# John Middlekauff: Middlekauff previewed Week 11, projecting the Commanders to finish with six or seven wins and the Giants with eight or nine, naming four AFC teams as playoff locks, and picking the Chiefs, Texans, Steelers and 49ers to win their games. Also predicted a top-15 draft slot for Charlie Becker and an eventual big contract for C.J. Stroud if the Texans finish strong.

**Claimed:** Nov 13, 2026
**Pundit:** John Middlekauff — https://missedtakes.co/pundits/john-middlekauff
**Outlet:** 3 and Out with John Middlekauff (podcast) — https://missedtakes.co/outlets/3-and-out-with-john-middlekauff-podcast
**How it reached us:** said on air or in an interview
**Original:** https://podtrac.com/pts/redirect.mp3/arttrk.com/p/D5CA5/pscrb.fm/rss/p/clrtpod.com/m/prfx.byspotify.com/e/claritaspod.com/measure/mgln.ai/e/808/traffic.omny.fm/d/clips/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/44c6e42b-f663-4492-888d-ae330034680f/dca6f07f-6641-4a3b-9ba2-b50100a521c5/audio.mp3?in_playlist=40b7ab93-19e3-455f-8fd2-ae3300346819

12 checkable claims — 4 game outcome picks, 4 playoff picks, 2 season win totals, 1 contract call and 1 mock draft pick — each graded on its own rather than as one all-or-nothing call.

It names 11 players and teams, each linked to their own record.

None of them have settled yet — they grade once their results are in.

> There isn't that big of a difference between the commanders, who will probably end up six or seven wins, and the Giants probably end up eight or nine wins.

*(their words, quoted for attribution)*

## The claims

- **Jacksonville Jaguars to make the playoffs**
  - Kind: Playoff Picks · About: Jacksonville Jaguars
  - Verdict: not settled yet
- **C.J. Stroud: “if they go 11-6 or 10-7 and he's just balling the rest of the year, they would have no choice but to break him off”**
  - Kind: Contract Calls · About: C.J. Stroud, Houston Texans
  - Verdict: not settled yet
- **Washington Commanders to finish with 6–7 wins**
  - Kind: Season Win Totals · About: Washington Commanders
  - Verdict: not settled yet
- **Kansas City Chiefs to beat Atlanta**
  - Kind: Game Outcome Picks · About: Kansas City Chiefs
  - Verdict: not settled yet
- **Pittsburgh Steelers to beat Cincinnati**
  - Kind: Game Outcome Picks · About: Pittsburgh Steelers
  - Verdict: not settled yet
- **Denver Broncos to make the playoffs**
  - Kind: Playoff Picks · About: Denver Broncos
  - Verdict: not settled yet
- **Charlie Becker to be picked “probably like a top-15 pick” (picks 1–15)**
  - Kind: Mock Draft Picks · About: Charlie Becker
  - Verdict: not settled yet
- **Houston Texans to beat Cleveland**
  - Kind: Game Outcome Picks · About: Houston Texans
  - Verdict: not settled yet
- **San Francisco 49ers to beat Dallas**
  - Kind: Game Outcome Picks · About: San Francisco 49ers
  - Verdict: not settled yet
- **Buffalo Bills to make the playoffs**
  - Kind: Playoff Picks · About: Buffalo Bills
  - Verdict: not settled yet
- **New York Giants to finish with 8–9 wins**
  - Kind: Season Win Totals · About: New York Giants
  - Verdict: not settled yet
- **Kansas City Chiefs to make the playoffs**
  - Kind: Playoff Picks · About: Kansas City Chiefs
  - Verdict: not settled yet

## Who this take is about

- Jacksonville Jaguars — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/jaguars
- C.J. Stroud — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/c-j-stroud
- Houston Texans — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/texans
- Washington Commanders — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/commanders
- Kansas City Chiefs — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/chiefs
- Pittsburgh Steelers — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/steelers
- Denver Broncos — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/broncos
- Charlie Becker — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/charlie-becker
- San Francisco 49ers — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/49ers
- Buffalo Bills — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/bills
- New York Giants — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/giants

## What others said about the same people

- Parker Hurley on Khalid Kareem: Hurley predicts the 49ers will release Khalil Kareem when Nate Hobbs is activated and cut Brandin Cooks when C.J. West returns, while arguing Sebastian Valdez won't be the one let go and no cornerback will be cut. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/5a729417-69ee-493a-9bec-d905fd1a7082 (scored 0)
- Sam Monson on New York Giants: Monson picked every Week 10 game, taking the Giants, Lions, Packers, Panthers, Colts, Texans, Bills, Chiefs, Jaguars, Seahawks, Rams, Cowboys, Bengals and Ravens, and also suggested the Chargers' only likely wins the rest of the way come against the Jets and Dolphins. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/f4cb7a1e-1380-4f08-b39b-1432b97db846 (scored 0)
- Jordan Dajani on Washington Commanders: Dajani picks the Commanders to edge the Giants 21-20 on Thursday and the Chiefs to beat the Falcons 26-20 in Week 10. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/46f7646f-2c64-4827-a522-67975af79fb6 (scored 95.24)
- Tyler Sullivan on Washington Commanders: Sullivan takes the Commanders 24-21 over the Giants on Thursday night and calls for a Steelers upset of the Bengals, 27-24, in Week 10. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/1bb32676-c3b3-4b8e-8a03-b58396cf98bf (scored 100)
- Pete Prisco on New York Giants: Prisco picks the Giants to beat the Commanders 23-14 on Thursday night and the Lions to beat the Patriots 30-24 in Munich. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/e142b910-0967-4de9-9429-c342bc079205 (scored 35.71)
- John Breech on Washington Commanders: Breech picks the Commanders to upset the Giants on Thursday night, 24-17, and takes the Texans to beat the Browns 24-16 in Week 10 behind a pass rush that should batter Deshaun Watson. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/9fddc8e1-3823-4252-bdd7-f81ef11b1da3 (scored 90.48)

## More game outcome picks

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

- Gennaro Filice on Minnesota Vikings: Picks the Vikings to beat the Bills. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/1f3a227b-9fea-4203-9803-86bbb5d42752 (scored 0)
- Dan Graziano on Minnesota Vikings: Picks the Vikings to upset the Bills. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/aa96930f-0df7-4b7f-a316-793ad442769e (scored 0)
- John Breech on Minnesota Vikings: Picks the Vikings to win. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/5d52d02b-3b7c-4cc3-8798-f2e859f8a1e1 (scored 0)
- Brad Gagnon on Minnesota Vikings: Picks the Vikings to beat the Bills. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/00fb52d3-3244-4b69-a8a4-e7b8754a1700 (scored 0)
- Eric Moody on Minnesota Vikings: Picks the Vikings to beat the Bills. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/85260243-d0a0-4509-9887-c880873339e3 (scored 0)
- Ryan Wilson on Minnesota Vikings: Picks the Vikings to beat the Bills. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/14ee8383-af7c-4463-ac2e-132f13748efb (scored 0)

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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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