John Breech#34 of 87 NFL pundits · Nov 12, 2026
Presenting a simulation of the rest of the 2026 season, they project the full 14-team playoff field — including all four NFC North teams — and runs the entire bracket, with the Bills beating the 49ers 30-25 in Super Bowl LXI.
Published in writing · CBS SportsRead the original
What John Breech said
For the first time all season, our model is projecting ALL FOUR NFC North teams to make the playoffs.
- Where it was published
- CBS Sports
- The piece
- Predicting full 14-team NFL playoff bracket after trade deadline: Entire NFC North makes postseason
- The original
- Read the original
- Read it wrong?
- Tell us and we will look
Box score, by kind
HitCloseMissWaiting| Group | Hits | Close | Misses | Waiting | Calls |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conference Champions | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | |
| Playoff Picks | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14 | |
| Division Winners | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | |
| Super Bowl Picks | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
| Season Win Totals | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | |
| Score Predictions | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13 | |
| Seeding, Byes and Home Field | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | |
| All | 0 | 0 | 0 | 43 |
How each call scored
43 checkable claims — 14 playoff picks, 13 score predictions, 8 division winners, 3 season win totals, 2 conference champions, 2 seeding, byes and home field and 1 super bowl pick — each graded on its own rather than as one all-or-nothing call.
It names 15 players and teams, each linked to their own record.
None of them have settled yet — they grade once their results are in.
Of the 5 unsettled calls enough other pundits have weighed in on, this one lands above the room on 1 and below it on 4.
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.
Where this call stands in the room
San Francisco 49ers · 2026 season4 calls from 3 pundits between 1 and 1. John Breech said 1. the room's median is 1. not settled yet
Every dot is a call somebody published on the same question. Where the dots land says where this take sits, not whether it is right — nothing here is settled yet. Hover a dot for the name and number; click it to read that take.
Their call against the record
Their call against what actually happened last time. Not yet settled.
Conference Champions2 waitingShow ▸Hide ▾
San Francisco 49ers to reach the Super Bowl
“(1) 49ers 27-26 over (2) Lions ... advance to their third Super Bowl in eight seasons”
—WaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
- —Waiting
Not settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
Playoff Picks14 waitingShow ▸Hide ▾
New England Patriots to make the playoffs
“7. Patriots (5-4) ... We have the Patriots projected to get the spot right now”
—WaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
Jacksonville Jaguars to make the playoffs
“2. Jaguars (6-2) -- AFC South champion”
—WaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
- —Waiting
Not settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
- —Waiting
Not settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
- —Waiting
Not settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
- —Waiting
Not settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers to make the playoffs
“4. Buccaneers (3-6) -- NFC South champion”
—WaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
- —Waiting
Not settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
- —Waiting
Not settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
- —Waiting
Not settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
Minnesota Vikings to make the playoffs
“6. Vikings (6-2) ... the Vikings are going to finish THIRD in the NFC North, but that will still be enough to get them in the postseason”
—WaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
- —Waiting
Not settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
- —Waiting
Not settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
- —Waiting
Not settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
Division Winners8 waitingShow ▸Hide ▾
- —Waiting
Not settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
Jacksonville Jaguars to win the division
“2. Jaguars (6-2) -- AFC South champion”
—WaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
- —Waiting
Not settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers to win the division
“4. Buccaneers (3-6) -- NFC South champion”
—WaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
- —Waiting
Not settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
- —Waiting
Not settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
- —Waiting
Not settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
- —Waiting
Not settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
Super Bowl Picks1 waitingShow ▸Hide ▾
Buffalo Bills to win the Super Bowl
“Josh Allen, who ends up willing the Bills to their first Lombardi Trophy ever”
—WaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
Season Win Totals3 waitingShow ▸Hide ▾
New England Patriots to finish with 9 wins
“We have both teams projected to finish the season at 9-8, but the Patriots are sneaking in thanks to a better conference record.”
—WaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
Minnesota Vikings to finish with 11 wins
“They're now projected to finish with 11 wins — compared to 10 without Cousins”
—WaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
Houston Texans to finish with 9 wins
“We have both teams projected to finish the season at 9-8”
—WaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
Score Predictions13 waitingShow ▸Hide ▾
- —Waiting
Not settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
- —Waiting
Not settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
- —Waiting
Not settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
San Francisco 49ers 27 — Lions 26
“NFC Championship (1) 49ers 27-26 over (2) Lions.”
—WaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
- —Waiting
Not settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
- —Waiting
Not settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
- —Waiting
Not settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
Buffalo Bills 30 — 49ers 25
“Super Bowl LXI at SoFi Stadium (1) Bills 30-25 over (1) 49ers.”
—WaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
- —Waiting
Not settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
- —Waiting
Not settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
- —Waiting
Not settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
- —Waiting
Not settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
- —Waiting
Not settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
Seeding, Byes and Home Field2 waitingShow ▸Hide ▾
Buffalo Bills to take the top seed
“1. Bills (7-1) -- AFC East champion ... earning home-field advantage could be a big deal in the AFC”
—WaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
- —Waiting
Not settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
Who this take is about
San Francisco 49ers, New England Patriots, New York Giants, Jacksonville Jaguars, Buffalo Bills, Detroit Lions, Green Bay Packers, Chicago Bears, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Pittsburgh Steelers, Minnesota Vikings, Cincinnati Bengals, Kansas City Chiefs, Denver Broncos, Houston Texans
Others on the same people
Sam Monson · Game Outcome Picks · New York Giants · Miss 0
Monson picked every Week 10 game, taking the Giants, Lions, Packers, Panthers, Colts, Texans, Bills, Chiefs, Jaguars, Seahawks, Rams, Cowboys, Bengals and Ravens, and also suggested the Chargers' only likely wins the rest of the way come against the Jets and Dolphins.Pete Prisco · Score Predictions · New York Giants · Miss 36
Prisco picks the Giants to beat the Commanders 23-14 on Thursday night and the Lions to beat the Patriots 30-24 in Munich.Jared Dubin · Score Predictions · New York Giants · Close 43
Dubin picks the Giants to beat the Commanders 20-14 on Thursday night and takes the Packers over the Vikings 17-14 in a low-scoring Week 10 game.Jared Dubin · Score Predictions · New York Giants · Close 43
Dubin picks the Giants to beat the Commanders at home on Thursday night, projecting a 20-14 final score.Pete Prisco · Score Predictions · New York Giants · Miss 36
Prisco picked the Giants to beat the Commanders at home in the Thursday night Week 10 game, 23-14, citing New York's dominant front seven containing Jayden Daniels.
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 · 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.Rich Eisen · Playoff Picks · Philadelphia Eagles · Hit 100
Eisen gave their Week 13 power rankings, with the Rams first, Patriots second and the Cowboys entering at No. 10, and also named New England and Philadelphia as the first teams to clinch playoff spots, picked Seattle to beat Minnesota, and tabbed Drake Maye as an MVP finalist and Mike Vrabel as Coach of the Year.Chris Brockman · Playoff Picks · Baltimore Ravens · Miss 0
Brockman argued the Eagles' defense is the NFL's best and will drag a mediocre offense to the NFC championship, that the NFC North sends only two teams to the playoffs with the Bears among them, that the Rams are the league's best team, that a healthy Brock Purdy makes the 49ers an NFC threat who will beat the Saints and Falcons, and that the Panthers win the NFC South.