Carter Bahns#18 of 87 NFL pundits · Oct 15, 2026
Bahns argues the 5-0 49ers are the NFL's new Super Bowl favorite, with the inside track to the NFC West title, a postseason berth and the franchise's first championship in 32 years. They also expect Caleb Williams and Michael Penix Jr. to be available for Week 6.
Published in writing · CBS SportsRead the original
What Carter Bahns said
our reading, beside the words we read it fromFrankly, they might just win the Super Bowl regardless of who is available.
- Where it was published
- CBS Sports
- The piece
- Super Bowl stock report for NFL Week 6: 49ers emerge as new favorites, Bears await Caleb Williams' return
- The original
- Read the original
- Read it wrong?
- Tell us and we will look
- 1Availability Calls“Williams is on track to play in Week 6 against the Atlanta Falcons.”
- 2San Francisco 49ers to win the division“they have the inside track to a division title... making them the clear-cut top dogs in a division that was expected to be a season-long brawl”
- 3San Francisco 49ers to win the Super Bowl“they are off to a 5-0 start and have the inside track to a division title and the Vince Lombardi Trophy... Frankly, they might just win the Super Bowl regardless of who is available.”
- 4Availability Calls“There was a chance this would be a clash between backup quarterbacks given Williams' hamstring issue and the rib injury Michael Penix Jr. sustained on "Sunday Night Football," but both are on track to play. (Week 6, Bears at Falcons)”
- 5San Francisco 49ers to make the playoffs“These 49ers appear better suited than previous iterations to not only reach the postseason but finally break through for the franchise's first Super Bowl victory in 32 years.”
Box score
HitCloseMissWaiting| Verdict | Call | Kind | What happened | Score | Naive | Skill |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| “Williams is on track to play in Week 6 against the Atlanta…”1 | Availability Calls | — | — | — | — | |
| San Francisco 49ers to win the division2 | Division Winners | — | — | — | — | |
| San Francisco 49ers to win the Super Bowl3 | Super Bowl Picks | — | — | — | — | |
| “There was a chance this would be a clash between backup…”4 | Availability Calls | — | — | — | — | |
| San Francisco 49ers to make the playoffs5 | Playoff Picks | — | — | — | — | |
| 5 calls · 5 waiting | — | — | ||||
How each call scored
5 checkable claims — 2 availability calls, 1 division winner, 1 playoff pick and 1 super bowl pick — each graded on its own rather than as one all-or-nothing call.
It names 5 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.
1Availability CallsCaleb WilliamsChicago Bears
“Williams is on track to play in Week 6 against the Atlanta Falcons.”
VerdictWaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
2Division WinnersSan Francisco 49ers
San Francisco 49ers to win the division
VerdictWaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
3Super Bowl PicksSan Francisco 49ers
San Francisco 49ers to win the Super Bowl
VerdictWaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
4Availability CallsMichael Penix Jr.Atlanta Falcons
“There was a chance this would be a clash between backup quarterbacks given Williams' hamstring issue and the rib injury Michael Penix Jr. sustained on "Sunday Night Football," but both are on track to play. (Week 6, Bears at Falcons)”
VerdictWaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
5Playoff PicksSan Francisco 49ers
San Francisco 49ers to make the playoffs
VerdictWaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
Who this take is about
Others on the same people
Alex Curry · Trade and Signing Calls · Kirk Cousins · Hit 100
Curry expects Fernando Mendoza to be taken No. 1 overall by the Raiders and to be thrown into the starting lineup immediately, and they say Kirk Cousins will be released by Atlanta within weeks.Alex Curry · Trade and Signing Calls · Kirk Cousins · Hit 100
Curry expects Fernando Mendoza to be the No. 1 overall pick and land with the Raiders, and they say Kirk Cousins will be released by Atlanta.JP Acosta · Trade and Signing Calls · Kirk Cousins · Hit 100
Acosta expects John Harbaugh's Giants to jump to roughly seven wins in year one, and forecast several offseason moves: Aaron Rodgers returning to Pittsburgh, Daniel Jones returning to the Colts, Kirk Cousins being released by Atlanta, and Brandon Aiyuk leaving San Francisco.Gregg Rosenthal · Trade and Signing Calls · Kirk Cousins · Hit 100
Rosenthal gave their award ballot: Drake May atop their MVP list (though they expect Matthew Stafford to actually win), Myles Garrett for Defensive Player of the Year, Bijan Robinson for Offensive Player of the Year, Tetairoa McMillan for Offensive Rookie of the Year, Carson Schwesinger for Defensive Rookie of the Year, Mike Macdonald for Coach of the Year and Broncos O-line coach Zach Strief for Assistant Coach of the Year. They also expect Kirk Cousins to be cut by Atlanta.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.
More availability calls
The same kind of call, about other players and teams.
Ralph Ventre · Availability Calls · Alec Anderson · Waiting
Ventre projects Buffalo's Week 10 offensive line at the Jets to feature Dawkins, Anderson, McGovern and Torrence back in place, with Tylan Grable making a third straight start at right tackle in place of Spencer Brown, who appears headed for the inactive list.Shanna McCarriston · Availability Calls · Drew Lock · Waiting
Previewing three Week 10 games, McCarriston expects the Steelers-Bengals rematch to be a close, exciting contest, with one team's four-game win streak ending. Notes that Deshaun Watson is set to return for Cleveland against Houston, and that Fernando Mendoza will make a first NFL start for the Raiders against Seattle.Ian Rapoport · Availability Calls · Spencer Brown · Waiting
Rapoport expected Spencer Brown to be available for Buffalo on Sunday despite the missed practice time, saw Lamar Jackson returning from thumb surgery around Week 16 or 17 if Baltimore stays alive, said the Chargers have no intention of moving on from Justin Herbert, and expected George Pickens to play for Dallas.Jared Koch · Availability Calls · Keylan Rutledge · Waiting
Koch wrote that rookie left guard Keylan Rutledge is likely to miss the Week 10 game against the Browns, with fellow rookie Febechi Nwaiwu expected to make a first NFL start at left guard in place of Rutledge, ahead of the more experienced Wyatt Teller. Koch also expects the stinger absence to be brief.Michael David Smith · Availability Calls · Jacob Saylors · Waiting
Smith wrote that despite a questionable designation with a rib injury, Amon-Ra St. Brown is extremely unlikely to miss the Lions' game against the Patriots in Germany, and also expects Jared Goff, Brian Branch, Jacob Saylors and DJ Wonnum to all play Sunday after full practices.