# Rich Eisen: Rich named their top five sleeper teams for 2025 — Saints, Patriots, Panthers, Raiders and, at No. 1, the 49ers — suggested Carolina could be a seven seed and the Raiders could make the playoffs, and reiterated a 15-2 Chiefs prediction with losses at Buffalo and at home to Denver while picking Kansas City to return to the Super Bowl. **Claimed:** Jun 26, 2025 **Pundit:** Rich Eisen — https://missedtakes.co/pundits/rich-eisen **Outlet:** The Rich Eisen Show (podcast) — https://missedtakes.co/outlets/the-rich-eisen-show-podcast **How it reached us:** said on air, transcribed by us **Original:** https://www.podtrac.com/pts/redirect.mp3/traffic.megaphone.fm/WWO5613798005.mp3?updated=1750966159 12 checkable claims — 5 surprise team calls, 3 game outcome picks, 2 playoff picks, 1 conference champion and 1 season win total — each graded on its own rather than as one all-or-nothing call. It names 8 players and teams, each linked to their own record. 7 of 12 have settled so far, averaging 42.9 out of 100, against 42.9 for a naive guess at the same calls. > Number one on the list, the sleeper team of 2025 are the San Francisco forty niners. *(their words, quoted for attribution)* ## The claims - **Denver Broncos to beat Chiefs** - Kind: Game Outcome Picks · About: Denver Broncos - Verdict: scored 100 out of 100, against 100 for a naive guess - **Kansas City Chiefs to reach the Super Bowl** - Kind: Conference Champions · About: Kansas City Chiefs - Verdict: scored 0 out of 100, against 0 for a naive guess - **New Orleans Saints to beat Arizona Cardinals** - Kind: Game Outcome Picks · About: New Orleans Saints - Verdict: scored 0 out of 100, against 0 for a naive guess - **Las Vegas Raiders to make the playoffs** - Kind: Playoff Picks · About: Las Vegas Raiders - Verdict: scored 0 out of 100, against 100 for a naive guess - **Carolina Panthers to make the playoffs** - Kind: Playoff Picks · About: Carolina Panthers - Verdict: scored 100 out of 100, against 0 for a naive guess - **Buffalo Bills to beat Chiefs** - Kind: Game Outcome Picks · About: Buffalo Bills - Verdict: scored 100 out of 100, against 100 for a naive guess - **Kansas City Chiefs to finish with 15 wins** - Kind: Season Win Totals · About: Kansas City Chiefs - Verdict: scored 0 out of 100, against 0 for a naive guess - **New England Patriots to beat expectations** - Kind: Surprise Team Calls · About: New England Patriots - Verdict: not settled yet - **New Orleans Saints to beat expectations** - Kind: Surprise Team Calls · About: New Orleans Saints - Verdict: not settled yet - **Carolina Panthers to beat expectations** - Kind: Surprise Team Calls · About: Carolina Panthers - Verdict: not settled yet - **San Francisco 49ers to beat expectations** - Kind: Surprise Team Calls · About: San Francisco 49ers - Verdict: not settled yet - **Las Vegas Raiders to beat expectations** - Kind: Surprise Team Calls · About: Las Vegas Raiders - Verdict: not settled yet ## Who this take is about - Denver Broncos — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/broncos - Kansas City Chiefs — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/chiefs - New Orleans Saints — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/saints - Las Vegas Raiders — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/raiders - Carolina Panthers — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/panthers - Buffalo Bills — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/bills - New England Patriots — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/patriots - San Francisco 49ers — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/49ers ## What others said about the same people - Zack Kelberman on Sean Fresch Jr.: Kelberman expects Sean Fresch Jr. to clear waivers and return to the Broncos' practice squad, sees Riley Moss back from concussion for the Week 11 game at Las Vegas, and projects newly acquired Daiyan Henley to begin as the third inside linebacker behind Alex Singleton and Justin Strnad before likely moving into a starting role. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/978f775c-5611-4514-ad2f-b35a6eac0402 (scored 0) - Zack Kelberman on Sean Fresch Jr.: Kelberman writes that Riley Moss may sit out the preseason finale against Minnesota but should be available for the Week 1 opener at Kansas City; they also suggest undrafted corners Sean Fresch Jr. and Brent Austin are being evaluated for practice squad spots. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/3c8c47b8-6041-4282-8d21-d21741d8f11b (scored 0) - Chris Clark on Nikko Remigio: 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. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/99521265-d5c0-4db1-b2a0-fe77908ea0b3 (scored 0) - 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) - Chad Jensen on Jordan Turner: Jensen predicts Daiyan Henley's arrival will cut into Justin Strnad's snaps while Alex Singleton keeps playing virtually every down, and that Denver will return to a three-linebacker rotation after the Week 10 bye. They also expect one of Jordan Turner or Karene Reid — most likely Turner — to be waived to clear a roster spot. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/a84d2c6e-5554-46aa-95b1-620858d31e0f (scored 0) - Gilberto Manzano on Josh Downs: Previewing the trade deadline, he expects Justin Herbert to stay in Los Angeles despite the Chargers' 0–7 start, thinks the Jets will keep Garrett Wilson and pair him with their young weapons, expects a receiver-hungry Kansas City to be aggressive with Josh Downs the likeliest target, and suggests expiring Eagles contracts Moro Ojomo and Riq Woolen could be dealt for mid-round picks. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/67d5af78-94ea-4ee2-a277-5e68347022de (scored 100) ## More surprise team calls The same kind of call, about other players and teams. - Nick Wright on Houston Texans: Wright expects the 49ers to handle Dallas, the Lions to beat New England, the Packers to beat Minnesota and the Chiefs to win in Atlanta, while naming the Texans again as the league's second-half surge team, picking Joe Burrow for MVP and saying Kansas City still makes the playoffs. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/62cf7f07-a58c-4d8a-bc3f-4501125a29b9 (not settled) - 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 Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 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) - Danny Kelly on Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 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. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/13d3230a-fd04-4c32-86f7-7faaa5718bb8 (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) --- 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=rich-eisen