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Colin Cowherd#54 of 87 NFL pundits · Jan 8, 2026

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.

Said on air or in an interview · The Colin Cowherd Podcast (podcast)Hear the original

2 of 6calls landed2 hits · 2 close calls · 2 misses · 1 waiting
47.9Average accuracyout of 100, across 6 calls
47.3A naive guessthe same calls, no knowledge
6 of 7Settled1 still waiting
#54Colin Cowherd’s rankof 87 ranked NFL pundits

What Colin Cowherd said

our reading, beside the words we read it from
I'm like Big Jacksonville, Big Chicago, and I do like Mike Tomlin Monday now that DK Metcalf comes back.
Colin Cowherd, the lead quote · each call’s own words are below
Where it was said
The Colin Cowherd Podcast (podcast)
The episode
Bears Built For The COLD, NFL Playoffs Are WIDE OPEN, Lamar Jackson’s Future, Ranking Top NFL Coaches
The original
Hear the original
Read it wrong?
Tell us and we will look

The page this came from has changed since we captured it on Aug 5, 2026. The quote and evidence here are from our capture, not from what the page says today.

  1. SaidJan 7
  2. GradedAug 5–17
  1. 1Baltimore Ravens to win the division“I think we'll see highly effective eleven and six can win the division.”
  2. 2Chicago Bears to beat Packers“I think the Bears are completely built for you... Big Jacksonville, Big Chicago”
  3. 3Head Coach Rankings“So I go McVeigh, Jim Harbaugh, Shanahan, Peyton Vrabel, and Mike McDonald... I would go Ben Johnson seven and then Demiko Ryans eight”
  4. 4Jacksonville Jaguars to beat Chargers“in the last twelve hours, I'm like Big Jacksonville, Big Chicago”
  5. 5Baltimore Ravens to finish with 11 wins“I think we'll see highly effective eleven and six can win the division.”
  6. 6Pittsburgh Steelers to beat Houston“I think they can beat Houston. I honestly do.”
  7. 7Puka Nacua to move to Los Angeles Rams“I said, I would not be shocked if Pooka's gone in the offseason.”

Box score

HitCloseMissWaiting
VerdictCallKindWhat happenedScoreNaiveSkill
Baltimore Ravens to win the division1Division Winners—000
Chicago Bears to beat Packers2Game Outcome Picks—1001000
“So I go McVeigh, Jim Harbaugh, Shanahan, Peyton Vrabel, and…”3Head Coach Rankings—47.6228.57+19.05
Jacksonville Jaguars to beat Chargers4Game Outcome Picks—1001000
Baltimore Ravens to finish with 11 wins5Season Win Totals84055−15
Pittsburgh Steelers to beat Houston6Game Outcome Picks—000
Puka Nacua to move to Los Angeles Rams7Trade and Signing Calls————
7 calls · 2 hits · 2 close calls · 2 misses · 1 waiting47.947.3

Game calls show that game’s closing betting line under their grade: a dated fact from nflverse, for context and never part of a grade. MissedTakes takes no bets and earns nothing from any sportsbook.

How each call scored

a naive guessbetter than naiveworse than naive

7 checkable claims — 3 game outcome picks, 1 division winner, 1 head coach ranking, 1 season win total and 1 trade and signing call — each graded on its own rather than as one all-or-nothing call.

It names 6 players and teams, each linked to their own record.

6 of 7 have settled so far, averaging 47.9 out of 100, against 47.3 for a naive guess at the same calls.

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.

  1. 1Division WinnersBaltimore Ravens

    Baltimore Ravens to win the division

    VerdictMiss
    0Miss · naive 0
    0this call0a naive guess0better than naive1difficulty0skill
    How this was scored
    skill:
    0
    method:
    division winners read off the bracket: the bye teams and the wild-card hosts
    they picked:
    BAL
    season:
    2025
    accuracy:
    0
    baseline:
    0
    the naive pick:
    BAL
    difficulty:
    1
    the naive guess:
    last season's winner of the same division
    weeks in the season:
    18
    weeks left when called:
    0
    won the division:
    no
    Think this is wrong?

  2. 2Game Outcome PicksChicago Bears

    Chicago Bears to beat Packers

    VerdictHit
    100Hit · naive 100
    100this call100a naive guess0better than naive1difficulty0skill

    Closing line (Jan 10): Packers by 2.5 · underdog pick, Bears 45%.

    How this was scored
    won:
    CHI
    score:
    27-31
    skill:
    0
    they picked:
    CHI
    season:
    2025
    accuracy:
    100
    baseline:
    100
    the naive pick:
    CHI
    difficulty:
    1
    weeks in the season:
    18
    weeks left when called:
    0
    Think this is wrong?

  3. 3Head Coach Rankings

    “So I go McVeigh, Jim Harbaugh, Shanahan, Peyton Vrabel, and Mike McDonald... I would go Ben Johnson seven and then Demiko Ryans eight”

    VerdictClose
    47.62Close · naive 28.57
    47.62this call28.57a naive guess19.05better than naive1difficulty+19.05skill
    How this was scored
    best:
    Mike Vrabel
    skill:
    19.05
    method:
    spearman
    season:
    2025
    accuracy:
    47.62
    baseline:
    28.57
    settled by:
    wins above the prior-season baseline
    difficulty:
    1
    weeks in the season:
    18
    coaches ranked:
    8
    weeks left when called:
    0
    Think this is wrong?

  4. 4Game Outcome PicksJacksonville Jaguars

    Jacksonville Jaguars to beat Chargers

    VerdictHit
    100Hit · naive 100
    100this call100a naive guess0better than naive1difficulty0skill
    How this was scored
    won:
    JAX
    score:
    6-35
    skill:
    0
    they picked:
    JAX
    season:
    2025
    accuracy:
    100
    baseline:
    100
    the naive pick:
    JAX
    difficulty:
    1
    weeks in the season:
    18
    weeks left when called:
    0
    Think this is wrong?

  5. 5Season Win TotalsBaltimore Ravens

    Baltimore Ravens to finish with 11 wins

    What happened8called 11
    40Close · naive 55
    40this call55a naive guess−15worse than naive1difficulty−15skill
    How this was scored
    team:
    BAL
    naive:
    10.25
    skill:
    −15
    what happened:
    8
    season:
    2025
    zero credit this far off:
    5
    accuracy:
    40
    baseline:
    55
    they said:
    11
    difficulty:
    1
    weeks in the season:
    18
    weeks left when called:
    0
    Think this is wrong?

  6. 6Game Outcome PicksPittsburgh Steelers

    Pittsburgh Steelers to beat Houston

    VerdictMiss
    0Miss · naive 0
    0this call0a naive guess0better than naive1difficulty0skill

    Closing line (Jan 12): Texans by 3 · underdog pick, Steelers 42%.

    How this was scored
    won:
    HOU
    score:
    30-6
    skill:
    0
    they picked:
    PIT
    season:
    2025
    accuracy:
    0
    baseline:
    0
    the naive pick:
    PIT
    difficulty:
    1
    weeks in the season:
    18
    weeks left when called:
    0
    Think this is wrong?

  7. 7Trade and Signing CallsPuka NacuaLos Angeles Rams

    Puka Nacua to move to Los Angeles Rams

    VerdictWaiting

    Not settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.

    Think this is wrong?
  8. All

    The take as a whole

    the average of 6 settled calls, each counted once

    47.9naive 47.3

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