Tyler Sullivan#27 of 87 NFL pundits · Oct 6, 2026
Ranking the eight division leaders a month into the 2026 season by how likely they are to lose their spot, Sullivan argues the 49ers should hold off Seattle and Los Angeles to win the NFC West, sees the Bears as the best team in the NFC North with the Vikings vulnerable, and expects Tennessee to land another high draft pick.
Published in writing · CBS SportsRead the original
What Tyler Sullivan said
our reading, beside the words we read it fromIf they can keep this level of play up (or even keep it relatively close to these figures), they should win the requisite games to win the NFC West.
- Where it was published
- CBS Sports
- The piece
- Ranking NFL division leaders by which are most vulnerable after opening month
- The original
- Read the original
- Read it wrong?
- Tell us and we will look
- 1San Francisco 49ers to win the division“If they can keep this level of play up (or even keep it relatively close to these figures), they should win the requisite games to win the NFC West.”
- 2Tennessee Titans to pick “another top-five pick at the NFL Draft” (picks 1–5)“Neither does Tennessee, as it appears destined to have another top-five pick at the NFL Draft.”
- 3Chicago Bears to win the division“Moreover, I think the Chicago Bears are the class of this division and are hot on the heels of Minnesota at 3-1.”
Box score
HitCloseMissWaiting| Verdict | Call | Kind | What happened | Score | Naive | Skill |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Francisco 49ers to win the division1 | Division Winners | — | — | — | — | |
| Tennessee Titans to pick “another top-five pick at the NFL Draft” (picks 1–5)2 | Team Draft Slot Calls | — | — | — | — | |
| Chicago Bears to win the division3 | Division Winners | — | — | — | — | |
| 3 calls · 3 waiting | — | — | ||||
How each call scored
3 checkable claims — 2 division winners and 1 team draft slot call — each graded on its own rather than as one all-or-nothing call.
It names 3 players and teams, each linked to their own record.
None of them have settled yet — they grade once their results are in.
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.
1Division WinnersSan Francisco 49ers
San Francisco 49ers to win the division
VerdictWaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
2Team Draft Slot CallsTennessee Titans
Tennessee Titans to pick “another top-five pick at the NFL Draft” (picks 1–5)
VerdictWaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
3Division WinnersChicago Bears
Chicago Bears to win the division
VerdictWaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
Who this take is about
Others on the same people
John Middlekauff · Draft Bust Calls · Caleb Williams · Miss 0
Middlekauff expects either Josh Allen or Lamar Jackson to win this year's MVP, calling them the two best players in the league. They are pessimistic on the Bears, forecasting six or seven wins and saying they'd bet Caleb Williams doesn't work out as a franchise quarterback. They also see Oklahoma's John Mattier as a first-round pick who'll be in the Heisman mix.Bryan DeArdo · Score Predictions · Chicago Bears · Hit 98
DeArdo picks the Bears to beat the Buccaneers on Sunday night in a defensive game, predicting a 20-16 final score.Danny Parkins · Game Outcome Picks · Chicago Bears · Hit 100
Parkins named the seven AFC teams they believe are already set as the playoff field, expects Chicago, Buffalo and Kansas City to win this week, took Green Bay over New England and Atlanta over Cincinnati outright, and kept Bills–Bears as their Super Bowl matchup with the Giants still winning the NFC East.
More division winners
The same kind of call, about other players and teams.
Daniel DiBerardinis · Division Winners · Atlanta Falcons · Miss 0
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. They also give a Final Four of Michigan, Florida, Purdue and Arizona with Michigan winning.Colin Cowherd · Division Winners · New York Giants · Miss 0
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. They also expect Malik Willis to land a big free-agent deal, Kayvon Thibodeaux to be moved, and Baltimore to lose Isaiah Likely, and they float the Rams reaching on Ty Simpson late in round one.Colin Cowherd · Division Winners · Los Angeles Chargers · Miss 0
Cowherd unveiled their 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 Cowherd · Division Winners · Baltimore Ravens · Miss 0
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. They also name the Rams as a possible team to draft a receiver and floats next year's draft having seven first-round quarterbacks.Rich Eisen · Division Winners · Jacksonville Jaguars · 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.