Josh EdwardsSep 8, 2026
Edwards bets the Patriots, Bengals, Jaguars, Broncos, Cowboys, Vikings and Seahawks (plus the Saints in the NFC South) to win their divisions.
Published in writing · CBS SportsRead the original
What Josh Edwards said
our reading, beside the words we read it fromIf the defense takes even a small step forward this season, the odds are good that they will overtake Philadelphia in that division.
- Where it was published
- CBS Sports
- The piece
- CBS Sports predicts every NFL division winner: Experts high on Cowboys, fading Chiefs, and split on NFC North
- The original
- Read the original
- Read it wrong?
- Tell us and we will look
- 1Seattle Seahawks to win the division“so I will hit it down the middle with the defending Super Bowl champions ... Seattle has the experience and will not be threatened by Los Angeles.”
- 2Denver Broncos to win the division“Denver may have the best defense in the NFL and Jaylen Waddle was the missing piece on offense.”
- 3Dallas Cowboys to win the division“If the defense takes even a small step forward this season, the odds are good that they will overtake Philadelphia in that division.”
- 4Cincinnati Bengals to win the division“The amount of optimism that I have in Cincinnati is beginning to alarm me. ... As it stands, they offer better value.”
- 5Minnesota Vikings to win the division“If Kyler Murray can help Minnesota return to a functional offense, then it is easy to envision a scenario in which that team capitalizes on others within the division already dealing with injuries.”
- 6New Orleans Saints to win the division“New Orleans has some promising young players on both sides of the ball, and there is no overwhelming favorite in the division.”
- 7New England Patriots to win the division“Although Buffalo would be my pick to win the division, the gap between them and the Patriots ... is not so large that the value should be ignored.”
- 8Jacksonville Jaguars to win the division“The margins are wider with the Jaguars, who are entering Year 2 of a union between head coach Liam Coen and quarterback Trevor Lawrence.”
Box score
HitCloseMissWaiting| Verdict | Call | Kind | What happened | Score | Naive | Skill |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seattle Seahawks to win the division1 | Division Winners | — | — | — | — | |
| Denver Broncos to win the division2 | Division Winners | — | — | — | — | |
| Dallas Cowboys to win the division3 | Division Winners | — | — | — | — | |
| Cincinnati Bengals to win the division4 | Division Winners | — | — | — | — | |
| Minnesota Vikings to win the division5 | Division Winners | — | — | — | — | |
| New Orleans Saints to win the division6 | Division Winners | — | — | — | — | |
| New England Patriots to win the division7 | Division Winners | — | — | — | — | |
| Jacksonville Jaguars to win the division8 | Division Winners | — | — | — | — | |
| 8 calls · 8 waiting | — | — | ||||
How each call scored
8 checkable claims — 8 division winners — each graded on its own rather than as one all-or-nothing call.
It names 8 players and teams, each linked to their own record.
None of them have settled yet — they grade once their results are in.
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
VerdictWaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
2Division WinnersDenver Broncos
Denver Broncos to win the division
VerdictWaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
3Division WinnersDallas Cowboys
Dallas Cowboys to win the division
VerdictWaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
4Division WinnersCincinnati Bengals
Cincinnati Bengals to win the division
VerdictWaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
5Division WinnersMinnesota Vikings
Minnesota Vikings to win the division
VerdictWaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
6Division WinnersNew Orleans Saints
New Orleans Saints to win the division
VerdictWaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
7Division WinnersNew England Patriots
New England Patriots to win the division
VerdictWaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
8Division WinnersJacksonville Jaguars
Jacksonville Jaguars to win the division
VerdictWaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
Who this take is about
Others on the same people
Zack Kelberman · Roster Spot Calls · Sean Fresch Jr. · Miss 0
Kelberman expects Sean Fresch Jr. to clear waivers and return to the Broncos' practice squad, sees Riley Moss back from concussion for the Week 11 game at Las Vegas, and projects newly acquired Daiyan Henley to begin as the third inside linebacker behind Alex Singleton and Justin Strnad before likely moving into a starting role.Zack Kelberman · Roster Spot Calls · Sean Fresch Jr. · Miss 0
Kelberman writes that Riley Moss may sit out the preseason finale against Minnesota but should be available for the Week 1 opener at Kansas City; they also suggest undrafted corners Sean Fresch Jr. and Brent Austin are being evaluated for practice squad spots.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.Chad Jensen · Roster Spot Calls · Jordan Turner · Miss 0
Jensen predicts Daiyan Henley's arrival will cut into Justin Strnad's snaps while Alex Singleton keeps playing virtually every down, and that Denver will return to a three-linebacker rotation after the Week 10 bye. They also expect one of Jordan Turner or Karene Reid — most likely Turner — to be waived to clear a roster spot.
More division winners
The same kind of call, about other players and teams.
Daniel DiBerardinis · Division Winners · Atlanta Falcons · Miss 0
Danny D predicts Sonny Styles goes in the top ten (maybe top five), doesn't think Ty Simpson goes before late first round, says Kenyon Sadiq lands with the Rams at 13, and picks the Falcons to win the NFC South while naming the Bengals an AFC bounce-back team. They also give a Final Four of Michigan, Florida, Purdue and Arizona with Michigan winning.Colin Cowherd · Division Winners · New York Giants · Miss 0
Cowherd projects the NFC East with the Giants winning the division ahead of Philadelphia, Washington and Dallas, pegging the Cowboys as a six- or seven-win team. They also expect Malik Willis to land a big free-agent deal, Kayvon Thibodeaux to be moved, and Baltimore to lose Isaiah Likely, and they float the Rams reaching on Ty Simpson late in round one.Colin Cowherd · Division Winners · Los Angeles Chargers · Miss 0
Cowherd unveiled their top 10 NFL teams entering next season, with Seattle first, the Rams second and the Chiefs tenth, and separately picked the Chargers to win the AFC West.Colin Cowherd · Division Winners · Baltimore Ravens · Miss 0
Cowherd likes Jacksonville, Chicago and Pittsburgh (with DK Metcalf back) in the wild-card round, ranks the league's head coaches with McVay first and Ben Johnson seventh, and predicts Lamar Jackson has about two strong years left. They also name the Rams as a possible team to draft a receiver and floats next year's draft having seven first-round quarterbacks.Cynthia Frelund · Division Winners · Houston Texans · Miss 0
Freeland's model has the Chargers winning straight up in Dallas, the Texans winning big over the Raiders and going on to win the AFC South, the Lions beating the Steelers by six, the Saints beating the Jets, and the Packers beating the Bears; they also see the AFC's Super Bowl representative being either Denver or Houston.