# Rich Eisen: 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. **Claimed:** Jun 12, 2025 **Pundit:** Rich Eisen — https://missedtakes.co/pundits/rich-eisen **Outlet:** The Rich Eisen Show (podcast) — https://missedtakes.co/outlets/the-rich-eisen-show-podcast **How it reached us:** said on air, transcribed by us **Original:** https://www.podtrac.com/pts/redirect.mp3/traffic.megaphone.fm/WWO7036748447.mp3?updated=1749758543 6 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. > Number two would be pleasant surprise for the 2025 season. Pete Carroll takes Jay Feli's Raiders to the playoffs. *(their words, quoted for attribution)* ## The claims - **Tyler Shough to be 1st on the depth chart** - Kind: Depth Chart Calls · About: Tyler Shough, New Orleans Saints - Verdict: scored 100 out of 100, against 91.67 for a naive guess - **Las Vegas Raiders to make the playoffs** - Kind: Playoff Picks · About: Las Vegas Raiders - Verdict: scored 0 out of 100, against 100 for a naive guess - **Joe Flacco to be 1st on the depth chart** - Kind: Depth Chart Calls · About: Joe Flacco, Cleveland Browns - Verdict: scored 100 out of 100, against 91.67 for a naive guess - **Sam Darnold to be 1st on the depth chart** - Kind: Depth Chart Calls · About: Sam Darnold, Seattle Seahawks - Verdict: scored 100 out of 100, against 100 for a naive guess - **Las Vegas Raiders to beat expectations** - Kind: Surprise Team Calls · About: Las Vegas Raiders - Verdict: not settled yet - **Shedeur Sanders: a roster call with no direction stated** - Kind: Roster Spot Calls · About: Shedeur Sanders, Cleveland Browns - Verdict: not settled yet ## Who this take is about - Tyler Shough — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/tyler-shough - New Orleans Saints — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/saints - Las Vegas Raiders — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/raiders - Joe Flacco — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/joe-flacco - Cleveland Browns — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/browns - Sam Darnold — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/sam-darnold - Seattle Seahawks — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/seahawks - Shedeur Sanders — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/shedeur-sanders ## What others said about the same people - Jeremy Brener on Drew Lock: Brener picked the Seahawks to beat the Cardinals in Week 9 by a multi-score margin, giving a final score of 27-13, and expressed confidence Seattle would be fine with Drew Lock starting at quarterback. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/7eb2d245-63d0-4be0-80ba-3f60197e2b16 (scored 100) - Albert Breer on Seattle Seahawks: Breer picks the Seahawks to beat the Cardinals in their Week 9 NFC West matchup. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/4d67a8a5-0c05-4abe-b2ca-f0cef8390b1d (scored 100) - Tyler Sullivan on Seattle Seahawks: Sullivan picks the Seahawks to win in Week 9. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/dfca04b3-5c80-4a2e-b0de-8ac3a25f225b (scored 100) - Dave Richard on Seattle Seahawks: Richard picks the Seahawks over the Cardinals. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/d3db433e-52c6-42d1-a3b0-6b342aac8a9e (scored 100) - John Pluym on Seattle Seahawks: Pluym picks the Seahawks over the Cardinals. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/e3897747-c55f-4340-9e82-03f9730f87ba (scored 100) - Pamela Maldonado on Seattle Seahawks: Maldonado picks the Seahawks in Week 9. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/38b2ad8f-9672-44e8-b3c2-b8ad3b004c09 (scored 100) ## More depth chart calls The same kind of call, about other players and teams. - Nic Bodiford on Joe Fagnano: 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. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/a13b9f29-bb76-4c56-b226-aca74b21f5b7 (scored 100) - Garrett Podell on Carson Beck: Podell argues the Cardinals have maxed out with Jacoby Brissett and that rookie Carson Beck should be ramped up to replace them as starter, targeting Week 8 at Dallas for Beck's regular-season debut. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/2f499498-ebbe-41f8-8ea3-41fe96f79432 (scored 0) - Jacob Herlin on J.J. McCarthy: 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. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/cf4a2992-3760-464e-b540-6182ebc4457f (scored 100) - Donnie Druin on Jacoby Brissett: Following the Cardinals' decision not to make staff or lineup changes, Druin states that Jacoby Brissett will remain Arizona's starting quarterback for another week, with rookie Carson Beck staying behind them. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/cb29b9b6-2fbf-4df8-8438-ac3f0b9b9566 (scored 100) - Jordan Dajani on Drew Kendall: 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. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/cad37b83-7924-4f90-9898-82a22fa12331 (scored 0) - Donnie Druin on Jacoby Brissett: 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. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/680ba698-8a2c-4d83-9b6b-9b90e7643a8c (scored 100) --- Accuracy is 0-100 against what actually happened. The naive guess is what a strategy requiring no knowledge would have scored on the same call — the difference is the skill, and it is what the MissedTakes Score averages. Full method: https://missedtakes.co/methodology We summarize what a pundit said and quote a short span for attribution; we never republish their article. If this is wrong, tell us: https://missedtakes.co/corrections?pundit=rich-eisen