Colin Cowherd#54 of 87 NFL pundits · Aug 26, 2026
Cowherd laid out their NFC division predictions one through four: Eagles over Giants, Cowboys and Commanders in the East; Lions, Bears, Packers, Vikings in the North; Saints, Panthers, Buccaneers, Falcons in the South; Seahawks over Rams, 49ers and Cardinals in the West. They also named the Lions, Saints and Giants as new playoff teams, the Giants as their double-the-win-total pick, and said Seattle and the Rams are the two best teams in the NFL.
Said on air or in an interview · The Herd with Colin Cowherd (podcast)Hear the original
What Colin Cowherd said
Finally, the NFC West, a little surprise, I'll take Seattle to win over the Rams.
- Where it was said
- The Herd with Colin Cowherd (podcast)
- The episode
- THE HERD – HOUR 1 – Patrick Mahomes Regressing, Jordan Love Has No Brand, NFC Predictions
- The original
- Hear the original
- Read it wrong?
- Tell us and we will look
Box score, by kind
HitCloseMissWaiting| Group | Hits | Close | Misses | Waiting | Calls |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Playoff Picks | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | |
| Division Winners | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | |
| Power Rankings | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | |
| Season Win Totals | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | |
| Surprise Team Calls | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
| Depth Chart Calls | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
| All | 0 | 0 | 0 | 21 |
How each call scored
21 checkable claims — 7 playoff picks, 6 power rankings, 4 division winners, 2 season win totals, 1 depth chart call and 1 surprise team call — each graded on its own rather than as one all-or-nothing call.
It names 10 players and teams, each linked to their own record.
None of them have settled yet — they grade once their results are in.
Of the 3 unsettled calls enough other pundits have weighed in on, this one lands above the room on 1 and below it on 2.
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.
Their call against the record
Their call against what actually happened last time. Not yet settled.
Playoff Picks7 waitingShow ▸Hide ▾
New York Giants to make the playoffs
“I think if Jackson Dart can stay out of the blue tent, I think it's a playoff team.”
—WaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
Kansas City Chiefs to make the playoffs
“So we gave you three new playoff teams yesterday in Baltimore, Kansas City, and Cincinnati.”
—WaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
New Orleans Saints to make the playoffs
“I've got three new playoff teams in the NFC, the Lions, the Saints and the Giants.”
—WaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
Cincinnati Bengals to make the playoffs
“So we gave you three new playoff teams yesterday in Baltimore, Kansas City, and Cincinnati.”
—WaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
Detroit Lions to make the playoffs
“I've got three new playoff teams in the NFC, the Lions, the Saints and the Giants.”
—WaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
Philadelphia Eagles to make the playoffs
“I'm still going with philadelphia winning the nfc east”
—WaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
Baltimore Ravens to make the playoffs
“So we gave you three new playoff teams yesterday in Baltimore, Kansas City, and Cincinnati.”
—WaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
Division Winners4 waitingShow ▸Hide ▾
Detroit Lions to win the division
“NFC North. I think the Lions have a combination of the best roster in division and the easiest schedule in the entire league this year.”
—WaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
Seattle Seahawks to win the division
“Finally, the NFC West, a little surprise, I'll take Seattle to win over the Rams.”
—WaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
Philadelphia Eagles to win the division
“I'm still going with philadelphia winning the nfc east”
—WaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
New Orleans Saints to win the division
“NFC South the second easiest schedule in football is the Saints... I think they found their guy”
—WaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
Power Rankings6 waitingShow ▸Hide ▾
“I'll take Seattle to win over the Rams... San Francisco, I worry about it... And then Arizona, bit of a mess... Arizona at fourth place.”
—WaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
“We did pick the Colts as the second place team in the AFC South over the Jags”
—WaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
“I'm going to go Chicago second... I'm going to choose Green Bay over Minnesota... Minnesota is going to be the best fourth-place team in the NFL.”
—WaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
“I think these two teams, in my opinion, are the best two teams in the NFL, Seahawks-Rams, one and two in my book.”
—WaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
“I think Carolina will vie for the division title and a playoff spot. I like the top two teams. Tampa Bay, you got a coach on the hot seat... So I'm going to pick Atlanta for fourth place.”
—WaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
“I'm going to go with the Giants over the Cowboys... I have the Cowboys better, but not a playoff team third. And Washington just doesn't have enough talent.”
—WaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
Season Win Totals2 waitingShow ▸Hide ▾
Los Angeles Rams to finish with 11 wins
“they're going to be a really, really good team and win 11 games”
—WaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
- —Waiting
Not settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
Surprise Team Calls1 waitingShow ▸Hide ▾
New York Giants to beat expectations
“But I've said the Giants are also my pick for my double the win total team.”
—WaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
Depth Chart Calls1 waitingShow ▸Hide ▾
Blake Miller to be 1st on the depth chart
“They draft kid out of Clemson. He'll start it right. Tackle Blake Miller.”
—WaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
Who this take is about
Others on the same people
Chris Clark · Trade and Signing Calls · Nikko Remigio · Miss 0
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.Sam Monson · Game Outcome Picks · New York Giants · Miss 0
Monson picked every Week 10 game, taking the Giants, Lions, Packers, Panthers, Colts, Texans, Bills, Chiefs, Jaguars, Seahawks, Rams, Cowboys, Bengals and Ravens, and also suggested the Chargers' only likely wins the rest of the way come against the Jets and Dolphins.Pete Prisco · Score Predictions · New York Giants · Miss 36
Prisco picks the Giants to beat the Commanders 23-14 on Thursday night and the Lions to beat the Patriots 30-24 in Munich.Jared Dubin · Score Predictions · New York Giants · Close 43
Dubin picks the Giants to beat the Commanders 20-14 on Thursday night and takes the Packers over the Vikings 17-14 in a low-scoring Week 10 game.Jared Dubin · Score Predictions · New York Giants · Close 43
Dubin picks the Giants to beat the Commanders at home on Thursday night, projecting a 20-14 final score.Pete Prisco · Score Predictions · New York Giants · Miss 36
Prisco picked the Giants to beat the Commanders at home in the Thursday night Week 10 game, 23-14, citing New York's dominant front seven containing Jayden Daniels.
More playoff picks
The same kind of call, about other players and teams.
Rich Eisen · Playoff Picks · Minnesota Vikings · Miss 0
Eisen argues Ohio State will produce multiple top-10 picks — Sonny Styles, Arvell Reese and Caleb Downs — becoming the first school with three defensive players in the top 10, and that Styles will not be available at No. 12 to the Cowboys. He also thinks Fernando Mendoza is worthy of the No. 1 overall pick and expects the Raiders to draft him, and picks Trey Lance over Anthony Richardson to start a game first, Micah Parsons to fetch a bigger trade return than Maxx Crosby, Kirk Cousins as the released QB most likely to reach the playoffs, and J.J. McCarthy as the Vikings' Week 1 starter.Rich Eisen · Playoff Picks · Carolina Panthers · 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.Chris Brockman · Playoff Picks · Pittsburgh Steelers · Hit 100
Brockman argued the road to the Super Bowl in the AFC goes through Foxborough, meaning the Patriots will finish as the No. 1 seed, and called their shot that the Chargers beat Denver in Week 18. They also declared the Bears a team of destiny who will win the NFC, said the Steelers will end their playoff win drought, and that Trevor Lawrence is playing like a top-five quarterback.Rich Eisen · Playoff Picks · Green Bay Packers · Hit 100
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.Chris Brockman · Playoff Picks · Buffalo Bills · Hit 100
Brockman argued the Texans will reach the AFC Championship Game, declared the Chiefs dynasty over, said the road to the Super Bowl in the NFC goes through Lambeau Field, that Josh Allen is still the most dangerous QB and the Bills will win a playoff game (with the AFC East runner-up as the 5 seed winning in Pittsburgh or Baltimore), that Carolina will win the NFC South, that Baltimore finishes under .500 with Lamar no longer a top-five QB, that the Colts should trade for Mac Jones, and that Marcus Freeman will be in the NFL next year.