# John Breech: Presenting a simulation of the rest of the 2026 season, he projects the full 14-team playoff field, with the Chiefs as AFC No. 1 seed and the Vikings as a surprise NFC No. 1 seed, and runs the entire bracket through to a Chiefs win over the Vikings in Super Bowl LXI. **Claimed:** Sep 30, 2026 **Pundit:** John Breech — https://missedtakes.co/pundits/john-breech **Outlet:** CBS Sports — https://missedtakes.co/outlets/cbs-sports **How it reached us:** published in writing **Original:** https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/predicting-14-team-nfl-playoff-bracket-surprise-no-1-seed-in-nfc/ 41 checkable claims — 14 playoff picks, 13 score predictions, 8 division winners, 2 conference champions, 2 seeding, byes and home field, 1 season win total and 1 super bowl pick — each graded on its own rather than as one all-or-nothing call. It names 14 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 below the rest of the room on every one. > That's right, we have the Vikings in the Super Bowl! *(their words, quoted for attribution)* ## The claims - **Minnesota Vikings to reach the Super Bowl** - Kind: Conference Champions · About: Minnesota Vikings - Verdict: not settled yet - **Baltimore Ravens to make the playoffs** - Kind: Playoff Picks · About: Baltimore Ravens - Verdict: not settled yet - **San Francisco 49ers to make the playoffs** - Kind: Playoff Picks · About: San Francisco 49ers - Verdict: not settled yet - **Jacksonville Jaguars to make the playoffs** - Kind: Playoff Picks · About: Jacksonville Jaguars - Verdict: not settled yet - **Kansas City Chiefs 21 — Vikings 20** - Kind: Score Predictions · About: Kansas City Chiefs - Verdict: not settled yet - **Seattle Seahawks to win the division** - Kind: Division Winners · About: Seattle Seahawks - Verdict: not settled yet - **Kansas City Chiefs to win the division** - Kind: Division Winners · About: Kansas City Chiefs - Verdict: not settled yet - **Minnesota Vikings 21 — Seahawks 19** - Kind: Score Predictions · About: Minnesota Vikings - Verdict: not settled yet - **Kansas City Chiefs to reach the Super Bowl** - Kind: Conference Champions · About: Kansas City Chiefs - Verdict: not settled yet - **Baltimore Ravens 27 — Bengals 26** - Kind: Score Predictions · About: Baltimore Ravens - Verdict: not settled yet - **San Francisco 49ers 27 — Panthers 23** - Kind: Score Predictions · About: San Francisco 49ers - Verdict: not settled yet - **Minnesota Vikings to win the division** - Kind: Division Winners · About: Minnesota Vikings - Verdict: not settled yet - **Buffalo Bills to win the division** - Kind: Division Winners · About: Buffalo Bills - Verdict: not settled yet - **Minnesota Vikings to make the playoffs** - Kind: Playoff Picks · About: Minnesota Vikings - Verdict: not settled yet - **Carolina Panthers to finish with 7 wins** - Kind: Season Win Totals · About: Carolina Panthers - Verdict: not settled yet - **Denver Broncos to make the playoffs** - Kind: Playoff Picks · About: Denver Broncos - Verdict: not settled yet - **Detroit Lions to make the playoffs** - Kind: Playoff Picks · About: Detroit Lions - Verdict: not settled yet - **Kansas City Chiefs 26 — Bills 23** - Kind: Score Predictions · About: Kansas City Chiefs - Verdict: not settled yet - **Kansas City Chiefs to win the Super Bowl** - Kind: Super Bowl Picks · About: Kansas City Chiefs - Verdict: not settled yet - **Buffalo Bills 28 — Ravens 26** - Kind: Score Predictions · About: Buffalo Bills - Verdict: not settled yet - **Chicago Bears to make the playoffs** - Kind: Playoff Picks · About: Chicago Bears - Verdict: not settled yet - **Philadelphia Eagles to win the division** - Kind: Division Winners · About: Philadelphia Eagles - Verdict: not settled yet - **Buffalo Bills to make the playoffs** - Kind: Playoff Picks · About: Buffalo Bills - Verdict: not settled yet - **Carolina Panthers to make the playoffs** - Kind: Playoff Picks · About: Carolina Panthers - Verdict: not settled yet - **Minnesota Vikings to take the top seed** - Kind: Seeding, Byes and Home Field · About: Minnesota Vikings - Verdict: not settled yet - **Philadelphia Eagles 25 — Lions 23** - Kind: Score Predictions · About: Philadelphia Eagles - Verdict: not settled yet - **Jacksonville Jaguars to win the division** - Kind: Division Winners · About: Jacksonville Jaguars - Verdict: not settled yet - **Indianapolis Colts to make the playoffs** - Kind: Playoff Picks · About: Indianapolis Colts - Verdict: not settled yet - **Seattle Seahawks 23 — Eagles 20** - Kind: Score Predictions · About: Seattle Seahawks - Verdict: not settled yet - **Buffalo Bills 32 — Colts 26** - Kind: Score Predictions · About: Buffalo Bills - Verdict: not settled yet - **Kansas City Chiefs to take the top seed** - Kind: Seeding, Byes and Home Field · About: Kansas City Chiefs - Verdict: not settled yet - **Seattle Seahawks to make the playoffs** - Kind: Playoff Picks · About: Seattle Seahawks - Verdict: not settled yet - **Minnesota Vikings 23 — 49ers 20** - Kind: Score Predictions · About: Minnesota Vikings - Verdict: not settled yet - **Seattle Seahawks 26 — Bears 23** - Kind: Score Predictions · About: Seattle Seahawks - Verdict: not settled yet - **Baltimore Ravens to win the division** - Kind: Division Winners · About: Baltimore Ravens - Verdict: not settled yet - **Philadelphia Eagles to make the playoffs** - Kind: Playoff Picks · About: Philadelphia Eagles - Verdict: not settled yet - **Kansas City Chiefs to make the playoffs** - Kind: Playoff Picks · About: Kansas City Chiefs - Verdict: not settled yet - **Jacksonville Jaguars 23 — Broncos 19** - Kind: Score Predictions · About: Jacksonville Jaguars - Verdict: not settled yet - **Kansas City Chiefs 23 — Jaguars 21** - Kind: Score Predictions · About: Kansas City Chiefs - Verdict: not settled yet - **Carolina Panthers to win the division** - Kind: Division Winners · About: Carolina Panthers - Verdict: not settled yet - **Cincinnati Bengals to make the playoffs** - Kind: Playoff Picks · About: Cincinnati Bengals - Verdict: not settled yet ## Who this take is about - Minnesota Vikings — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/vikings - Baltimore Ravens — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/ravens - San Francisco 49ers — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/49ers - Jacksonville Jaguars — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/jaguars - Kansas City Chiefs — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/chiefs - Seattle Seahawks — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/seahawks - Buffalo Bills — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/bills - Carolina Panthers — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/panthers - Denver Broncos — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/broncos - Detroit Lions — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/lions - Chicago Bears — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/bears - Philadelphia Eagles — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/eagles - Indianapolis Colts — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/colts - Cincinnati Bengals — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/bengals ## What others said about the same people - Pat Fitzmaurice on Jacksonville Jaguars: Fitzmaurice picked Jacksonville to edge Cincinnati in a one-point nail-biter, took the Saints over the Falcons on Monday night, pegged Jeremiah Love as an RB11 for the rest of the season, and expected several banged-up players to sit out Week 4. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/4e77c5e9-11e7-4be0-a350-19fa7d3b1165 (scored 90.48) - Derek Brown on Jacksonville Jaguars: Brown forecast a Jaguars shootout win in Cincinnati, took the Saints to beat the Falcons on Monday night, ranked Jeremiah Love as an RB15 rest-of-season (while saying he'd move up), and expected Jacoby Brissett to remain Arizona's quarterback for the year and Jalen Wright to be back in Miami's backfield. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/8ca3ccbb-227a-427f-9908-8f76be9e6b83 (scored 95.24) - Jeff Kerr on Carson Steele: Kerr argues Joshua Weru making the 53-man roster is an overreaction, predicts Carson Steele has earned a roster spot (possibly beating out Cameron Latu for the fullback job), says Tanner McKee should and will be the QB2 over Andy Dalton by Week 1, and expects Darius Cooper to win the final receiver spot over Elijah Moore though he isn't a lock. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/2fd41554-eb69-417a-9ad0-5a7640afc612 (scored 100) - Nick Wright on Chicago Bears: Nick Wright lays out his season win-total picks (overs on Jaguars, Bears, Chiefs, Buccaneers, Raiders, Falcons; unders on Bengals, Colts, Broncos, Cowboys, Vikings, 49ers), playoff berth and miss calls, three division winners, a Chiefs-over-Buccaneers Super Bowl exacta, and five Week 1 picks. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/5049c576-4d69-4d73-a0ba-6296e5e50ff2 (scored 100) - Damonza Byrd on Jacksonville Jaguars: Nick Wright's co-host picks the Jaguars over as his favorite of the six over bets and calls the Baltimore/Buffalo division-winner parlay a safe one. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/5eaf9823-e809-4008-855a-c72518f10f08 (scored 100) - Gregg Rosenthal on Jacksonville Jaguars: Rosenthal's Week 1 picks: the Giants win at Washington, the Lions beat the Packers, and the Jaguars beat the Panthers; he also likes the Jets over the Steelers and the Dolphins over the Colts, and expects Jacksonville to clear 7.5 wins. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/9443503e-89b7-461f-8b67-e99f60c8b5d2 (scored 100) ## More playoff picks The same kind of call, about other players and teams. - Ross Jackson on New Orleans Saints: Jackson projects a big sophomore jump for Saints QB Tyler Shuck, laying out a Drake May-style stat line (17 starts, 72% completions, ~4,601 passing yards, 24 TDs, 9 INTs) or a Bo Nix-style consistency line (over 4,000 yards, over 20 TDs, ~10 INTs), and says either path means a playoff season for New Orleans in 2026. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/4dc05898-73fd-4fcb-92c4-a940d7e395ba (scored 0) - Rich Eisen on Los Angeles Rams: 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) - Chris Brockman on Pittsburgh Steelers: 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 his shot that the Chargers beat Denver in Week 18. He 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. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/7792215a-c787-44bd-b294-5ff028851d30 (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 Los Angeles Rams: 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) - Rich Eisen on New England Patriots: Eisen gave his Week 13 power rankings, with the Rams first, Patriots second and the Cowboys entering at No. 10, and also named New England and Philadelphia as the first teams to clinch playoff spots, picked Seattle to beat Minnesota, and tabbed Drake Maye as an MVP finalist and Mike Vrabel as Coach of the Year. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/960141f1-11b7-4c57-9ef8-0f7b8b41bc99 (scored 100) --- Accuracy is 0-100 against what actually happened. 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