Blaine GrisakOct 23, 2026
Grisak argues the Rams are unlikely to win the NFC West but can still reach the playoffs, projecting their most likely final record in the 8-9 to 10-7 range, expecting the Bears and Lions to win 11 games apiece, and sketching an NFC playoff field with San Francisco on top and the Rams sneaking in as the No. 6 seed for a wild-card trip to Carolina.
Published in writing · Sports IllustratedRead the original
What Blaine Grisak said
It seems likely with their schedules that the Bears and Lions finish with 11 wins.
- Where it was published
- Sports Illustrated
- The piece
- Forget the NFC West, Can the Rams Even Make the Playoffs?
- 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seeding, Byes and Home Field | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | |
| Season Win Totals | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | |
| Playoff Picks | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
| All | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 |
How each call scored
9 checkable claims — 5 seeding, byes and home field, 3 season win totals and 1 playoff pick — each graded on its own rather than as one all-or-nothing call.
It names 5 players and teams, each linked to their own record.
None of them have settled yet — they grade once their results are in.
Of the 6 unsettled calls enough other pundits have weighed in on, this one lands above the room on 3 and below it on 3.
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
Chicago Bears · 2026 season · wins10 calls from 6 pundits between 9 wins and 12 wins. Blaine Grisak said 11 wins. the room's median is 10 wins. 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.
Seeding, Byes and Home Field5 waitingShow ▸Hide ▾
- —Waiting
Not settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
Los Angeles Rams to take the top seed
“6. Rams ... That would put the Rams in the playoffs and a trip to Carolina in the Wild Card round”
—WaitingNot 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 to take the top seed
“When all is said and done, we could be looking at: 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.
Season Win Totals3 waitingShow ▸Hide ▾
Chicago Bears to finish with 11 wins
“It seems likely with their schedules that the Bears and Lions finish with 11 wins.”
—WaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
Los Angeles Rams to finish with 8–10 wins
“As it stands, the Rams’ most likely record is between 8-9 and 10-7.”
—WaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
Detroit Lions to finish with 11 wins
“It seems likely with their schedules that the Bears and Lions finish with 11 wins.”
—WaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
Playoff Picks1 waitingShow ▸Hide ▾
Los Angeles Rams to make the playoffs
“That would put the Rams in the playoffs and a trip to Carolina in the Wild Card round for a second consecutive season.”
—WaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
Who this take is about
Others on the same people
John Middlekauff · Draft Bust Calls · Caleb Williams · Miss 0
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.Colin Cowherd · Trade and Signing Calls · Matthew Stafford · Hit 100
Cowherd predicts Matt Stafford stays with the Rams rather than moving on, and says Travis Hunter may underachieve because they're being asked to play both ways — Cowherd doubts they're a No. 1 receiver and would slot them as a No. 2 receiver while being a No. 1 corner.Colin Cowherd · Trade and Signing Calls · Matthew Stafford · Hit 100
Cowherd believes Matt Stafford's public negotiation posturing means he ultimately stays in Los Angeles, and he flags Travis Hunter as a high draft pick who could underachieve because trying to play both cornerback and receiver full-time will hurt him.Bryan DeArdo · Score Predictions · Chicago Bears · Hit 98
DeArdo picks the Bears to beat the Buccaneers on Sunday night in a defensive game, predicting a 20-16 final score.
More seeding, byes and home field
The same kind of call, about other players and teams.
Kevin Wildes · Seeding, Byes and Home Field · New England Patriots · Miss 0
Wildes' upset alert is the Chargers beating the Broncos straight up, which they say would hand the No. 1 seed to New England.JP Acosta · Seeding, Byes and Home Field · New England Patriots · Hit 100
JP picked Carolina, Seattle, Baltimore, Denver, Jacksonville, New England, Detroit, the Rams and Kansas City in Week 18, and said the Patriots will likely end up with the AFC's No. 2 seed.Nick Wright · Seeding, Byes and Home Field · Seattle Seahawks · Hit 100
Nick Wright made five Week 18 picks against the spread: Tampa Bay over Carolina, Seattle over San Francisco (and to take the No. 1 seed), Las Vegas to cover against Kansas City, Miami to cover 12 at New England, and Pittsburgh to cover at home against Baltimore. They also predicted Seattle wins the No. 1 seed and Mike Evans scores a touchdown.Rich Eisen · Seeding, Byes and Home Field · Los Angeles Chargers · Hit 100
Eisen called the 49ers-as-NFC-favorites take an overreaction, picked the Jaguars to beat the Titans and win their division, leaned Ravens over the Steelers in the Week 18 Sunday night game, expects the Bills to beat the Jets even without Josh Allen, sees the Chargers as the AFC's seventh seed, agreed Tyler Shough could win Offensive Rookie of the Year with a good Saints 2026, said Malik Willis will be a starter somewhere next season, and insisted Detroit goes into 2026 with Goff.Nick Wright · Seeding, Byes and Home Field · Philadelphia Eagles · Hit 100
On the Christmas-week gambling show, Nick Wright made five picks and, in doing so, predicted outright wins for Dallas (a blowout of Washington), Jacksonville over Indianapolis, Pittsburgh over Cleveland, Buffalo over Philadelphia and Chicago over San Francisco, plus a Rams win at Atlanta and a Tampa Bay win at Miami. They also said Philadelphia will end up as the No. 3 seed.Chris Brockman · Seeding, Byes and Home Field · New England Patriots · Miss 0
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.