# Danny Kelly: Kelly argued the Buccaneers are the one NFC South club capable of a second-half surge, citing a soft remaining schedule and the league's top defensive EPA.

**Claimed:** Nov 13, 2026
**Pundit:** Danny Kelly — https://missedtakes.co/pundits/danny-kelly
**Outlet:** The Bill Simmons Podcast (podcast) — https://missedtakes.co/outlets/the-bill-simmons-podcast-podcast
**How it reached us:** said on air, transcribed by us
**Original:** https://pdst.fm/e/traffic.megaphone.fm/GLT6589486440.mp3

One checkable claim, graded on its own against what actually happened.

Nothing to score yet: this grades once the result is in.

> I think I could make an argument for one. Tampa?

*(their words, quoted for attribution)*

## The claims

- **Tampa Bay Buccaneers to beat expectations**
  - Kind: Surprise Team Calls · About: Tampa Bay Buccaneers
  - Verdict: not settled yet

## Who this take is about

- Tampa Bay Buccaneers — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/buccaneers

## What others said about the same people

- Brandon Carney on Mike Evans: Carney predicts Geno Smith signs with the Vikings and starts for them, that at least four of the fringe veteran quarterbacks (Tua, Kyler, Cousins, Fields, Geno) will be starters next season, and that Mike Evans stays with Tampa Bay. They also rank their top fantasy wide receivers and comments on running back landing spots and trade values. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/c228a7e7-4915-4bc7-bacc-8c9b3298c2c1 (scored 0)
- Dalton Feely on Chris Godwin Jr.: Feenie predicted Chris Godwin stays in Tampa Bay, Josh Sweat reunites with Jonathan Gannon in Arizona, Ronnie Stanley signs with New England, Jevon Holland lands in Indianapolis, Khalil Mack joins Washington, Asante Samuel Jr. goes to San Francisco, Najee Harris to the Raiders and Bobby Wagner to Dallas. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/5456472e-edf1-49c5-9f6b-bd59183fcea7 (scored 100)
- Eric Mangini on Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Mangini picked New England to beat Green Bay by more than a field goal, flagged Tampa Bay as their upset alert over Chicago, expects Kansas City to handle the Jets, took Buffalo over Minnesota, backed Cincinnati over Atlanta in Madrid, and updated their Super Bowl to Rams–Bengals. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/af0819c3-4662-44a2-a451-a08fa3b7e59a (scored 0)
- Nick Wright on Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Wright argued the Jaguars are the AFC's most complete team, calling them the considerable favorite for the No. 1 seed and the only club essentially locked into the playoffs. They also picked Tampa Bay to upset Chicago, had Kansas City sweeping its next three games, liked New England over Green Bay by about a field goal, and updated their Super Bowl matchup to Chiefs–49ers. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/878403ae-b780-41f0-b38a-200b1a3e36ff (scored 0)
- Donte Johnson on Tampa Bay Buccaneers: The former NFL safety picked the Buccaneers to upset the Bears in their Week 9 matchup, arguing Todd Bowles' defense would frustrate Caleb Williams. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/1731194b-2ff9-4142-b4ca-45a4097101ae (scored 0)
- Zac Cornelius on Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Zach projected the Buccaneers to beat the Bears 24-12. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/40f76aa6-2c17-45b9-bdcb-6c582ec9897f (scored 28.57)

## More surprise team calls

The same kind of call, about other players and teams.

- Dan Orlovsky on Houston Texans: Named Houston and Detroit as the underrated teams in each conference, said the Texans could reach 11-6 and the playoffs, and predicted CJ Stroud's next contract will start with a seven annually, with Caleb Williams getting even more afterward. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/01e49745-6d62-434d-a884-17a1fa4a0cca (not settled)
- Bill Simmons on Houston Texans: Simmons named the Houston Texans as the AFC's second-half surge team and, reluctantly, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as the NFC's, arguing both clubs sitting at or below.500 will make a run down the stretch. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/a2fe7493-43ef-4157-b6c3-82a3e9c0f906 (not settled)
- Logan Lazarczyk on Houston Texans: Lazarczyk argues the Raiders can still contend for the AFC's final wild-card spot, naming the Bills, Broncos, Jaguars, Steelers, Chiefs and Bengals as locks for the top six seeds, calling Houston a sleeper, and predicting Las Vegas can beat the Chargers, Titans and Cardinals down the stretch. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/5f5d533e-b292-487f-b387-5d154ce687b8 (not settled)
- Jordan Dajani on Pittsburgh Steelers: Halfway through the season, Dajani sorts the playoff field into contenders and pretenders: they suggest Joe Burrow could win MVP this year, and while they dismiss Pittsburgh as a true Super Bowl threat, they expect the Steelers to be a playoff team and a possible sleeper. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/3cf5c7f7-905d-4de9-ba67-9ff97a7f6a34 (not settled)
- Rich Eisen on Houston Texans: Eisen ran a "top five teams that are not dead yet" list, naming the Cardinals, Raiders, Rams, Saints and Texans — plus a bonus Cowboys mention — as clubs still alive and capable of making a run in the second half of the season. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/c599f558-148d-46ae-b958-06e4231eabca (not settled)
- Chris Long on Houston Texans: Previewing NFL Week 5, Chris Long expects the Jaguars to beat the Eagles in London, picks the Browns, Steelers and Texans to win their games, names the Falcons as NFC South champions, lists their current top five teams, and calls the Vikings and Texans sleeping giants. They also flag Ja'Marr Chase and Dallas Goedert as returning, Jake Majors starting at center for Philadelphia, and Baltimore having to pay Cam Jurgens 50-plus. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/f626609f-9766-4234-9bf6-ec25237ae41d (not settled)

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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.

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