# Chris Brockman: Brockman took the New England Patriots as his final sleeper team, and separately predicted all three of TJ Jefferson's sleeper teams make the playoffs, with the Cowboys reaching the NFC Championship Game and winning the NFC East. **Claimed:** Jul 23, 2026 **Pundit:** Chris Brockman — https://missedtakes.co/pundits/chris-brockman **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/ESP5934056549.mp3 8 checkable claims — 3 playoff picks, 3 surprise team calls, 1 conference champion and 1 division winner — each graded on its own rather than as one all-or-nothing bet. It names 6 players and teams, each linked to their own record. None of them have settled yet — they grade once their results are in. > My final, sleeper team of this draft are your defending AFC champion, New England. *(their words, quoted for attribution)* ## The claims - **New England Patriots to beat expectations** - Kind: Surprise Team Calls · About: New England Patriots - Verdict: not settled yet - **Tennessee Titans to beat expectations** - Kind: Surprise Team Calls · About: Tennessee Titans - Verdict: not settled yet - **Atlanta Falcons to beat expectations** - Kind: Surprise Team Calls · About: Atlanta Falcons - Verdict: not settled yet - **Dallas Cowboys to win the division** - Kind: Division Winners · About: Dallas Cowboys - Verdict: not settled yet - **New Orleans Saints to make the playoffs** - Kind: Playoff Picks · About: New Orleans Saints - Verdict: not settled yet - **Dallas Cowboys to reach the Super Bowl** - Kind: Conference Champions · About: Dallas Cowboys - Verdict: not settled yet - **Dallas Cowboys to make the playoffs** - Kind: Playoff Picks · About: Dallas Cowboys - Verdict: not settled yet - **Minnesota Vikings to make the playoffs** - Kind: Playoff Picks · About: Minnesota Vikings - Verdict: not settled yet ## Who this take is about - New England Patriots — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/patriots - Tennessee Titans — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/titans - Atlanta Falcons — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/falcons - Dallas Cowboys — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/cowboys - New Orleans Saints — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/saints - Minnesota Vikings — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/vikings ## What others said about the same people - Ross Jackson on New Orleans Saints: Ross Jackson picked the Saints to beat the Raiders at home, projecting a 27-24 final score with the Raiders scoring 24 points. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/434df603-78e1-41ae-a04c-8ef859abd50e (scored 38.1) - Connor Rogers on Dallas Cowboys: Rogers made his own Week 2 calls, taking the Packers, Eagles (by at least 10), Panthers (by at least a field goal), Cowboys (by at least six), Chargers, Chiefs and Rams to win. He also noted Baltimore was his Super Bowl pick and said it wouldn't shock him if Jacksonville hosted the AFC Championship Game. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/0c2a0048-cb74-4da9-8ef4-695cc6571cdf (scored 100) - Chris Simms on Dallas Cowboys: Simms went through every Week 2 game with predicted final scores, picking the Texans, Bears, Steelers (as an upset), Packers, Ravens, Eagles, Buccaneers, Panthers, Jaguars, Seahawks, Cowboys, 49ers, Chargers, Chiefs and Rams to win. He also reiterated that Denver was his preseason Super Bowl pick while predicting the Broncos would fall to 0-2. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/32db5f5e-13da-47e3-b280-2aa9a80d172b (scored 83.33) - Chris Long on New England Patriots: Previewing Week 2, Long called New England a spot to bounce back against Pittsburgh, projected a 27-14 Patriots win, saw Eagles-Titans as a 23-10 grinder, liked the Rams' spot Monday night against the Giants, and wrote down a Bills 31, Lions 23 final for the Thursday nighter. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/ab903e00-9f1b-4862-91a6-96343679649c (scored 100) - Steve Kubitza on Za'Darius Smith: Kubitza suggests that Kevin Stefanski's Falcons may lure veteran pass rusher Za'Darius Smith away from Cleveland, signing him in Atlanta instead of the Browns. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/54fca826-8644-4e76-bc3f-5d8d44bcca23 (scored 100) - Chris Simms on New Orleans Saints: 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 47.62) ## More playoff picks The same kind of call, about other players and teams. - Dan "Buzz" Wilson on Philadelphia Eagles: Wilson argued the Eagles' offseason approach of prioritizing 2026 and beyond doesn't mean a bad 2025 — he expects them to remain among the NFC's best teams and to make a deep playoff run rather than fall off to eight or nine wins. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/afce079c-b986-476b-a872-09905017fc6f (scored 100) - Craig Stout on Kansas City Chiefs: Craig believes better execution from a Patrick Mahomes-led Chiefs team will be enough to return them to the playoffs in the coming season, and he expects Tyler Algeier to land with Denver as a complement to RJ Harvey. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/4ad5b565-6220-4c30-9371-e55be75a35f0 (scored 0) - Dwaine Board on San Francisco 49ers: Board argues the 49ers can still make the playoffs even if Trent Williams leaves, expects Williams to be brought back, and favors drafting a wide receiver at No. 27 over an offensive tackle. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/07beb6d4-aadc-4b2d-b131-b889c85204a3 (scored 100) - Rich Eisen on Carolina Panthers: 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 Green Bay Packers: 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. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/1f7633c5-427b-4993-8849-3f53865241bd (scored 100) - Rich Eisen on San Francisco 49ers: Eisen agreed the NFC West will send three teams to the playoffs (Seahawks, 49ers and Rams), endorsed the Bears finishing no worse than the No. 2 seed, and said Chicago would beat Green Bay at home. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/ea0d0a73-4f8b-4c92-8cd3-bcf957dc2115 (scored 100) --- Accuracy is 0-100 against what actually happened. 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