John Madden graces cover of ‘Madden NFL 23’, plus how big-name QBs will change their new teams

Hello everyone, and happy June! The summer is upon us, and football is just around the corner. John Breech is busy buying Bengal stripe swimsuits, so you’ve got me, Cody Benjamin, to deliver 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 NFC East predictions, Deshaun Watson news, QB analysis and much more:

1. Today’s show: Projecting NFC East win totals

Ryan Wilson and John Breech took over the “Pick Six NFL Podcast” on Wednesday to forecast final records in the NFC East, where there hasn’t been a repeat division champion since the 2001-2004 Eagles. Some highlights:

• Breech is buying into the Cowboys as division favorites: “One reason the Cowboys were so good last year is they went 6-0 in the division. Dak Prescott has been dominating the NFC East for so long … If they go 5-1, then guess what? They only have to go 6-5 to hit that over (10.5), and I see no reason why they can’t do that with this schedule.”
• Wilson is staying away from the Commanders, suggesting Carson Wentz might be an outright downgrade from Taylor Heinicke at quarterback. He projects them getting worse after a 7-10 finish in 2021, predicting a 6-11 record this time around.
• The Eagles have gotten a lot of buzz as a team on the rise lately, and while Breech believes they can hit their over and go 10-7 to build off 2021, he’s wary of crowning them legitimate contenders: “They didn’t beat any good teams (in 2021). Even though they’re better, can they beat the good teams? … Their schedule sets up well for another successful year. (But) can they beat a playoff team? I don’t know.”

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

2. Deshaun Watson facing more lawsuits alleging sexual misconduct

The controversy around the new Browns QB isn’t going away anytime soon. The NFL is reportedly close to wrapping up its own investigation of the ex-Texans star, who isn’t facing criminal charges but rather 22 civil lawsuits alleging sexual assault or misconduct. But now a 23rd accuser has filed suit in the wake of an HBO interview with one of Watson’s alleged victims, and a 24th is on the way, per attorney Tony Buzbee. Watson has denied accusations and expressed zero regret for what he’s deemed select consensual encounters with private massage therapists. It’s widely expected he will face some kind of NFL suspension, even after Cleveland committed a record $230 million to the QB after acquiring him via trade this spring.

3. How the big-name QB additions change their new teams

Chris Trapasso has explored the most notable veteran QB changes from this offseason to unpack the biggest way each signal-caller will affect his new lineup. Here’s a sneak peek at his analysis:

• Russell Wilson (Broncos): Off-script brilliance — Even now, well into his 30s, Wilson is one of the NFL’s most prolific creators. Over the past four seasons, of the 23 QBs with 150 or more outside-of-pocket throws, Wilson has made the second-most attempts (443) and is fifth in QB rating (98) in those scenarios.
• Matt Ryan (Colts): Sound play at home — On over 3,000 regular-season pass attempts … Ryan’s quarterback rating is five points higher and yards-per-attempt average is more than a half-yard better in a dome than outdoors.
• Carson Wentz (Commanders): Arm talent — It’s been a decade since Washington has had a starting quarterback with an above-average arm … (Wentz’s) ability to effortlessly push the ball downfield, routinely make long throws toward the sideline from the far hash, etc. will give the Commanders a look we haven’t seen in quite some time.

4. Washington updates: House investigation, new stadium plans

Lots to report out of the D.C. area, where the Commanders have made more off-field headlines. Here are the two biggest stories:

• House committee requests Roger Goodell, Daniel Snyder testify: The Oversight Committee, which has been investigating the Commanders”http://www.cbssports.com/”hostile workplace culture,” as well as the NFL’s handling of it, since last season, issued letters Wednesday to Snyder and the NFL commissioner, asking them to appear at a June 22 hearing to address the matters. The committee is seeking to “explore how Congress can act to prevent employers from silencing victims of workplace misconduct and ensure that what happened at the Commanders organization does not happen again.”
• Commanders’ new stadium could be smallest in NFL: Team brass has promised a state-of-the-art complex when the club eventually moves out of FedExField in Landover, Maryland, but they apparently weren’t referring to stadium size. The Richmond Times-Dispatch reports the Commanders recently acquired land in Prince William County, Virginia, and are proposing a 55,000-seat stadium, which would be the smallest in the league.

5. ‘Madden 23’ features John Madden’s return to cover, game

On the 34th anniversary of the first “Madden” game hitting shelves, EA Sports announced Wednesday that the late John Madden himself will be honored in this year’s “Madden NFL 23,” not only as the cover man for three different designs but as an honorary in-game icon. Madden’s voice will be back in the game for the first time in more than a decade thanks to remastered audio clips from his days as an NFL broadcaster, and the game will also include a special “All-Madden” all-star experience with two versions of Coach Madden leading two teams are all-star players at the 1970 Oakland Coliseum, where he long led the Raiders.

6. Najee Harris bulks up to Jerome Bettis size in Pittsburgh

Here’s a safe bet: the Steelers are gonna play old-school football in 2022. One reason: their No. 1 running back, Najee Harris, hasn’t just sought mentorship from former team great Jerome Bettis, but he’s also bulked up to Bettis’ size. As The Athletic reported this week, the second-year back is up to 244 pounds, roughly four pounds heavier than Harris weighed as a first-round rookie and one pound heavier than “The Bus” when the Hall of Fame ball-carrier arrived in Pittsburgh in 1996.