# Sam Monson: Monson picked the Bears, Saints, Bengals, Vikings, Falcons, Texans, Browns, Jets, Panthers, Broncos, Lions, Raiders and Chiefs in Week 7, and said Minnesota would still post a good record and make the playoffs even if its offense stays stagnant. **Claimed:** Oct 22, 2026 **Pundit:** Sam Monson — https://missedtakes.co/pundits/sam-monson **Outlet:** Check the Mic (podcast) — https://missedtakes.co/outlets/check-the-mic-podcast **How it reached us:** said on air, transcribed by us **Original:** https://pdst.fm/e/pscrb.fm/rss/p/mgln.ai/e/256/claritaspod.com/measure/traffic.megaphone.fm/RSV5324906576.mp3 10 checkable claims — 9 game outcome picks and 1 playoff pick — 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. 9 of 10 have settled so far, averaging 66.7 out of 100, against 44.4 for a naive guess at the same calls. > I'm gonna go with the bears. It's not a division game, so Ben Johnson will be amazing. *(their words, quoted for attribution)* ## The claims - **Kansas City Chiefs to beat Seattle Seahawks** - Kind: Game Outcome Picks · About: Kansas City Chiefs - Verdict: scored 0 out of 100, against 100 for a naive guess - Line: Closing line (Oct 25, 2026): Seahawks by 3 · underdog pick, Chiefs 41%. Source: nflverse; context only, never part of the grade. - **Detroit Lions to beat Green Bay Packers** - Kind: Game Outcome Picks · About: Detroit Lions - Verdict: scored 100 out of 100, against 100 for a naive guess - Line: Closing line (Oct 25, 2026): Lions by 3.5 · favorite pick, Lions 63%. Graded on who won, not on the spread. Source: nflverse; context only, never part of the grade. - **Denver Broncos to beat Arizona Cardinals** - Kind: Game Outcome Picks · About: Denver Broncos - Verdict: scored 100 out of 100, against 0 for a naive guess - Line: Closing line (Oct 25, 2026): Broncos by 4.5 · favorite pick, Broncos about 2 in 3 (67%). Source: nflverse; context only, never part of the grade. - **Atlanta Falcons to beat San Francisco 49ers** - Kind: Game Outcome Picks · About: Atlanta Falcons - Verdict: scored 100 out of 100, against 100 for a naive guess - Line: Closing line (Oct 25, 2026): 49ers by 2.5 · underdog pick, Falcons 42%. Source: nflverse; context only, never part of the grade. - **New York Jets to beat Miami Dolphins** - Kind: Game Outcome Picks · About: New York Jets - Verdict: scored 0 out of 100, against 0 for a naive guess - Line: Closing line (Oct 25, 2026): Jets by 3.5 · favorite pick, Jets about 2 in 3 (66%). Source: nflverse; context only, never part of the grade. - **New Orleans Saints to beat Pittsburgh Steelers** - Kind: Game Outcome Picks · About: New Orleans Saints - Verdict: scored 0 out of 100, against 0 for a naive guess - Line: Closing line (Oct 25, 2026): Steelers by 3 · underdog pick, Saints 41%. Source: nflverse; context only, never part of the grade. - **Cincinnati Bengals to beat Baltimore Ravens** - Kind: Game Outcome Picks · About: Cincinnati Bengals - Verdict: scored 100 out of 100, against 0 for a naive guess - Line: Closing line (Oct 25, 2026): Bengals by 3 · favorite pick, Bengals 59%. Source: nflverse; context only, never part of the grade. - **Cleveland Browns to beat Tennessee Titans** - Kind: Game Outcome Picks · About: Cleveland Browns - Verdict: scored 100 out of 100, against 0 for a naive guess - Line: Closing line (Oct 25, 2026): Browns by 1.5 · a toss-up, Browns 54%, Titans 46%. Source: nflverse; context only, never part of the grade. - **Chicago Bears to beat New England Patriots** - Kind: Game Outcome Picks · About: Chicago Bears - Verdict: scored 100 out of 100, against 100 for a naive guess - Line: Closing line (Oct 22, 2026): Bears by 3 · favorite pick, Bears 58%. Source: nflverse; context only, never part of the grade. - **Minnesota Vikings to make the playoffs** - Kind: Playoff Picks · About: Minnesota Vikings - Verdict: not settled yet ## Who this take is about - Kansas City Chiefs — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/chiefs - Detroit Lions — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/lions - Denver Broncos — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/broncos - Atlanta Falcons — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/falcons - New York Jets — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/jets - New Orleans Saints — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/saints - Cincinnati Bengals — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/bengals - Cleveland Browns — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/browns - Chicago Bears — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/bears - Minnesota Vikings — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/vikings ## What others said about the same people - John Middlekauff on Caleb Williams: Middlekauff expects either Josh Allen or Lamar Jackson to win this year's MVP, calling them the two best players in the league. He is pessimistic on the Bears, forecasting six or seven wins and saying he'd bet Caleb Williams doesn't work out as a franchise quarterback. He also sees Oklahoma's John Mattier as a first-round pick who'll be in the Heisman mix. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/deaaf3f6-e53e-4080-a0ca-d5f872b54c6a (scored 0) - Parker Hurley on Jessie Bates: Hurley argues a Jessie Bates trade to San Francisco is unrealistic because Atlanta remains in the weak NFC South race and likely won't sell, and he expects 49ers safety Ji'Ayir Brown to depart in free agency after this season. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/7e8279a5-fad4-4c61-9646-0809bdcdaf40 (scored 0) - Pete Prisco on Chicago Bears: 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 100) - Bryan DeArdo on Chicago Bears: DeArdo picks the Bears to beat the Buccaneers on Sunday night in a defensive game, predicting a 20-16 final score. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/7b882443-b481-48fb-b19b-e7f989d85e46 (scored 97.62) - Christian Booher on Anthony Lucas: Booher previews the Lions' Week 9 trip to Miami, predicting Derrick Barnes takes over as the green-dot linebacker in Jack Campbell's absence, Juice Scruggs starts at center, and boldly forecasting Detroit's first defensive touchdown of the season on an Aidan Hutchinson strip-sack recovered and returned by Barnes. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/228a7c0e-608b-4043-a8fa-eb3f8b2c4ce8 (scored 0) - Danny Parkins on Chicago Bears: 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) ## More game outcome picks The same kind of call, about other players and teams. - Bill Huber on Green Bay Packers: 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. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/5ab5fa3a-4526-46a4-b11b-a2bc99820cb8 (scored 100) - Jeremy Brener on Seattle Seahawks: Brener picked the Seahawks to beat the Cardinals in Week 9 by a multi-score margin, giving a final score of 27-13, and expressed confidence Seattle would be fine with Drew Lock starting at quarterback. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/7eb2d245-63d0-4be0-80ba-3f60197e2b16 (scored 100) - Albert Breer on Seattle Seahawks: Breer picks the Seahawks to beat the Cardinals in their Week 9 NFC West matchup. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/4d67a8a5-0c05-4abe-b2ca-f0cef8390b1d (scored 100) - Tyler Sullivan on Seattle Seahawks: Sullivan picks the Seahawks to win in Week 9. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/dfca04b3-5c80-4a2e-b0de-8ac3a25f225b (scored 100) - Dave Richard on Seattle Seahawks: Richard picks the Seahawks over the Cardinals. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/d3db433e-52c6-42d1-a3b0-6b342aac8a9e (scored 100) - John Pluym on Seattle Seahawks: Pluym picks the Seahawks over the Cardinals. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/e3897747-c55f-4340-9e82-03f9730f87ba (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=sam-monson