# Dwight Freeney: Freeney backs the Colts as this season's sleeper team, pointing to the healthy return of Daniel Jones, Shane Steichen's offense and the addition of Sauce Gardner, with the pass defense the main question.

**Claimed:** Aug 25, 2026
**Pundit:** Dwight Freeney — https://missedtakes.co/pundits/dwight-freeney
**Outlet:** First Things First (podcast) — https://missedtakes.co/outlets/first-things-first-podcast
**How it reached us:** said on air, transcribed by us
**Original:** https://www.podtrac.com/pts/redirect.mp3/pdst.fm/e/traffic.megaphone.fm/FOXM8778757159.mp3

One checkable claim, graded on its own against what actually happened.

Nothing to score yet: this grades once the result is in.

> But outside of that, I think they have a real chance being that sleeper team.

*(their words, quoted for attribution)*

## The claims

- **Indianapolis Colts to beat expectations**
  - Kind: Surprise Team Calls · About: Indianapolis Colts
  - Verdict: not settled yet

## Who this take is about

- Indianapolis Colts — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/colts

## What others said about the same people

- John Middlekauff on Anthony Richardson: Middlekoff's bold predictions, as relayed on the show, have the Patriots and Colts making the playoffs; they also argue the Colts whiffed on Anthony Richardson, comparing them to Trey Lance. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/eaacd99d-867e-4bab-9c40-015de85caa35 (scored 100)
- Chris Long on Indianapolis Colts: Previewing the Week 9 slate, Chris Long expects the Saints to beat Cleveland, the Colts to beat Dallas, New England to edge Green Bay, and Baltimore to beat the Chargers on Monday night. They also call the Packers a top-10 defense once Micah Parsons returns, names their top six quarterbacks of the season, and expects Brandon Ayuk to be released, with Will Lee and Trevion Henderson sidelined this week. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/623f8e00-789e-4239-9edc-5e1285346b9d (scored 0)
- Jesse Holley on Indianapolis Colts: Jesse predicted the Cowboys finish 10-7 but still win the NFC East with 10 wins, picking Dallas over the Giants, Commanders, Texans, Buccaneers, Colts (loss), and losing to Baltimore, Green Bay, Philadelphia twice, Arizona, Seattle and the Rams. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/c8bf64dc-c1b3-42db-86f8-51b862676332 (scored 0)
- Danny Parkins on Indianapolis Colts: Parkins predicted the Cowboys will finish 11-6, starting 5-1 with wins over the Giants, Commanders and an upset of the Ravens, splitting with Philadelphia, and beating Green Bay and Jacksonville, while losing to the Texans, 49ers, Eagles, Colts, Seahawks and Rams. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/1a6d06c4-7bb0-43e7-891d-6f8b688d4f12 (scored 0)
- Jake Arthur on Johnathan Edwards: Arthur predicted a lopsided Jaguars win over the Colts in Jacksonville, 31-13, continuing the Colts' losing streak there, while offering a 'bold' counter-prediction that Daniel Jones accounts for three touchdowns (two passing, one rushing). — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/6d371d6d-9bb9-4350-a7a8-9c3c49578184 (scored 0)
- Drake Wally on Quenton Nelson: Despite the midseason firing of GM Chris Ballard, Wally expects the Colts to avoid a fire sale, predicting that core stars such as DeForest Buckner, Sauce Gardner, Jonathan Taylor, Grover Stewart and Quenton Nelson will not be shopped before the trade deadline. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/285732b4-0f82-4f6e-83fb-552f54f51d37 (scored 0)

## More surprise team calls

The same kind of call, about other players and teams.

- Nick Wright on Houston Texans: Wright expects the 49ers to handle Dallas, the Lions to beat New England, the Packers to beat Minnesota and the Chiefs to win in Atlanta, while naming the Texans again as the league's second-half surge team, picking Joe Burrow for MVP and saying Kansas City still makes the playoffs. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/62cf7f07-a58c-4d8a-bc3f-4501125a29b9 (not settled)
- Dan Orlovsky on Houston Texans: Named Houston and Detroit as the underrated teams in each conference, said the Texans could reach 11-6 and the playoffs, and predicted CJ Stroud's next contract will start with a seven annually, with Caleb Williams getting even more afterward. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/01e49745-6d62-434d-a884-17a1fa4a0cca (not settled)
- Bill Simmons on Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Simmons named the Houston Texans as the AFC's second-half surge team and, reluctantly, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as the NFC's, arguing both clubs sitting at or below.500 will make a run down the stretch. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/a2fe7493-43ef-4157-b6c3-82a3e9c0f906 (not settled)
- Danny Kelly on Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Kelly argued the Buccaneers are the one NFC South club capable of a second-half surge, citing a soft remaining schedule and the league's top defensive EPA. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/13d3230a-fd04-4c32-86f7-7faaa5718bb8 (not settled)
- Logan Lazarczyk on Houston Texans: Lazarczyk argues the Raiders can still contend for the AFC's final wild-card spot, naming the Bills, Broncos, Jaguars, Steelers, Chiefs and Bengals as locks for the top six seeds, calling Houston a sleeper, and predicting Las Vegas can beat the Chargers, Titans and Cardinals down the stretch. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/5f5d533e-b292-487f-b387-5d154ce687b8 (not settled)
- Jordan Dajani on Pittsburgh Steelers: Halfway through the season, Dajani sorts the playoff field into contenders and pretenders: they suggest Joe Burrow could win MVP this year, and while they dismiss Pittsburgh as a true Super Bowl threat, they expect the Steelers to be a playoff team and a possible sleeper. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/3cf5c7f7-905d-4de9-ba67-9ff97a7f6a34 (not settled)

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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.

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