Rich Eisen#38 of 87 NFL pundits · Jun 12, 2025
Eisen ran a top-five list of would-be pleasant surprises for the 2025 NFL season: Brian Schottenheimer succeeding as head coach/play caller, Sam Darnold improving on their Minnesota form in Seattle, the Jaguars playing Travis Hunter 100 snaps a game, Pete Carroll leading the Raiders to the playoffs, Tyler Shough becoming the real deal in New Orleans, plus a bonus of Shedeur Sanders making the Browns and crushing a start late in the year.
Said on air, transcribed by us · The Rich Eisen Show (podcast)Hear the original
What Rich Eisen said
our reading, beside the words we read it fromNumber two would be pleasant surprise for the 2025 season. Pete Carroll takes Jay Feli's Raiders to the playoffs.
- Where it was said
- The Rich Eisen Show (podcast)
- The episode
- Top 5 Would Be Pleasant Surprises For The 2025 NFL Season
- The original
- Hear the original
- Read it wrong?
- Tell us and we will look
- SaidJun 12, 2025
- GradedAug 13, 2026
- 1Tyler Shough to be 1st on the depth chart“The number one would be pleasant surprise in the 2025 season is if Tyler Shuck becomes the real deal for the New Orleans Saints.”
- 2Las Vegas Raiders to make the playoffs“Pete Carroll takes Jay Feli's Raiders to the playoffs... And Pete leads the Raiders back to the playoffs in his first year.”
- 3Joe Flacco to be 1st on the depth chart“If you wanna talk about more likely than not, the Browns do start Flacco, maybe give Pickett a run.”
- 4Sam Darnold to be 1st on the depth chart“Is that Sam Darnold could be replaced as the Seattle quarterback by week one because of all those seven on seven picks he's been throwing. I'm going the other way.”
- 5Las Vegas Raiders to beat expectations“Would that be one of the most pleasant surprises of the 2025 season?”
- 6Shedeur Sanders: a roster call with no direction stated“Chidor makes the browns and crushes a start.”
Box score
HitCloseMissWaiting| Verdict | Call | Kind | What happened | Score | Naive | Skill |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tyler Shough to be 1st on the depth chart1 | Depth Chart Calls | No. 1 | 100 | 91.67 | +16.67 | |
| Las Vegas Raiders to make the playoffs2 | Playoff Picks | Missed the playoffs | 0 | 100 | −200 | |
| Joe Flacco to be 1st on the depth chart3 | Depth Chart Calls | No. 1 | 100 | 91.67 | +16.67 | |
| Sam Darnold to be 1st on the depth chart4 | Depth Chart Calls | No. 1 | 100 | 100 | 0 | |
| Las Vegas Raiders to beat expectations5 | Surprise Team Calls | — | — | — | — | |
| Shedeur Sanders: a roster call with no direction stated6 | Roster Spot Calls | — | — | — | — | |
| 6 calls · 3 hits · 1 miss · 2 waiting | 75 | 95.8 | ||||
How each call scored
a naive guessbetter than naiveworse than naive6 checkable claims — 3 depth chart calls, 1 playoff pick, 1 roster spot call and 1 surprise team call — each graded on its own rather than as one all-or-nothing call.
It names 8 players and teams, each linked to their own record.
4 of 6 have settled so far, averaging 75 out of 100, against 95.8 for a naive guess at the same calls.
Each call is scored 0 to 100 against what happened, on its own, by the published methodology. The naive guess is what knowing nothing would have scored on the same calls; the gap, weighted by how hard the call was, is the skill.
Their call against what happened
Their call against what actually happened.
