Kyle Brandt#56 of 87 NFL pundits · Nov 1, 2025
Stands by all their preseason picks, most proud of the Seahawks winning the NFC West, and doubles down on the Steelers making the playoffs at 9-8 or 10-7.
Said on air or in an interview · Move the Sticks (podcast)Hear the original
What Kyle Brandt said
our reading, beside the words we read it fromIt's the Steelers... It is still going to happen. I won't deviate.
- Where it was said
- Move the Sticks (podcast)
- The episode
- GMFB Saturday: NFC Cinderellas, Garrett is Mayjah, and Preseason Prediction Check!
- The original
- Hear the original
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The page this came from has changed since we captured it on Aug 5, 2026. The quote and evidence here are from our capture, not from what the page says today.
- SaidNov 1, 2025
- GradedAug 7–17, 2026
- 1Seattle Seahawks to win the division“I had winning the NFC West, not as a wild card, not behind the Rams, not behind San Francisco, but the Sam Darnold, wildly unproven Seahawks.”
- 2Chicago Bears to make the playoffs“I know, the Bears, someone jumps out as being strange, but everything else, I mean, the wildcard teams, the division champs, like, I'm pretty comfortable with that.”
- 3Pittsburgh Steelers to make the playoffs“Is it nine and eight and they squeak in or is it ten and seven and they have a nice comfortable wild card. It is still going to happen. I won't deviate.”
- 4Cam Ward to win Offensive Rookie of the Year“my pick for offensive Rookie of the Year. I was sitting here saying, cam Ward”
- 5Baltimore Ravens to make the playoffs“I like my wild cards. I like pretty much everything except the Ravens record is not good.”
Box score
HitCloseMissWaiting| Verdict | Call | Kind | What happened | Score | Naive | Skill |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seattle Seahawks to win the division1 | Division Winners | — | 100 | 0 | +156 | |
| Chicago Bears to make the playoffs2 | Playoff Picks | Made the playoffs | 100 | 0 | +156 | |
| Pittsburgh Steelers to make the playoffs3 | Playoff Picks | Made the playoffs | 100 | 100 | 0 | |
| Cam Ward to win Offensive Rookie of the Year4 | Award Picks | Tetairoa McMillan won | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Baltimore Ravens to make the playoffs5 | Playoff Picks | Missed the playoffs | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 5 calls · 3 hits · 2 misses · all settled | 60 | 20 | ||||
How each call scored
a naive guessbetter than naive5 checkable claims — 3 playoff picks, 1 award pick and 1 division winner — each graded on its own rather than as one all-or-nothing call.
It names 6 players and teams, each linked to their own record.
All 5 have settled, averaging 60 out of 100, against 20 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.
1Division WinnersSeattle Seahawks
Seattle Seahawks to win the division
VerdictHit100Hit · naive 0100this call−0a naive guess=100better than naive×1.56difficulty=+156skillThink this is wrong?How this was scored
- skill:
- 156
- method:
- division winners read off the bracket: the bye teams and the wild-card hosts
- they picked:
- SEA
- season:
- 2025
- accuracy:
- 100
- baseline:
- 0
- the naive pick:
- LAR
- difficulty:
- 1.56
- the naive guess:
- last season's winner of the same division
- weeks in the season:
- 18
- weeks left when called:
- 10
- won the division:
- yes
Chicago Bears to make the playoffs
What happenedMade the playoffs100Hit · naive 0100this call−0a naive guess=100better than naive×1.56difficulty=+156skillThink this is wrong?How this was scored
- team:
- CHI
- skill:
- 156
- season:
- 2025
- accuracy:
- 100
- baseline:
- 0
- the naive guess said:
- no
- difficulty:
- 1.56
- weeks in the season:
- 18
- made the playoffs:
- yes
- weeks left when called:
- 10
3Playoff PicksPittsburgh Steelers
Pittsburgh Steelers to make the playoffs
What happenedMade the playoffs100Hit · naive 100100this call−100a naive guess=0better than naive×1.56difficulty=0skillThink this is wrong?How this was scored
- team:
- PIT
- skill:
- 0
- season:
- 2025
- accuracy:
- 100
- baseline:
- 100
- the naive guess said:
- yes
- difficulty:
- 1.56
- weeks in the season:
- 18
- made the playoffs:
- yes
- weeks left when called:
- 10
4Award PicksCam WardTennessee Titans
Cam Ward to win Offensive Rookie of the Year
What happenedTetairoa McMillan woncalled Cam Ward0Miss · naive 00this call−0a naive guess=0better than naive×1.56difficulty=0skillThink this is wrong?How this was scored
- award:
- offensive_rookie_of_the_year
- naive:
- the naive pick was Jayden Daniels, who won it the year before
- skill:
- 0
- player:
- Cam Ward
- season:
- 2025
- who won:
- Tetairoa McMillan
- correct:
- no
- accuracy:
- 0
- baseline:
- 0
- difficulty:
- 1.56
- weeks in the season:
- 18
- weeks left when called:
- 10
5Playoff PicksBaltimore Ravens
Baltimore Ravens to make the playoffs
What happenedMissed the playoffs0Miss · naive 00this call−0a naive guess=0better than naive×1.56difficulty=0skillThink this is wrong?How this was scored
- team:
- BAL
- skill:
- 0
- season:
- 2025
- accuracy:
- 0
- baseline:
- 0
- the naive guess said:
- yes
- difficulty:
- 1.56
- weeks in the season:
- 18
- made the playoffs:
- no
- weeks left when called:
- 10
- All
The take as a whole
the average of 5 settled calls, each counted once
60naive 20
Who this take is about
Others on the same people
John Middlekauff · Draft Bust Calls · Caleb Williams · Miss 0
Middlekauff expects either Josh Allen or Lamar Jackson to win this year's MVP, calling them the two best players in the league. They are pessimistic on the Bears, forecasting six or seven wins and saying they'd bet Caleb Williams doesn't work out as a franchise quarterback. They also see Oklahoma's John Mattier as a first-round pick who'll be in the Heisman mix.Bryan DeArdo · Trade and Signing Calls · Joey Porter Jr. · Miss 0
The piece predicts Joey Porter Jr. most likely stays with the Steelers through 2026, while listing possible trade destinations if they were moved.Albert Breer · Game Outcome Picks · Seattle Seahawks · Hit 100
Breer picks the Seahawks to beat the Cardinals in their Week 9 NFC West matchup.Tyler Sullivan · Game Outcome Picks · Seattle Seahawks · Hit 100
Sullivan picks the Seahawks to win in Week 9.
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.