Colin Cowherd#54 of 87 NFL pundits · Aug 5, 2026
Cowherd named five teams that missed the 2025 playoffs as most likely to reach the postseason in 2026: the Chiefs, Saints, Giants, Ravens and Lions. They specified the Giants would sneak in as a wild card and expects the Saints to benefit from a weak NFC South.
Published in writing · Fox SportsRead the original
What Colin Cowherd said
Kansas City is back in.
- Where it was published
- Fox Sports
- The piece
- New Playoff Teams In 2026? The 5 Non-Playoff Teams Most Likely To Make It
- The original
- Read the original
- Read it wrong?
- Tell us and we will look
Box score, by kind
HitCloseMissWaiting| Group | Hits | Close | Misses | Waiting | Calls |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Playoff Picks | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | |
| Seeding, Byes and Home Field | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
| Coach Award Picks | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
| Depth Chart Calls | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | |
| All | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 |
How each call scored
9 checkable claims — 5 playoff picks, 2 depth chart calls, 1 coach award pick and 1 seeding, byes and home field — each graded on its own rather than as one all-or-nothing call.
It names 7 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 below the rest of the room on every one.
Each call is scored 0 to 100 against what happened, on its own, by the published methodology. The naive guess is what knowing nothing would have scored on the same calls; the gap, weighted by how hard the call was, is the skill.
Where this call stands in the room
Blake Miller · 2026 season5 calls from 3 pundits between 1 and 1. Colin Cowherd 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 record
Their call against what actually happened last time. Not yet settled.
Playoff Picks5 waitingShow ▸Hide ▾
New York Giants to make the playoffs
“lead Cowherd to think that the Giants will make the postseason as a wild-card team.”
—WaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
Baltimore Ravens to make the playoffs
“They don't have everything buttoned up, I think they make their way in.”
—WaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
- —Waiting
Not settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
New Orleans Saints to make the playoffs
“Cowherd is expecting the Saints to make the playoffs for the first time since 2021.”
—WaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
Kansas City Chiefs to make the playoffs
“"I do believe, when Mahomes has protection and a semi-solid run game, he's a playoff quarterback. Kansas City is back in."”
—WaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
Seeding, Byes and Home Field1 waitingShow ▸Hide ▾
New York Giants to take the top seed
“I don't think this is an 11, 12-win team. I think they sneak in as a wild card.”
—WaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
Coach Award Picks1 waitingShow ▸Hide ▾
Jesse Minter to win great first-year head coach
“Jesse Minter is going to be a great first-year head coach.”
—WaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
Depth Chart Calls2 waitingShow ▸Hide ▾
Penei Sewell to be 1st on the depth chart
“Panay Sewell goes to left tackle, Blake Miller, the rookie, their top pick, goes to right tackle.”
—WaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
Blake Miller to be 1st on the depth chart
“Blake Miller, the rookie, their top pick, goes to right tackle.”
—WaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
Who this take is about
Others on the same people
Chris Clark · Trade and Signing Calls · Nikko Remigio · Miss 0
Clark expects the Chiefs to bring back exclusive-rights receiver Nico (Remigio) and long snapper James Winchester, to re-sign JuJu Smith-Schuster as a cheap veteran fifth receiver, and not to bring back Hollywood Brown, Josh Dobbs-type depth, Gardner Minshew, Janarius Robinson or Mike Caliendo; they also say the Chiefs will not use a franchise tag and believes Bryan Cook won't return.Sam Monson · Game Outcome Picks · New York Giants · Miss 0
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.Pete Prisco · Score Predictions · New York Giants · Miss 36
Prisco picks the Giants to beat the Commanders 23-14 on Thursday night and the Lions to beat the Patriots 30-24 in Munich.Jared Dubin · Score Predictions · New York Giants · Close 43
Dubin picks the Giants to beat the Commanders 20-14 on Thursday night and takes the Packers over the Vikings 17-14 in a low-scoring Week 10 game.Jared Dubin · Score Predictions · New York Giants · Close 43
Dubin picks the Giants to beat the Commanders at home on Thursday night, projecting a 20-14 final score.Pete Prisco · Score Predictions · New York Giants · Miss 36
Prisco picked the Giants to beat the Commanders at home in the Thursday night Week 10 game, 23-14, citing New York's dominant front seven containing Jayden Daniels.
More playoff picks
The same kind of call, about other players and teams.
Rich Eisen · Playoff Picks · Minnesota Vikings · Miss 0
Eisen argues Ohio State will produce multiple top-10 picks — Sonny Styles, Arvell Reese and Caleb Downs — becoming the first school with three defensive players in the top 10, and that Styles will not be available at No. 12 to the Cowboys. He also thinks Fernando Mendoza is worthy of the No. 1 overall pick and expects the Raiders to draft him, and picks Trey Lance over Anthony Richardson to start a game first, Micah Parsons to fetch a bigger trade return than Maxx Crosby, Kirk Cousins as the released QB most likely to reach the playoffs, and J.J. McCarthy as the Vikings' Week 1 starter.Rich Eisen · Playoff Picks · Carolina Panthers · Hit 100
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. They also tabbed Saints rookie Tyler Shough as a possible Offensive Rookie of the Year.Chris Brockman · Playoff Picks · Pittsburgh Steelers · Hit 100
Brockman argued the road to the Super Bowl in the AFC goes through Foxborough, meaning the Patriots will finish as the No. 1 seed, and called their shot that the Chargers beat Denver in Week 18. They also declared the Bears a team of destiny who will win the NFC, said the Steelers will end their playoff win drought, and that Trevor Lawrence is playing like a top-five quarterback.Rich Eisen · Playoff Picks · Green Bay Packers · Hit 100
Eisen agreed the Bears are a team of destiny who will win the NFC, insisted the Packers will make the playoffs and won't lose at home to the Ravens, said the Steelers should make the playoffs, and endorsed the view that Trevor Lawrence is playing like a top-five quarterback.