# John Middlekauff: Middlekauff gave his full season predictions: division winners (Bills, Bengals, Texans, Broncos, Cowboys, Lions, Saints, Seahawks), wildcards (Chargers, Chiefs, Steelers in the AFC; Rams, Bears, 49ers in the NFC), Detroit as the NFC's top seed, Jared Goff for MVP, Brian Schottenheimer for Coach of the Year, Will Anderson for Defensive Player of the Year, Caleb Downs and Jadarian Price as Rookies of the Year. He also predicted Ole Miss QB Trinidad Chambliss goes top five in the NFL draft. **Claimed:** Sep 8, 2026 **Pundit:** John Middlekauff — https://missedtakes.co/pundits/john-middlekauff **Outlet:** The Herd with Colin Cowherd (podcast) — https://missedtakes.co/outlets/the-herd-with-colin-cowherd-podcast **How it reached us:** said on air or in an interview **Original:** https://podtrac.com/pts/redirect.mp3/pscrb.fm/rss/p/traffic.omny.fm/d/clips/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/44c6e42b-f663-4492-888d-ae330034680f/ac0322ee-3434-41fd-9bf5-b4bf000fc4c6/audio.mp3?in_playlist=bf391792-153e-41b3-9d3d-ae3300346ad8 26 checkable claims — 8 division winners, 6 playoff picks, 4 award picks, 2 season win totals, 1 coach award pick, 1 mock draft pick, 1 player season number, 1 position group ranking, 1 pro bowl and all-pro call and 1 seeding, byes and home field — each graded on its own rather than as one all-or-nothing bet. It names 21 players and teams, each linked to their own record. None of them have settled yet — they grade once their results are in. Of the 2 unsettled calls enough other pundits have weighed in on, this one lands above the room on 1 and below it on 1. > I'm going Jared Goff, MVP. *(their words, quoted for attribution)* ## The claims - **I think their defense, which has consistently been, is going to be the best in the league in 2026... I think the Texans have the best defense in the league** - Kind: Position Group Rankings - Verdict: not settled yet - **Detroit Lions to win the division** - Kind: Division Winners · About: Detroit Lions - Verdict: not settled yet - **New Orleans Saints to win the division** - Kind: Division Winners · About: New Orleans Saints - Verdict: not settled yet - **Detroit Lions to take the top seed** - Kind: Seeding, Byes and Home Field · About: Detroit Lions - Verdict: not settled yet - **Chicago Bears to make the playoffs** - Kind: Playoff Picks · About: Chicago Bears - Verdict: not settled yet - **New Orleans Saints to finish with 10 wins** - Kind: Season Win Totals · About: New Orleans Saints - Verdict: not settled yet - **Jared Goff to win MVP** - Kind: Award Picks · About: Jared Goff, Detroit Lions - Verdict: not settled yet - **Dallas Cowboys to win the division** - Kind: Division Winners · About: Dallas Cowboys - Verdict: not settled yet - **Kansas City Chiefs to make the playoffs** - Kind: Playoff Picks · About: Kansas City Chiefs - Verdict: not settled yet - **Pittsburgh Steelers to make the playoffs** - Kind: Playoff Picks · About: Pittsburgh Steelers - Verdict: not settled yet - **Jadarian Price to record 1,000 rushing yards** - Kind: Player Season Numbers · About: Jadarian Price, Seattle Seahawks - Verdict: not settled yet - **Brian Schottenheimer to win Coach of the Year** - Kind: Coach Award Picks - Verdict: not settled yet - **Jadarian Price to win Offensive Rookie of the Year** - Kind: Award Picks · About: Jadarian Price, Seattle Seahawks - Verdict: not settled yet - **Denver Broncos to win the division** - Kind: Division Winners · About: Denver Broncos - Verdict: not settled yet - **Chris Olave to make Pro Bowl** - Kind: Pro Bowl and All-Pro Calls · About: Chris Olave, New Orleans Saints - Verdict: not settled yet - **Trinidad Chambliss to be picked “top five” (picks 1–5)** - Kind: Mock Draft Picks · About: Trinidad Chambliss - Verdict: not settled yet - **Will Anderson Jr. to win Defensive Player of the Year** - Kind: Award Picks · About: Will Anderson Jr., Houston Texans - Verdict: not settled yet - **Caleb Downs to win Defensive Rookie of the Year** - Kind: Award Picks · About: Caleb Downs, Dallas Cowboys - Verdict: not settled yet - **Seattle Seahawks to win the division** - Kind: Division Winners · About: Seattle Seahawks - Verdict: not settled yet - **Buffalo Bills to win the division** - Kind: Division Winners · About: Buffalo Bills - Verdict: not settled yet - **Los Angeles Rams to make the playoffs** - Kind: Playoff Picks · About: Los Angeles Rams - Verdict: not settled yet - **Los Angeles Chargers to make the playoffs** - Kind: Playoff Picks · About: Los Angeles Chargers - Verdict: not settled yet - **Cincinnati Bengals to win the division** - Kind: Division Winners · About: Cincinnati Bengals - Verdict: not settled yet - **Houston Texans to win the division** - Kind: Division Winners · About: Houston Texans - Verdict: not settled yet - **Philadelphia Eagles to finish with 9–10 wins** - Kind: Season Win Totals · About: Philadelphia Eagles - Verdict: not settled yet - **San Francisco 49ers to make the playoffs** - Kind: Playoff Picks · About: San Francisco 49ers - Verdict: not settled yet ## Who this take is about - Detroit Lions — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/lions - New Orleans Saints — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/saints - Chicago Bears — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/bears - Jared Goff — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/jared-goff - Dallas Cowboys — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/cowboys - Kansas City Chiefs — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/chiefs - Pittsburgh Steelers — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/steelers - Jadarian Price — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/jadarian-price - Seattle Seahawks — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/seahawks - Denver Broncos — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/broncos - Chris Olave — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/chris-olave - Trinidad Chambliss — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/trinidad-chambliss - Will Anderson Jr. — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/will-anderson-jr - Houston Texans — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/texans - Caleb Downs — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/caleb-downs - Buffalo Bills — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/bills - Los Angeles Rams — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/rams - Los Angeles Chargers — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/chargers - Cincinnati Bengals — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/bengals - Philadelphia Eagles — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/eagles - San Francisco 49ers — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/49ers ## What others said about the same people - Chris Simms on Kansas City Chiefs: Simms went through the entire Week 3 slate with straight-up winners and predicted final scores, taking Jacksonville, Buffalo, Cincinnati, Detroit, Houston, Carolina, Kansas City, Seattle, the Giants, Baltimore, New Orleans, Minnesota, San Francisco, Denver and Philadelphia. He also expected Zay Flowers and Puka Nacua to sit, Kyler Murray to play, and said Marvin Harrison Jr. projects as no better than a good No. 2 or high-end No. 3 receiver. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/662b7ba3-1bf6-4ad0-9f93-9f2ab83143fd (scored 100) - Connor Rogers on Detroit Lions: Rogers picked Detroit, Houston, Carolina, Kansas City, Seattle and the Giants to win their Week 3 games, saying the Chiefs win by two touchdowns and the Giants by a field goal. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/83d1e88b-95a0-45ba-83d3-f86297170c6c (scored 100) - Chris Long on Cincinnati Bengals: Long liked the Rams over the Broncos on Sunday night even without Puka Nacua, and expected the Bills to beat the winless Chargers in Buffalo. He also backed the Bengals over the Steelers, expected an angry Detroit team to handle the Jets, and still thought both the Lions and Vikings could win the NFC North. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/3df9ea25-e57f-4fd7-b20c-c910a1c3633a (scored 0) - Steven Ruiz on Houston Texans: Previewing Week 3, Ruiz picked the Ravens to beat the Cowboys in Brazil, Jacksonville over New England in a low-scoring game, an upset by the Broncos over the Rams, the Raiders over the Saints, the Eagles over the Bears, the Lions over the Jets, and his Hail Mary that Houston beats Indianapolis by two touchdowns. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/a30ff469-4972-4c48-855b-ba984e4de9d0 (scored 0) - Nate Tice on Detroit Lions: Tice matched his guest on every Week 3 game, picking the Ravens over the Cowboys, the Jaguars over the Patriots in a close game, the Broncos to upset the Rams, the Raiders over the Saints, the Eagles over the Bears and the Lions over the Jets. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/b8378e16-ea5c-4107-a883-28aaf0e71134 (scored 100) - Sam Monson on Seattle Seahawks: Monson picked the Chargers to beat the Bills outright (jokingly crediting Buffalo's gray 'Nickel City' jerseys), took the Vikings to win outright in Tampa, and said Seattle would destroy Washington. He also reiterated his Super Bowl pick of Denver over the Rams, called the Dolphins destined for the No. 1 overall pick, and said the Saints are a worst-to-first candidate in the NFC South. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/0b810ffd-fd93-4ea2-a208-b1353dea5fb0 (scored 0) ## More division winners The same kind of call, about other players and teams. - Daniel DiBerardinis on Atlanta Falcons: Danny 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. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/8a8e0b7c-9f1c-4c13-8138-1332d73b9b02 (scored 0) - Colin Cowherd on New York Giants: Cowherd 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. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/cd243624-9451-4824-a8a4-7b468d681c8f (scored 0) - Colin Cowherd on Baltimore Ravens: Cowherd 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. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/432d7268-d5b1-49f6-9435-12c9442d3023 (scored 0) - Danny Parkins on Baltimore Ravens: Parkins 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. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/23bf1e09-f607-4b9a-bdb4-888da7992c89 (scored 0) - Rich Eisen on Jacksonville Jaguars: Eisen forecast the Week 18 results and the entire wild-card field: Buccaneers over Panthers but Carolina still gets in as the 5 seed when Atlanta beats New Orleans, 49ers over Seahawks, Ravens over Steelers, Jaguars beating Tennessee to win the AFC South, and six wild-card matchups (Seahawks-Panthers, Bills-Jaguars, Texans-Ravens, Packers-Bears, Chargers-Patriots, Rams-Eagles), with Houston upsetting Baltimore. He also tabbed Saints rookie Tyler Shough as a possible Offensive Rookie of the Year. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/34345186-876a-4c4b-9567-9c289a6cbace (scored 100) - Rich Eisen on Jacksonville Jaguars: Eisen called the 49ers-as-NFC-favorites take an overreaction, picked the Jaguars to beat the Titans and win their division, leaned Ravens over the Steelers in the Week 18 Sunday night game, expects the Bills to beat the Jets even without Josh Allen, sees the Chargers as the AFC's seventh seed, agreed Tyler Shough could win Offensive Rookie of the Year with a good Saints 2026, said Malik Willis will be a starter somewhere next season, and insisted Detroit goes into 2026 with Goff. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/15192136-24b9-4127-ac9d-69dc69aab3d5 (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=john-middlekauff