Colin Cowherd#54 of 87 NFL pundits · Aug 25, 2026
Cowherd laid out his AFC playoff field: Bills, Ravens, Texans and Chargers as division winners, with Patriots, Bengals and Chiefs as wild cards. He also picked the Lions to win their division, said the Chargers would be a 12-win team, called the Giants his 'double the win total' team, and predicted Fernando Mendoza would start at quarterback for the Raiders before Thanksgiving.
Said on air or in an interview · The Herd with Colin Cowherd (podcast)Hear the original
What Colin Cowherd said
So I have the Bills Ravens Texans Chargers winning their division, Patriots, Bengals, Chiefs as wildcard.
- Where it was said
- The Herd with Colin Cowherd (podcast)
- The episode
- THE HERD – HOUR 1 – Caitlin Clark Is A Disruptor, Cowboys Are NOT Super Bowl Contenders, AFC 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 | Too vague | Calls |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Playoff Picks | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | |
| Season Win Totals | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | |
| Division Winners | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | |
| Depth Chart Calls | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | |
| All | 0 | 0 | 0 | 16 | 1 |
How each call scored
17 claims — 7 playoff picks, 5 division winners, 3 season win totals and 2 depth chart calls — the 16 we can check each graded on its own rather than as one all-or-nothing call.
It names 13 players and teams, each linked to their own record.
None of the 16 calls we can check have settled yet — they grade once their results are in.
The other one was too vague to check, so it is not graded.
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.
Where this call stands in the room
Fernando Mendoza · 2026 season25 calls from 23 pundits between 1 and 1. Colin Cowherd said 1. the room's median is 1. not settled yet
Every dot is a call somebody published on the same question. Where the dots land says where this take sits, not whether it is right — nothing here is settled yet. Hover a dot for the name and number; click it to read that take.
Their call against the record
Their call against what actually happened last time. Not yet settled.
Playoff Picks7 waitingShow ▸Hide ▾
Houston Texans to make the playoffs
“So I have the Bills Ravens Texans Chargers winning their division”
—WaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
Baltimore Ravens to make the playoffs
“Baltimore, by the way, is going to be a new playoff team, too.”
—WaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
Kansas City Chiefs to make the playoffs
“I'll give Kansas City credit, I think they get back to the playoffs.”
—WaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
Buffalo Bills to make the playoffs
“So I have the Bills Ravens Texans Chargers winning their division”
—WaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
Los Angeles Chargers to make the playoffs
“I have them winning the division... I think LA is going to be a 12-win team”
—WaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
New England Patriots to make the playoffs
“Patriots, Bengals, Chiefs as wildcard.”
—WaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
Cincinnati Bengals to make the playoffs
“Cincinnati, I have as a new playoff team.”
—WaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
Season Win Totals2 waiting · 1 too vague to checkShow ▸Hide ▾
Los Angeles Chargers to finish with 12 wins
“I think LA is going to be a 12-win team”
—WaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
“Doesn't my just said they're my double the win total? ... to say this crappy team is going to double their win total takes courage”
—Too vague to checkToo vague to check: we could not tell what would count as right, so it stays on the record without a score.
Detroit Lions to finish with 11–12 wins
“I think the Lions probably win 11 or 12 games. / So do I.”
—WaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
Division Winners5 waitingShow ▸Hide ▾
Buffalo Bills to win the division
“I'll take them to win the division... So I have the Bills Ravens Texans Chargers winning their division”
—WaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
Baltimore Ravens to win the division
“The AFC North, I don't think this one's difficult. I'm going to go with Baltimore just because a lot of changes, but they have the deepest roster.”
—WaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
Detroit Lions to win the division
“I think we both think they're going to win the division, right?”
—WaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
Houston Texans to win the division
“So I have the Bills Ravens Texans Chargers winning their division”
—WaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
Los Angeles Chargers to win the division
“I have them winning the division. I think they're more talented than Kansas City”
—WaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
Depth Chart Calls2 waitingShow ▸Hide ▾
Fernando Mendoza to be 1st on the depth chart
“I really like Fernando Mendoza. My guess is he starts somewhere, somewhere before Thanksgiving.”
—WaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
David Bailey to be 1st on the depth chart
“David Bailey on the edge is going to start.”
—WaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
Who this take is about
Houston Texans, Baltimore Ravens, Los Angeles Chargers, Buffalo Bills, Kansas City Chiefs, Fernando Mendoza, Las Vegas Raiders, New England Patriots, Detroit Lions, David Bailey, New York Jets, New York Giants, Cincinnati Bengals
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.Nate Gosney · Trade and Signing Calls · Daiyan Henley · Miss 0
After the Broncos rescinded the trade, Gosney expects Daiyan Henley to remain with the Chargers for the rest of the 2026 season, but believes the awkward fallout has effectively killed any chance of them signing a new contract with Los Angeles after the season.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.
More playoff picks
The same kind of call, about other players and teams.
Ross Jackson · Playoff Picks · New Orleans Saints · Miss 0
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.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.