# Bill Huber: Huber argues Green Bay has no excuses left and will beat New England in Foxborough, and expects Christian Watson to play despite his rib injury. He also sketches the projected interior offensive line, with John Williams at center and Laken Tomlinson at right guard. **Claimed:** Nov 8, 2026 **Pundit:** Bill Huber — https://missedtakes.co/pundits/bill-huber **Outlet:** Sports Illustrated — https://missedtakes.co/outlets/sports-illustrated **How it reached us:** published in writing **Original:** https://www.si.com/nfl/packers/onsi/ten-most-important-packers-vs-patriots-time-for-excuses-is-over 4 checkable claims — 2 depth chart calls, 1 availability call and 1 game outcome pick — each graded on its own rather than as one all-or-nothing call. It names 4 players and teams, each linked to their own record. 1 of 4 have settled so far, averaging 100 out of 100, against 0 for a naive guess at the same calls. Of the 2 unsettled calls enough other pundits have weighed in on, this one lands below the rest of the room on every one. > The Packers have more than enough to win on Sunday. *(their words, quoted for attribution)* ## The claims - **Green Bay Packers to beat New England Patriots** - Kind: Game Outcome Picks · About: Green Bay Packers - Verdict: scored 100 out of 100, against 0 for a naive guess - Line: Closing line (Nov 8, 2026): Patriots by 3 · underdog pick, Packers 38%. Source: nflverse; context only, never part of the grade. - **Watson is going to play, and he played well after injuring his ribs a week ago.** - Kind: Availability Calls · About: Christian Watson, Green Bay Packers - Verdict: not settled yet - **John Williams to be 1st on the depth chart** - Kind: Depth Chart Calls · About: John Williams, Green Bay Packers - Verdict: not settled yet - **Laken Tomlinson to be 1st on the depth chart** - Kind: Depth Chart Calls · About: Laken Tomlinson, Green Bay Packers - Verdict: not settled yet ## Who this take is about - Green Bay Packers — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/packers - Christian Watson — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/christian-watson - John Williams — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/john-williams - Laken Tomlinson — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/laken-tomlinson ## What others said about the same people - Pete Prisco on Green Bay Packers: Prisco gives score predictions for every Week 9 NFL game, picking the Bengals to rout the Falcons in Madrid, the Cowboys to rebound at Indianapolis, and the Jaguars to win in Baltimore without Lamar Jackson. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/dc43909b-bc7f-47aa-b208-5cf7c95844bc (scored 64.29) - Derek Brown on Green Bay Packers: Brown picked the Bengals to beat the Falcons in Madrid, the Packers to win outright in New England and the Bills to beat the Vikings on Monday night. He was bullish on Jonah Coleman's rest-of-season value, expected Jonathan Taylor to play for the Colts, floated a Breece Hall trade, and did not expect DJ Reed to play in Week 9. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/b4014405-6764-427e-9708-679baf6b06de (scored 100) - Danny Parkins on Green Bay Packers: Parkins named the seven AFC teams he believes are already set as the playoff field, expects Chicago, Buffalo and Kansas City to win this week, took Green Bay over New England and Atlanta over Cincinnati outright, and kept Bills–Bears as his Super Bowl matchup with the Giants still winning the NFC East. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/272d1f8a-06f7-4b8b-8480-94d370ae5e6f (scored 100) - John Middlekauff on Green Bay Packers: Middlekauff declared the AFC South over and the Jaguars the division champs, while listing several clubs he expects in the playoffs and pegging the Jets for a top-five draft slot. He also leaned Packers and Bears in Week 9 games, predicted roughly five or six wins for Washington, said Brandon Aiyuk is not coming back, and called Tyson Bagent's current deal the biggest he'll ever sign. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/5fbf1f78-2f2a-49cf-8052-89897c9a1ff8 (scored 100) - Matt Harmon on Green Bay Packers: Harmon picked the Packers, Bears, Bills, 49ers and Broncos in Week 9, predicted Justin Jefferson would top 100 receiving yards with two touchdowns against Buffalo, and said Minnesota would lose and then trade for Jonathan Taylor. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/f6e687e7-59f9-430a-90a5-b3c0da4e3e20 (scored 100) - Jared Dubin on Green Bay Packers: Dubin predicts a lopsided Jaguars win over the Ravens on Thursday night and takes the Packers to upset the Patriots in Week 9. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/3c0440d3-fd3d-45e1-bef8-c67da14bf25b (scored 71.43) ## More depth chart calls The same kind of call, about other players and teams. - Jeremy Brener on Jalen Milroe: Brener suggests Seattle may turn to rookie-contract quarterback Jalen Milroe for his first career start in Week 9 against the Cardinals, with Sam Darnold ruled out and Drew Lock dealing with an elbow injury. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/42d1bd81-5e19-456e-9f68-b3b135170ec0 (scored 0) - Michael Moore on Shedeur Sanders: In a Week 9 injury roundup, Moore forecast which banged-up fantasy contributors would play or sit: Deshaun Watson, Garrett Wilson, David Montgomery, Mike Evans, Deebo Samuel, TreVeyon Henderson and Terrance Ferguson are expected out, while Travis Kelce, Saquon Barkley, Michael Wilson, Christian Watson and Emeka Egbuka should play. He also expects Shedeur Sanders and Drew Lock to start at quarterback. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/e26319a3-10aa-49a6-a24d-a257521363f0 (scored 100) - Zachary Pereles on Shedeur Sanders: Pereles writes that if Deshaun Watson can't clear concussion protocol in time, the Browns would likely turn to second-year quarterback Shedeur Sanders to start Week 9 against the Saints. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/6dad75dd-1818-4a6a-91ea-832f491c2530 (scored 100) - Nic Bodiford on Joe Fagnano: Previewing Week 9 running game matchups, Bodiford expects Jacksonville to win lopsidedly over a depleted Baltimore team, with Bhayshul Tuten sitting out and Chris Rodriguez taking over as lead back, while Joe Fagnano starts at quarterback for the Ravens. He also views Broncos rookie Jonah Coleman as an RB2 going forward. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/a13b9f29-bb76-4c56-b226-aca74b21f5b7 (scored 100) - Garrett Podell on Carson Beck: Podell argues the Cardinals have maxed out with Jacoby Brissett and that rookie Carson Beck should be ramped up to replace him as starter, targeting Week 8 at Dallas for Beck's regular-season debut. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/2f499498-ebbe-41f8-8ea3-41fe96f79432 (scored 0) - Jacob Herlin on J.J. McCarthy: Herlin published Week 7 fantasy D/ST rankings with projections for 28 team defenses, led by Houston, Minnesota and Cleveland. He also expects Cleveland to post a fourth straight top-10 fantasy defense result, and predicts Jalon Daniels starts another week for Tampa Bay while J.J. McCarthy takes over as the Giants' starter. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/cf4a2992-3760-464e-b540-6182ebc4457f (scored 100) --- Accuracy is 0-100 against what actually happened. The naive guess is what a strategy requiring no knowledge would have scored on the same call — the difference is the skill, and it is what the MissedTakes Score averages. Full method: https://missedtakes.co/methodology We summarize what a pundit said and quote a short span for attribution; we never republish their article. If this is wrong, tell us: https://missedtakes.co/corrections?pundit=bill-huber