matthew Stafford is back in the top 10 as Brady, Rodgers lead the pack
• Bruce Arians undecided on Antonio Brown’s future: The Bucs’ wideout is serving a three-game suspension
• 2022 draft needs: Josh Edwards takes an early look at each club’s potential draft focus
• 2022 mock draft: Chris Trapasso has the Giants and Panthers taking a QB early