# Derek Brown: Brown picked the Browns to beat the Jets and the Bears to beat the Packers, forecast a 31-28 Bills win over the Rams on Monday night, and made several Week 5 availability calls — doubting Tee Higgins, Lamar Jackson, Stefon Diggs and Terry McLaurin while expecting Ja'Marr Chase to play.

**Claimed:** Oct 9, 2026
**Pundit:** Derek Brown — https://missedtakes.co/pundits/derek-brown
**Outlet:** FantasyPros Fantasy Football Podcast (podcast) — https://missedtakes.co/outlets/fantasypros-fantasy-football-podcast-podcast
**How it reached us:** said on air or in an interview
**Original:** https://prfx.byspotify.com/e/dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/pscrb.fm/rss/p/clrtpod.com/m/arttrk.com/p/D5CA5/traffic.omny.fm/d/clips/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/a425ba31-4316-4647-847e-b0030136e912/9f049aa4-09bc-474c-beef-b4de0129e9ae/audio.mp3?in_playlist=0afc299b-d04e-4bd7-91a8-b0030136e938

7 checkable claims — 5 availability calls, 1 game outcome pick and 1 score prediction — 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.

> 31-28, Bills.

*(their words, quoted for attribution)*

## The claims

- **Buffalo Bills 31 — Rams 28**
  - Kind: Score Predictions · About: Buffalo Bills
  - Verdict: not settled yet
- **So I think Jamar Chase probably plays, but we'll see. But I give him a coin flip. (Week 5)**
  - Kind: Availability Calls · About: Ja'Marr Chase, Cincinnati Bengals
  - Verdict: not settled yet
- **I don't think Stefan Diggs and Terry McCorm play. Neither one of them have practiced dealing with hamstring issues. (Week 5)**
  - Kind: Availability Calls · About: Terry McLaurin, Washington Commanders
  - Verdict: not settled yet
- **I don't think Stefan Diggs and Terry McCorm play. (Week 5)**
  - Kind: Availability Calls · About: Stefon Diggs
  - Verdict: not settled yet
- **Chicago Bears to beat Packers**
  - Kind: Game Outcome Picks · About: Chicago Bears
  - Verdict: not settled yet
- **I don't think Tee Higgins plays in this game because even with the side work, he's been listed as DMP for both days. (Week 5)**
  - Kind: Availability Calls · About: Tee Higgins, Cincinnati Bengals
  - Verdict: not settled yet
- **I don't give Lamar any shot to play this week. I don't think he's playing at all. (Week 5)**
  - Kind: Availability Calls · About: Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens
  - Verdict: not settled yet

## Who this take is about

- Buffalo Bills — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/bills
- Ja'Marr Chase — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/ja-marr-chase
- Cincinnati Bengals — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/bengals
- Terry McLaurin — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/terry-mclaurin
- Washington Commanders — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/commanders
- Stefon Diggs — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/stefon-diggs
- Chicago Bears — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/bears
- Tee Higgins — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/tee-higgins
- Lamar Jackson — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/lamar-jackson
- Baltimore Ravens — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/ravens

## What others said about the same people

- 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)
- Nick Wright on Baltimore Ravens: Nick Wright predicts Shedeur Sanders stays behind Dylan Gabriel on the Browns depth chart, forecasts a season where Flacco is benched a third of the way in, Gabriel then fails, Shedeur then fails, and Cleveland drafts a quarterback next year. He also makes a long list of win-total, playoff and division calls across the AFC North and beyond. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/4e17eca2-e154-41f3-b116-389f8335f9c8 (scored 0)
- Nick Wright on Chicago Bears: In part two of his gambling show, Nick Wright ran through NFC (and recapped AFC) win-total picks, division winners and make/miss-the-playoffs bets, backing the Chiefs, Jaguars, Raiders, Bears, Buccaneers and Falcons to clear their totals while predicting Commanders, Bucs and Rams division titles. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/252a575e-6524-48d2-86c4-356e2509e8f5 (scored 100)
- Gregg Rosenthal on Baltimore Ravens: Rosenthal's under picks and a few freebie leans: Colts under 7.5 (possibly the worst team), Commanders under 9.5, Saints under 5.5 (possibly 2-15), Bears under 8.5, plus stated likes on Dolphins under 8.5, Giants over 5.5 and Ravens over 11.5. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/3f529d87-3976-4268-b793-c31075d71d04 (scored 0)
- Nick Wright on Cincinnati Bengals: Wright's under picks: Broncos under 9.5, 49ers under 10.5, Cowboys under 8, Bengals under 9.5 with Cincinnati missing the playoffs and Zac Taylor fired. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/c3f0c208-282f-4dfc-8ca1-5c966eee0be2 (scored 100)
- Kyle Crabbs on Cobee Bryant: Crabbs projects all seven rounds of the 2025 NFL Draft, starting with Cam Ward going No. 1 overall to Tennessee, Travis Hunter second to Cleveland and Abdul Carter third to the Giants. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/e8a40874-e85c-44ec-a4c8-b6f0edbd22d2 (scored 0)

## More availability calls

The same kind of call, about other players and teams.

- Chad Jensen on Ladd McConkey: Jensen expects Chargers receiver Ladd McConkey, listed as questionable with a foot injury after not practicing all week, to sit out Sunday's game against Denver. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/2bb2b7d1-921f-46e4-ad3e-61b6ac77b679 (not settled)
- Patricia Traina on Jihad Ward: With Chauncey Golston placed on IR, Traina expects newly signed Jihad Ward to be active against Washington and absorb a significant defensive role in Golston's place. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/bc0d835f-406e-4fdb-ac72-89ed4bf46c62 (not settled)
- Donnie Druin on Walter Nolen: Druin reads the Cardinals' Saturday roster moves as an indication that defensive lineman Walter Nolen III, listed questionable with a calf injury, is expected to be available for Sunday's Week 5 game against the Lions, and that linebacker Karson Sharar should also be good to go. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/ca3580c8-0e85-4615-9610-6a3a29c3bb6b (not settled)
- Bill Huber on Mekhi Becton: Huber expects the Packers to beat the Bears on Sunday, projects Green Bay's offensive line starters with Becton inactive, and says Becton's Packers debut will be delayed another week. He also lays out Chicago's backfield pecking order with Monangai out. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/85788aa4-a800-40f9-af30-56c9697f2fb9 (not settled)
- Blaine Grisak on Aaron Donald: Grisak suggests the Rams and Bills could meet in the Super Bowl, implying both reach the title game. Otherwise the piece is largely descriptive and quotes from coaches and players. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/ef08a750-e5af-404e-9e43-2dabc79d1819 (not settled)
- Alain Poupart on Caleb Douglas: Poupart predicts the Bengals beat the Dolphins 27-17 at Hard Rock Stadium in Week 5, arguing Miami's offense can't keep pace with Cincinnati if Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins play. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/fc1c82a6-aec1-4de2-b075-4440d3b05b5e (not settled)

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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:
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