# Michael Irvin: Irvin predicted the Eagles, Cowboys and Ravens all make the playoffs, with the Bears winning the NFC North, and ordered the NFC North with Chicago first, Green Bay second, Detroit third and Minnesota fourth (hedged on a Packers/Lions flip due to Micah Parsons' health).

**Claimed:** Sep 2, 2026
**Pundit:** Michael Irvin — https://missedtakes.co/pundits/michael-irvin
**Outlet:** The Rich Eisen Show (podcast) — https://missedtakes.co/outlets/the-rich-eisen-show-podcast
**How it reached us:** said on air, transcribed by us
**Original:** https://www.podtrac.com/pts/redirect.mp3/traffic.megaphone.fm/ESP2631967903.mp3

5 checkable claims — 3 playoff picks, 1 division winner and 1 power ranking — each graded on its own rather than as one all-or-nothing call.

It names 4 players and teams, each linked to their own record.

None of them have settled yet — they grade once their results are in.

> I I do believe the Eagles will make the playoffs this year.

*(their words, quoted for attribution)*

## The claims

- **Chicago Bears to win the division**
  - Kind: Division Winners · About: Chicago Bears
  - Verdict: not settled yet
- **Dallas Cowboys to make the playoffs**
  - Kind: Playoff Picks · About: Dallas Cowboys
  - Verdict: not settled yet
- **Philadelphia Eagles to make the playoffs**
  - Kind: Playoff Picks · About: Philadelphia Eagles
  - Verdict: not settled yet
- “But I got a Packers Lions and Vikings, but it could possibly flip flip because they they get no pressure without Michael Parsons.”
  - Kind: Power Rankings
  - Verdict: not settled yet
- **Baltimore Ravens to make the playoffs**
  - Kind: Playoff Picks · About: Baltimore Ravens
  - Verdict: not settled yet

## Who this take is about

- Chicago Bears — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/bears
- Dallas Cowboys — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/cowboys
- Philadelphia Eagles — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/eagles
- Baltimore Ravens — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/ravens

## What others said about the same people

- John Middlekauff on Caleb Williams: 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. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/deaaf3f6-e53e-4080-a0ca-d5f872b54c6a (scored 0)
- Rich Eisen on Micah Parsons: Eisen expects Myles Garrett to be traded before the draft and says the Browns will then take Abdul Carter with their early first-round pick; they also predict Buffalo will end up paying James Cook and that Micah Parsons will remain a Cowboy and get their money from Dallas, likely late in the process. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/c9216871-a4a2-4676-b3d8-2221daa70413 (scored 0)
- Pete Prisco on Chicago Bears: Prisco gives score predictions for every Week 9 NFL game, picking the Bengals to rout the Falcons in Madrid, the Cowboys to rebound at Indianapolis, and the Jaguars to win in Baltimore without Lamar Jackson. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/dc43909b-bc7f-47aa-b208-5cf7c95844bc (scored 100)
- Bryan DeArdo on Chicago Bears: DeArdo picks the Bears to beat the Buccaneers on Sunday night in a defensive game, predicting a 20-16 final score. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/7b882443-b481-48fb-b19b-e7f989d85e46 (scored 97.62)
- Danny Parkins on Chicago Bears: Parkins named the seven AFC teams they believe are already set as the playoff field, expects Chicago, Buffalo and Kansas City to win this week, took Green Bay over New England and Atlanta over Cincinnati outright, and kept Bills–Bears as their Super Bowl matchup with the Giants still winning the NFC East. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/272d1f8a-06f7-4b8b-8480-94d370ae5e6f (scored 100)
- “Stanford Steve” Coughlin on Chicago Bears: Stanford Steve said the Bears would beat the Buccaneers on Sunday night, and called a player they referred to as "Yakis" their Rookie of the Year. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/eb50c9d5-281b-4810-b41b-a5d6da11c438 (scored 100)

## More playoff picks

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

- Craig Stout on Kansas City Chiefs: Craig believes better execution from a Patrick Mahomes-led Chiefs team will be enough to return them to the playoffs in the coming season, and they expect Tyler Algeier to land with Denver as a complement to RJ Harvey. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/4ad5b565-6220-4c30-9371-e55be75a35f0 (scored 0)
- Ross Jackson on New Orleans Saints: 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. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/4dc05898-73fd-4fcb-92c4-a940d7e395ba (scored 0)
- Rich Eisen on Minnesota Vikings: 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. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/29ea2738-79a2-4be9-aa45-e794cd3848fb (scored 0)
- Dwaine Board on San Francisco 49ers: Board argues the 49ers can still make the playoffs even if Trent Williams leaves, expects Williams to be brought back, and favors drafting a wide receiver at No. 27 over an offensive tackle. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/07beb6d4-aadc-4b2d-b131-b889c85204a3 (scored 100)
- Rich Eisen on Carolina Panthers: 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. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/34345186-876a-4c4b-9567-9c289a6cbace (scored 100)
- Chris Brockman on Pittsburgh Steelers: Brockman argued the road to the Super Bowl in the AFC goes through Foxborough, meaning the Patriots will finish as the No. 1 seed, and called their shot that the Chargers beat Denver in Week 18. They also declared the Bears a team of destiny who will win the NFC, said the Steelers will end their playoff win drought, and that Trevor Lawrence is playing like a top-five quarterback. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/7792215a-c787-44bd-b294-5ff028851d30 (scored 100)

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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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