1Depth Chart CallsTyler ShoughNew Orleans Saints
Tyler Shough to be 1st on the depth chart
What happenedNo. 1called No. 1 · by passing yards100Hit · naive 91.67100this call−91.67a naive guess=8.33better than naive×2difficulty=+16.67skillThink this is wrong?How this was scored
- club:
- NO
- skill:
- 16.67
- player:
- Tyler Shough
- season:
- 2025
- accuracy:
- 100
- baseline:
- 91.67
- position:
- QB
- naive slot:
- 2
- actual slot:
- 1
- difficulty:
- 2
- measured by:
- passing yards
- the naive guess:
- no prior season — a rookie is assumed to start behind the incumbent
- weeks in the season:
- 18
- predicted slot:
- 1
- weeks left when called:
- 18
2Playoff PicksLas Vegas Raiders
Las Vegas Raiders to make the playoffs
What happenedMissed the playoffs0Miss · naive 1000this call−100a naive guess=−100worse than naive×2difficulty=−200skillThink this is wrong?How this was scored
- team:
- LV
- skill:
- −200
- season:
- 2025
- accuracy:
- 0
- baseline:
- 100
- the naive guess said:
- no
- difficulty:
- 2
- weeks in the season:
- 18
- made the playoffs:
- no
- weeks left when called:
- 18
3Depth Chart CallsJoe FlaccoCleveland Browns
Joe Flacco to be 1st on the depth chart
What happenedNo. 1called No. 1 · by passing yards100Hit · naive 91.67100this call−91.67a naive guess=8.33better than naive×2difficulty=+16.67skillThink this is wrong?How this was scored
- club:
- CIN
- skill:
- 16.67
- player:
- Joe Flacco
- season:
- 2025
- accuracy:
- 100
- baseline:
- 91.67
- position:
- QB
- naive slot:
- 2
- actual slot:
- 1
- difficulty:
- 2
- measured by:
- passing yards
- the naive guess:
- where he sat last season
- weeks in the season:
- 18
- predicted slot:
- 1
- weeks left when called:
- 18
4Depth Chart CallsSam DarnoldSeattle Seahawks
Sam Darnold to be 1st on the depth chart
What happenedNo. 1called No. 1 · by passing yards100Hit · naive 100100this call−100a naive guess=0better than naive×2difficulty=0skillThink this is wrong?How this was scored
- club:
- SEA
- skill:
- 0
- player:
- Sam Darnold
- season:
- 2025
- accuracy:
- 100
- baseline:
- 100
- position:
- QB
- naive slot:
- 1
- actual slot:
- 1
- difficulty:
- 2
- measured by:
- passing yards
- the naive guess:
- where he sat last season
- weeks in the season:
- 18
- predicted slot:
- 1
- weeks left when called:
- 18
5Surprise Team CallsLas Vegas Raiders
Las Vegas Raiders to beat expectations
VerdictWaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
6Roster Spot CallsShedeur SandersCleveland Browns
Shedeur Sanders: a roster call with no direction stated
VerdictWaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
- All
The take as a whole
the average of 4 settled calls, each counted once
75naive 95.8
Who this take is about
Others on the same people
Albert Breer · Game Outcome Picks · Seattle Seahawks · Hit 100
Breer picks the Seahawks to beat the Cardinals in their Week 9 NFC West matchup.Tyler Sullivan · Game Outcome Picks · Seattle Seahawks · Hit 100
Sullivan picks the Seahawks to win in Week 9.Dave Richard · Game Outcome Picks · Seattle Seahawks · Hit 100
Richard picks the Seahawks over the Cardinals.John Pluym · Game Outcome Picks · Seattle Seahawks · Hit 100
Pluym picks the Seahawks over the Cardinals.Pamela Maldonado · Game Outcome Picks · Seattle Seahawks · Hit 100
Maldonado picks the Seahawks in Week 9.
More depth chart calls
The same kind of call, about other players and teams.
Nic Bodiford · Depth Chart Calls · Joe Fagnano · Hit 100
Previewing Week 9 running game matchups, Bodiford expects Jacksonville to win lopsidedly over a depleted Baltimore team, with Bhayshul Tuten sitting out and Chris Rodriguez taking over as lead back, while Joe Fagnano starts at quarterback for the Ravens. They also view Broncos rookie Jonah Coleman as an RB2 going forward.Jacob Herlin · Depth Chart Calls · J.J. McCarthy · Hit 100
Herlin published Week 7 fantasy D/ST rankings with projections for 28 team defenses, led by Houston, Minnesota and Cleveland. They also expect Cleveland to post a fourth straight top-10 fantasy defense result, and predicts Jalon Daniels starts another week for Tampa Bay while J.J. McCarthy takes over as the Giants' starter.Jordan Dajani · Depth Chart Calls · Drew Kendall · Miss 0
Dajani expects Cam Jurgens to move back to center as the Ravens' starter after the trade, and projects a rebuilt Eagles offensive line for Week 5 with Jordan Mailata, Willie Lampkin, Drew Kendall, Tyler Steen and Markel Bell starting from left tackle to right tackle.Donnie Druin · Depth Chart Calls · Jacoby Brissett · Hit 100
Druin writes that despite the 1-3 start and a three-interception game, Jacoby Brissett will stay Arizona's starting quarterback heading into the Week 5 game against Detroit, with Gardner Minshew and rookie Carson Beck remaining behind them.