# John Middlekauff: Middlekauff praised Brandon Beane's Bills and said they will probably pick Buffalo to win the Super Bowl. They also gave season win-total takes on the Patriots, 49ers and Vikings, ordered the NFC North with the Bears first and Vikings last, called the Lions a playoff team again, and picked the Bengals to win the AFC North. **Claimed:** May 12, 2026 **Pundit:** John Middlekauff — https://missedtakes.co/pundits/john-middlekauff **Outlet:** The Colin Cowherd Podcast (podcast) — https://missedtakes.co/outlets/the-colin-cowherd-podcast-podcast **How it reached us:** said on air or in an interview **Original:** https://omny.fm/shows/the-colin-cowherd-podcast/nfl-win-totals-usc-vs-notre-dame-revival-steelers-headed-for-disaster 8 claims — 4 season win totals, 1 division winner, 1 playoff pick, 1 power ranking and 1 super bowl pick — the 7 we can check each graded on its own rather than as one all-or-nothing call. It names 7 players and teams, each linked to their own record. None of the 7 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. > I'm gonna pick him probably win the Super Bowl. *(their words, quoted for attribution)* ## The claims - “So to me, Bears Lions, then I have the Green Bay, then I have Minnesota.” - Kind: Power Rankings - Verdict: not settled yet - **Chicago Bears to finish with 11 wins** - Kind: Season Win Totals · About: Chicago Bears - Verdict: not settled yet - “I think to me they got five six, seven wins written all over. They are to me, they're to me the last place team in that division.” - Kind: Season Win Totals · About: Minnesota Vikings - Verdict: too vague to check - **Detroit Lions to make the playoffs** - Kind: Playoff Picks · About: Detroit Lions - Verdict: not settled yet - **Cincinnati Bengals to win the division** - Kind: Division Winners · About: Cincinnati Bengals - Verdict: not settled yet - **Buffalo Bills to win the Super Bowl** - Kind: Super Bowl Picks · About: Buffalo Bills - Verdict: not settled yet - **New England Patriots to finish with 9 wins** - Kind: Season Win Totals · About: New England Patriots - Verdict: not settled yet - **San Francisco 49ers to finish with 10 wins** - Kind: Season Win Totals · About: San Francisco 49ers - Verdict: not settled yet ## Who this take is about - Chicago Bears — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/bears - Minnesota Vikings — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/vikings - Detroit Lions — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/lions - Cincinnati Bengals — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/bengals - Buffalo Bills — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/bills - New England Patriots — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/patriots - San Francisco 49ers — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/49ers ## What others said about the same people - Parker Hurley on Khalid Kareem: Hurley predicts the 49ers will release Khalil Kareem when Nate Hobbs is activated and cut Brandin Cooks when C.J. West returns, while arguing Sebastian Valdez won't be the one let go and no cornerback will be cut. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/5a729417-69ee-493a-9bec-d905fd1a7082 (scored 0) - Jason Harmon on Max Brosmer: Harmon expects the Vikings' quarterback room to stay intact while Kyler Murray is hurt, and predicts Max Brosmer will be released and re-signed to the practice squad since Minnesota won't carry four QBs. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/fa393501-3f38-481e-8e75-48125587e911 (scored 0) - Logan Lazarczyk on Kirk Cousins: Ahead of the trade deadline, they float three Raiders moves: shipping Kirk Cousins to Minnesota if the Vikings offer a second-round pick, selling Maxx Crosby to Dallas for a first-rounder plus, and acquiring Jaguars receiver Brian Thomas Jr. for a second- or third-round pick. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/d0fd408a-7dcd-4e50-ac62-6b4510a8a800 (scored 100) - Logan Lazarczyk on Kirk Cousins: Lazarczyk expects the Raiders to be sellers before the trade deadline, suggesting Kirk Cousins could be dealt back to the Vikings and that benched interior lineman Jackson Powers-Johnson is a prime candidate to be traded somewhere. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/fda03952-2ea6-4919-8114-0ebb127478d1 (scored 100) - Charean Williams on Odell Beckham Jr.: Williams writes that after releasing Odell Beckham Jr. to open a roster spot for Kirk Cousins, the Vikings will bring them back on the practice squad. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/d4fd8cfb-3c75-4209-9e1a-d60e821f315b (scored 0) - Pete Prisco on Buffalo Bills: Prisco picked the Bills to win 21-14 at Minnesota. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/baf85732-a389-4d56-8efe-5ce1e77fb8ae (scored 76.19) ## More season win totals The same kind of call, about other players and teams. - Damonza Byrd on Jacksonville Jaguars: Nick Wright's co-host picks the Jaguars over as their 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; they also like 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) - Gregg Rosenthal on Dallas Cowboys: Rosenthal expects a high-scoring Eagles-Cowboys kickoff game, guesses a scoreline around 41-27, still believes Dallas can clear its win total and reach the playoffs, likes the Giants to beat expectations with Jackson Dart taking over as starter early. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/a11f697d-1616-4bbe-9b7f-5bde7c6653ea (scored 0) - 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. They also make 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 Jacksonville Jaguars: In part two of their 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 New Orleans Saints: 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) --- 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=john-middlekauff