# Blaine Grisak: 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. **Claimed:** Oct 23, 2026 **Pundit:** Blaine Grisak — https://missedtakes.co/pundits/blaine-grisak **Outlet:** Sports Illustrated — https://missedtakes.co/outlets/sports-illustrated **How it reached us:** published in writing **Original:** https://www.si.com/nfl/rams/onsi/rams-playoff-chances-scenarios-2026 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. > It seems likely with their schedules that the Bears and Lions finish with 11 wins. *(their words, quoted for attribution)* ## The claims - **Detroit Lions to take the top seed** - Kind: Seeding, Byes and Home Field · About: Detroit Lions - Verdict: not settled yet - **Los Angeles Rams to take the top seed** - Kind: Seeding, Byes and Home Field · About: Los Angeles Rams - Verdict: not settled yet - **Chicago Bears to take the top seed** - Kind: Seeding, Byes and Home Field · About: Chicago Bears - Verdict: not settled yet - **San Francisco 49ers to take the top seed** - Kind: Seeding, Byes and Home Field · About: San Francisco 49ers - Verdict: not settled yet - **Chicago Bears to finish with 11 wins** - Kind: Season Win Totals · About: Chicago Bears - Verdict: not settled yet - **Los Angeles Rams to finish with 8–10 wins** - Kind: Season Win Totals · About: Los Angeles Rams - Verdict: not settled yet - **Los Angeles Rams to make the playoffs** - Kind: Playoff Picks · About: Los Angeles Rams - Verdict: not settled yet - **Detroit Lions to finish with 11 wins** - Kind: Season Win Totals · About: Detroit Lions - Verdict: not settled yet - **Carolina Panthers to take the top seed** - Kind: Seeding, Byes and Home Field · About: Carolina Panthers - Verdict: not settled yet ## Who this take is about - Detroit Lions — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/lions - Los Angeles Rams — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/rams - Chicago Bears — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/bears - San Francisco 49ers — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/49ers - Carolina Panthers — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/panthers ## What others said about the same people - Parker Hurley on Khalid Kareem: Hurley predicts the 49ers will release Khalil Kareem when Nate Hobbs is activated and cut Brandin Cooks when C.J. West returns, while arguing Sebastian Valdez won't be the one let go and no cornerback will be cut. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/5a729417-69ee-493a-9bec-d905fd1a7082 (scored 0) - 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) - Colin Cowherd on Matthew Stafford: 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. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/005e6ad1-bc95-49da-9db2-3a9da2d5041d (scored 100) - Colin Cowherd on Matthew Stafford: 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. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/2c1faeb3-7adb-456d-bd42-275be95269e8 (scored 100) - Pete Prisco on San Francisco 49ers: 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 83.33) - 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) ## More seeding, byes and home field The same kind of call, about other players and teams. - Kevin Wildes on New England Patriots: Wildes' upset alert is the Chargers beating the Broncos straight up, which they say would hand the No. 1 seed to New England. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/2c697d6f-6069-4aaa-8d7b-ecdecd6893bc (scored 0) - JP Acosta on New England Patriots: 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. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/e84ab242-8758-43af-b850-d5651a0d7890 (scored 100) - Nick Wright on Seattle Seahawks: 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. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/5b8d3261-b400-493b-aef5-edc07e2d4c0a (scored 100) - Rich Eisen on Los Angeles Chargers: 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. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/15192136-24b9-4127-ac9d-69dc69aab3d5 (scored 100) - Nick Wright on Philadelphia Eagles: 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. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/bb1df3c7-03a3-462a-a2a9-73f8a2539535 (scored 100) - Chris Brockman on New England Patriots: 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 0) --- 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. Full method: https://missedtakes.co/methodology We summarize what a pundit said and quote a short span for attribution; we never republish their article. If this is wrong, tell us: https://missedtakes.co/corrections?pundit=blaine-grisak