As we look ahead to Sunday’s Week 6 NFL slate, Michael Lombardi and co-host Grace Remington examine the biggest storylines circulating the league on The GM Shuffle.
The biggest storyline of this week was a surprise to all of us in the sports world — the New York Jets firing of Robert Saleh. Grace Remington asked Lombardi what his reaction to the news on Tuesday was. He responded, “Why now? Why didn’t the Jets fire him at the end of the 2023 season?” He added, “What more did they see that he was going to change?” Lombardi references his take from last year in Week 1 when Rodgers went down with his Achilles injury: The Jets still have a good team and the coach is NOT off the hook even in light of his starting quarterback going down. Rodgers’ injury last year ultimately created an opportunity to show that Saleh can coach leaning on the running game and the Jets defense, but to no avail.
Lombardi also puts to rest the rumors that Rodgers had something to do with the firing of Saleh when, in essence, he believes it was Woody Johnson, the Jets’ co-owner, who played a key role in the debacle. He adds that he believes Johnson will make decisions based on what he wants to do, not what he hears from others. Lombardi also adds that he believes Johnson did not like Saleh. Furthermore, the players in the locker room discussing the lack of accountability may have been the final straw when deciding to move on from Saleh. This mirrors Lombardi’s take from Thursday’s Pregame PowerUp on DKN.
Meanwhile, the Las Vegas Raiders will start a new quarterback in Aidan O’Connell on Sunday versus the Steelers, who are 3-point favorites at DraftKings Sportsbook. As Minshew Mania in Las Vegas ends, Remington asked Lombardi what he thought of the quarterback change. He acknowledged that the Raiders’ biggest problem isn’t at quarterback. It’s that they can’t run the ball. He adds they are 30th in rushing attempts and 30th in rushing yards and due to them being limited at quarterback, they HAVE to find a way to run the football. As far as the defense, Lombardi says the Raiders’ defense has regressed from last year, ultimately stifling the progress they made.
The discussion shifts to the matchup between the matchup between the New England Patriots and the Houston Texans in which Patriots rookie quarterback Drake Maye will make his starting debut. The Texans are 6.5-point favorites at DraftKings Sportsbook. Many people have questioned why make this QB change now, especially against a FIERCE Texans pass rush. Lombardi mentions that Pats head coach Jerod Mayo should have started Maye last week against Miami, which would have given him a better chance to get live reps against a pass rush before facing the fearsome Texans.
Remington brings up the point that there is a difference between live reps and surviving, alluding to the state of the offensive line being able to protect Maye. Lombardi adds when you don’t have a good offensive line, your offense can’t run. As bad as the skill positions are for New England, he concedes that if the offensive line were able to pass protect, then New England’s skill players would be able to get open.
Listen to the full episode below for the complete discussion and more from The GM Shuffle!
Show Breakdown
NFL Week 6 Preview: Robert Saleh fired, Drake Maye’s first start & Raiders QB change
On The GM Shuffle, hosts Michael Lombardi and Grace Remington break down the firing of Robert Saleh and what it means for the Jets moving forward. Plus, Michael reacts to Drake Maye starting his first NFL game vs the Texans and Aidan O’Connell taking over as starter for the Raiders. Michael also runs through the top games of the week including Lions-Cowboys, Commanders-Ravens and more before ending the show with his best bet of the week.
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Check out the DraftKings YouTube page for more and subscribe to the show on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. You can also follow the guys on Twitter @mlombardiNFL and @FemiAbebefe.
I am a promoter at DraftKings and am also an avid fan and may sometimes play on my personal account in the games that I offer advice on. Although I have expressed my personal view on the games and strategies above, they do not necessarily reflect the view(s) of DraftKings and do not constitute a representation that any particular strategy will guarantee success. All customers should use their own skill and judgment in building lineups. I may also deploy different players and strategies than what I recommend above. I am not an employee of DraftKings and do not have access to any non-public information
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