Rich Eisen#38 of 87 NFL pundits · Sep 3, 2025
Rich Eisen picked the Lions to win the NFC North and the NFC conference title, with the Packers second, the Vikings third with double-digit wins and a playoff berth, and the Bears fourth.
Said on air, transcribed by us · The Rich Eisen Show (podcast)Hear the original
What Rich Eisen said
our reading, beside the words we read it fromI have the Lions winning the conference.
- Where it was said
- The Rich Eisen Show (podcast)
- The episode
- Hour 2: Spike Lee’s Celebrity True or False, plus NFC North Predictions
- The original
- Hear the original
- Read it wrong?
- Tell us and we will look
- SaidSep 3, 2025
- GradedAug 13–17, 2026
- 1Detroit Lions to reach the Super Bowl“I have the Lions winning the conference. Oh. I have I am way higher on the Lions than everyone else.”
- 2Detroit Lions to win the division“And I got the Lions finishing first, and that's our NFC North breakdown”
- 3Power Rankings“that's where I'm putting the Vikings... And I have the Packers too, and I have the Lions one... And I like the Bears as well, to finish fourth.”
- 4Minnesota Vikings to finish with 10 wins“you can have a team that has double digit wins in third place, and that's where I'm putting the Vikings”
- 5Minnesota Vikings to make the playoffs“and that's where I'm putting the Vikings. I do believe they make the playoffs.”
Box score
HitCloseMissWaiting| Verdict | Call | Kind | What happened | Score | Naive | Skill |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Detroit Lions to reach the Super Bowl1 | Conference Champions | NE and SEA won | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Detroit Lions to win the division2 | Division Winners | — | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| “that's where I'm putting the Vikings... And I have the Packers…”3 | Power Rankings | — | 30 | 10 | +40 | |
| Minnesota Vikings to finish with 10 wins4 | Season Win Totals | 9 | 80 | 55 | +50 | |
| Minnesota Vikings to make the playoffs5 | Playoff Picks | Missed the playoffs | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 5 calls · 1 hit · 4 misses · all settled | 22 | 13 | ||||
How each call scored
a naive guessbetter than naive5 checkable claims — 1 conference champion, 1 division winner, 1 playoff pick, 1 power ranking and 1 season win total — each graded on its own rather than as one all-or-nothing call.
It names 2 players and teams, each linked to their own record.
All 5 have settled, averaging 22 out of 100, against 13 for a naive guess at the same calls.
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.
1Conference ChampionsDetroit Lions
Detroit Lions to reach the Super Bowl
What happenedNE and SEA wonpicked DET0Miss · naive 00this call−0a naive guess=0better than naive×2difficulty=0skillThink this is wrong?How this was scored
- skill:
- 0
- they picked:
- DET
- season:
- 2025
- accuracy:
- 0
- baseline:
- 0
- champions:
- NE, SEA
- difficulty:
- 2
- the naive guess:
- last season's conference champions
- weeks in the season:
- 18
- weeks left when called:
- 18
- reached the Super Bowl:
- no
- lost the conference final:
- no
2Division WinnersDetroit Lions
Detroit Lions to win the division
VerdictMiss0Miss · naive 00this call−0a naive guess=0better than naive×2difficulty=0skillThink this is wrong?How this was scored
- skill:
- 0
- method:
- division winners read off the bracket: the bye teams and the wild-card hosts
- they picked:
- DET
- season:
- 2025
- accuracy:
- 0
- baseline:
- 0
- the naive pick:
- DET
- difficulty:
- 2
- the naive guess:
- last season's winner of the same division
- weeks in the season:
- 18
- weeks left when called:
- 18
- won the division:
- no
“that's where I'm putting the Vikings... And I have the Packers too, and I have the Lions one... And I like the Bears as well, to finish fourth.”
VerdictMiss30Miss · naive 1030this call−10a naive guess=20better than naive×2difficulty=+40skillThink this is wrong?How this was scored
- skill:
- 40
- method:
- spearman
- season:
- 2025
- accuracy:
- 30
- baseline:
- 10
- difficulty:
- 2
- weeks in the season:
- 18
- teams ranked:
- 4
- weeks left when called:
- 18
4Season Win TotalsMinnesota Vikings
Minnesota Vikings to finish with 10 wins
What happened9called 1080Hit · naive 5580this call−55a naive guess=25better than naive×2difficulty=+50skillThink this is wrong?How this was scored
- team:
- MIN
- naive:
- 11.25
- skill:
- 50
- what happened:
- 9
- season:
- 2025
- zero credit this far off:
- 5
- accuracy:
- 80
- baseline:
- 55
- they said:
- 10
- difficulty:
- 2
- weeks in the season:
- 18
- weeks left when called:
- 18
5Playoff PicksMinnesota Vikings
Minnesota Vikings to make the playoffs
What happenedMissed the playoffs0Miss · naive 00this call−0a naive guess=0better than naive×2difficulty=0skillThink this is wrong?How this was scored
- team:
- MIN
- skill:
- 0
- season:
- 2025
- accuracy:
- 0
- baseline:
- 0
- the naive guess said:
- yes
- difficulty:
- 2
- weeks in the season:
- 18
- made the playoffs:
- no
- weeks left when called:
- 18
- All
The take as a whole
the average of 5 settled calls, each counted once
22naive 13
Who this take is about
Others on the same people
Logan Lazarczyk · Trade and Signing Calls · Kirk Cousins · Hit 100
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.Charean Williams · Roster Spot Calls · Odell Beckham Jr. · Miss 0
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.Justin Penik · Trade and Signing Calls · Aaron Jones · Hit 100
Pennock predicted Sam Darnold to Pittsburgh, Zach Baun re-signing in Philadelphia, Charvarius Ward and Jamien Sherwood to Washington, Cam Robinson to Chicago as left tackle, Cam Bynum to the Jets, Darius Slayton to the Chargers, Aaron Jones back to Minnesota and Aaron Rodgers to the Giants.Gennaro Filice · Game Outcome Picks · Minnesota Vikings · Miss 0
Picks the Vikings to beat the Bills.
More conference champions
The same kind of call, about other players and teams.
Damonza Byrd · Conference Champions · Seattle Seahawks · Hit 100
The co-host picks the Seahawks to beat the Rams in the NFC Championship game, and says they believe New England will win in Denver even though they are taking the Broncos with the points.Nick Wright · Conference Champions · New England Patriots · Hit 100
The host picks the Rams to beat the Seahawks in the NFC Championship game and believes the winner of that game wins the Super Bowl, i.e. that this is the Rams' year; they also pick New England to win in Denver despite taking the Broncos with the points, and says Stafford is winning MVP. They call Sean McVay the second-best coach in the NFL.Nick Wright · Conference Champions · Denver Broncos · Close 50
Wright picked the Broncos to beat the Patriots in a low-scoring AFC Championship game (17-16), said Sean Payton would coach Denver to the Super Bowl, picked the Rams to win outright in Seattle 31-20, believes the winner of the NFC game wins the Super Bowl with the Rams the better team, and expects Matt Stafford to be named league MVP.AJ Hawk · Conference Champions · Los Angeles Rams · Close 50
Hawk picked the Patriots to win in Denver despite liking Stidham and the Broncos defense, and in the NFC they stuck with the Rams, saying Stafford gets to the Super Bowl.Derek Murphy · Conference Champions · Seattle Seahawks · Hit 100
Bone said after watching film that Seattle will handle the Rams in the NFC Championship Game, and that the Seahawks are going to the Super Bowl.