# Seton O'Connor: O'Connor names the Patriots as a potential shocker team that could reach the AFC title game or win just five games.

**Claimed:** Aug 28, 2025
**Pundit:** Seton O'Connor — https://missedtakes.co/pundits/seton-o-connor
**Outlet:** The Dan Patrick Show (podcast) — https://missedtakes.co/outlets/the-dan-patrick-show-podcast
**How it reached us:** said on air or in an interview
**Original:** https://omny.fm/shows/the-dan-patrick-show/hour-3-sleeper-teams-cfp-player-bonuses

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

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

> Yeah, I think the Patriots could be a shocker team.

*(their words, quoted for attribution)*

## The claims

- **New England Patriots to beat expectations**
  - Kind: Surprise Team Calls · About: New England Patriots
  - Verdict: not settled yet

## Who this take is about

- New England Patriots — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/patriots

## What others said about the same people

- Nate Tice on New England Patriots: Tice picked the Bengals over the Texans in a low-scoring game, the Jaguars at Denver, the Bears over the Vikings, the Patriots over the Steelers and the Rams to edge the Giants, and his Hail Mary was the Cowboys scoring 40 on Washington. He also floated Abdul Carter as a possible All-Pro. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/b6211c80-3d1c-46b8-8a0c-151fc0ba92de (scored 100)
- Chris Broussard on New England Patriots: Broussard picked the Bills to beat the Chargers in a competitive, higher-scoring game, said the Chiefs will rout the Dolphins, and for upset alert parlayed the Patriots over the Jaguars and the Raiders over the Saints. He also restated his Cowboys-versus-Ravens Super Bowl matchup pick. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/dee7585c-6da6-4afc-9954-ff32cf8de4e3 (scored 0)
- Danny Parkins on New England Patriots: In the winners-only chips segment Parkins backed the Patriots over the Jaguars, the Bengals over the Steelers and the Ravens over the Cowboys in Brazil. He also said New England has a real shot at a top-10 defense and that Kayshon/Romeo Dobbs will be the Patriots' number one target. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/88f60b41-3824-4b00-b0f0-f434c55c539b (scored 0)
- Mark Wahlberg on New England Patriots: Wahlberg went game-by-game through the Patriots' schedule and predicted a 14-3 season, with losses only at Buffalo, to the Lions in Germany, and at Kansas City. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/14761919-29fa-4eda-a3d4-ba0f76f399c2 (scored 0)
- Ethan Hurwitz on Jeremiah Pharms Jr.: Hurwitz writes that the elevations of Jeremiah Pharms Jr. and Mike Brown likely mean Leonard Taylor III stays a healthy scratch and Joshua Farmer could be one too for the Week 3 game at Jacksonville, and that both elevated players will revert to the practice squad after Sunday. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/fc98ac5c-1a8e-4462-94fa-993b02c52d00 (scored 0)
- Ethan Hurwitz on Christian Gonzalez: Hurwitz says several Patriots starting jobs and roster spots are already settled — Drake Maye at QB with Jared Wilson at center, A.J. Brown and Hunter Henry as pass-catchers, and Christian Gonzalez, Milton Williams and Kevin Byard locked into roster spots. Among camp standouts, he pegs undrafted rookie Cameron Dorner as roughly the eighth receiver on a roster likely keeping seven, and says Channing Canada is a strong practice squad candidate if he doesn't make the 53. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/b1d343fa-5684-4366-bbb6-73297fbae830 (scored 100)

## More surprise team calls

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

- Steven Ruiz on Houston Texans: Ruiz expects the Texans to repeat last year's turnaround, saying their defense and schedule will let them pile up wins and stay in the playoff race all season. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/84c05549-aa98-4b8f-bd94-27488a1c96c5 (not settled)
- Henry McKenna on Houston Texans: McKenna picks the Texans as the 0-2 team most likely to recover, favoring them over the Buccaneers because he believes the AFC South is weaker than the NFC South. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/7c64a8d3-6136-424d-96b2-bab3dc7d0345 (not settled)
- Greg Auman on Houston Texans: Auman names the Texans as the 0-2 team best positioned to turn their season around and get back into the playoff race, citing their history of slow starts and an elite defense. He also references his preseason pick of the Chargers to win the Super Bowl. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/2750172c-b4c1-453e-be5a-b9fae156aa5b (not settled)
- Ben Arthur on Houston Texans: Arthur also lands on the Texans, arguing their defense will return to elite form and a soft upcoming stretch will get Houston's season back on track. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/8131936c-517d-4816-b2be-3e5d5963c6e5 (not settled)
- Eric Williams on Los Angeles Chargers: Williams picks the Chargers as the 0-2 team to rebound, comparing it to the 2017 team that started 0-4 and finished 9-7, and suggests they will rise up on the road against Buffalo rather than collapse. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/57fe59dc-bfbb-44cb-8e4c-191db478fce2 (not settled)
- Ralph Vacchiano on Indianapolis Colts: Vacchiano picks the Colts over the Texans as the 0-2 team most likely to rebound, trusting their offense with Daniel Jones and Jonathan Taylor to keep them in the playoff race. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/b89c2f84-25e6-4916-b297-fcb0e14c9ba7 (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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