Michael David Smith· Nov 6, 2026
Smith argues the Jaguars' league-best +108 point differential marks them as the NFL's most dominant team, and expects them to run away with the AFC South and possibly claim the AFC's No. 1 seed.
“They're poised to run away with their division, perhaps earn the No. 1 seed in the AFC, and maybe blow some teams out in the playoffs just like they have in the regular season.”
published in writing · NBC Sports · read the original →
2 checkable claims — 1 division winner and 1 seeding, byes and home field — each graded on its own rather than as one all-or-nothing call.
None of them have settled yet — they grade once their results are in.
Of the 1 unsettled call enough other pundits have weighed in on, this one lands below the rest of the room.
Where this call stands in the room
Jacksonville Jaguars · 2026 season7 calls from 6 pundits between 1 and 1. Michael David Smith said 1. the room's median is 1. not settled yet
Every dot is a call somebody published on the same question. Where the dots land says where this take sits, not whether it is right — nothing here is settled yet. Hover a dot for the name and number; click it to read that take.
Their call against the room
Their call against everyone else's, while this is still unsettled.
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Who this take is about
2 checkable claims in this take
Each one is scored on its own against the published methodology. A pundit naming several outcomes is graded on each, not on all-or-nothing.
Jacksonville Jaguars to take the top seed
“They're poised to run away with their division, perhaps earn the No. 1 seed in the AFC”
Not settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
- Division WinnersJacksonville JaguarsNov 6, 2026
Jacksonville Jaguars to win the division
“Jacksonville has a 3.5-game lead in the AFC South... They're poised to run away with their division”
Not settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
What others said about the same people
- AJ HawkGame Outcome Picks · Jacksonville JaguarsHit · 100Hawk picked the Jaguars to beat the Ravens on the road, predicting roughly a 17-point margin.
- Connor "Boston Connor" CampbellGame Outcome Picks · Jacksonville JaguarsHit · 100Connor believed Baltimore would keep it close but still said Jacksonville wins the game outright.
- Nick WrightGame Outcome Picks · Jacksonville JaguarsHit · 100Wright expects the 49ers to release Brandon Aiyuk once he reports, predicts Jacksonville blows out Baltimore on Thursday night, sees the Jaguars finishing around 13-4 or 14-3, and thinks Seattle's defense carries them past Arizona even with Drew Lock starting.
- Connor RogersGame Outcome Picks · Jacksonville JaguarsHit · 100Rogers agreed the Bears have the NFL's best offense, picked Minnesota as the league's best total defense, and picked Jacksonville to beat Baltimore on Thursday night.
- Chris SimmsScore Predictions · Jacksonville JaguarsHit · 83Simms named the Bears the NFL's best overall offense and best rushing offense, the Bengals the best passing offense, Seattle the best total defense, Minnesota the best pass defense and Tampa Bay the best run defense; he also called Tristan Wirfs the league's best offensive lineman, projected Miami's Malachi Toney as a top-15 pick, and predicted a 30-14 Jaguars win in Baltimore.
- Mark Morales-SmithGame Outcome Picks · Jacksonville JaguarsHit · 100Within a Week 9 fantasy sleeper column, he states that Jacksonville is almost certain to blow out Baltimore, with the Jaguars running the ball through the second half and fourth quarter.
More division winners
The same kind of call, about other players and teams.
- Daniel DiBerardinisDivision Winners · Atlanta FalconsMiss · 0Danny D predicts Sonny Styles goes in the top ten (maybe top five), doesn't think Ty Simpson goes before late first round, says Kenyon Sadiq lands with the Rams at 13, and picks the Falcons to win the NFC South while naming the Bengals an AFC bounce-back team. He also gives a Final Four of Michigan, Florida, Purdue and Arizona with Michigan winning.
- Colin CowherdDivision Winners · New York GiantsMiss · 0Cowherd projects the NFC East with the Giants winning the division ahead of Philadelphia, Washington and Dallas, pegging the Cowboys as a six- or seven-win team. He also expects Malik Willis to land a big free-agent deal, Kayvon Thibodeaux to be moved, and Baltimore to lose Isaiah Likely, and he floats the Rams reaching on Ty Simpson late in round one.
- Colin CowherdDivision Winners · Los Angeles ChargersMiss · 0Cowherd unveiled his top 10 NFL teams entering next season, with Seattle first, the Rams second and the Chiefs tenth, and separately picked the Chargers to win the AFC West.
- Colin CowherdDivision Winners · Baltimore RavensMiss · 0Cowherd likes Jacksonville, Chicago and Pittsburgh (with DK Metcalf back) in the wild-card round, ranks the league's head coaches with McVay first and Ben Johnson seventh, and predicts Lamar Jackson has about two strong years left. He also names the Rams as a possible team to draft a receiver and floats next year's draft having seven first-round quarterbacks.
- Danny ParkinsDivision Winners · Baltimore RavensMiss · 0Parkins lays the points with the Eagles and Cowboys, takes Baltimore to beat Pittsburgh and win the AFC North, picks Carolina over Tampa Bay and Seattle over San Francisco, and says he'd probably pick the Rams to come out of the NFC.
- Cynthia FrelundDivision Winners · Houston TexansMiss · 0Freeland's model has the Chargers winning straight up in Dallas, the Texans winning big over the Raiders and going on to win the AFC South, the Lions beating the Steelers by six, the Saints beating the Jets, and the Packers beating the Bears; she also sees the AFC's Super Bowl representative being either Denver or Houston.