# Joe Banner: Banner predicted neither the Chiefs nor the Eagles would reach the Super Bowl this year, picking the Bills to break through in the AFC, Minnesota as his NFC favorite, and Tampa Bay as his sleeper/surprise team.

**Claimed:** Jul 24, 2025
**Pundit:** Joe Banner — https://missedtakes.co/pundits/joe-banner
**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/WWO6970761083.mp3?updated=1753942780

3 checkable claims — 2 conference champions and 1 surprise team call — each graded on its own rather than as one all-or-nothing bet.

It names 3 players and teams, each linked to their own record.

2 of 3 have settled so far, averaging 0 out of 100, against 0 for a naive guess at the same calls.

> I happen to think both of them won't make the Super Bowl this year.

*(their words, quoted for attribution)*

## The claims

- **Minnesota Vikings to reach the Super Bowl**
  - Kind: Conference Champions · About: Minnesota Vikings
  - Verdict: scored 0 out of 100, against 0 for a naive guess
- **Buffalo Bills to reach the Super Bowl**
  - Kind: Conference Champions · About: Buffalo Bills
  - Verdict: scored 0 out of 100, against 0 for a naive guess
- **Tampa Bay Buccaneers to beat expectations**
  - Kind: Surprise Team Calls · About: Tampa Bay Buccaneers
  - Verdict: not settled yet

## Who this take is about

- Minnesota Vikings — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/vikings
- Buffalo Bills — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/bills
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/buccaneers

## What others said about the same people

- Chris Simms on Minnesota Vikings: Simms went through the entire Week 3 slate with straight-up winners and predicted final scores, taking Jacksonville, Buffalo, Cincinnati, Detroit, Houston, Carolina, Kansas City, Seattle, the Giants, Baltimore, New Orleans, Minnesota, San Francisco, Denver and Philadelphia. He also expected Zay Flowers and Puka Nacua to sit, Kyler Murray to play, and said Marvin Harrison Jr. projects as no better than a good No. 2 or high-end No. 3 receiver. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/662b7ba3-1bf6-4ad0-9f93-9f2ab83143fd (scored 90.48)
- Chris Long on Buffalo Bills: Long liked the Rams over the Broncos on Sunday night even without Puka Nacua, and expected the Bills to beat the winless Chargers in Buffalo. He also backed the Bengals over the Steelers, expected an angry Detroit team to handle the Jets, and still thought both the Lions and Vikings could win the NFC North. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/3df9ea25-e57f-4fd7-b20c-c910a1c3633a (scored 100)
- Sam Monson on Minnesota Vikings: Monson picked the Chargers to beat the Bills outright (jokingly crediting Buffalo's gray 'Nickel City' jerseys), took the Vikings to win outright in Tampa, and said Seattle would destroy Washington. He also reiterated his Super Bowl pick of Denver over the Rams, called the Dolphins destined for the No. 1 overall pick, and said the Saints are a worst-to-first candidate in the NFC South. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/0b810ffd-fd93-4ea2-a208-b1353dea5fb0 (scored 100)
- Marcus Ray on Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Marcus predicted a 30-13 Buccaneers win over Cleveland with three touchdowns and three field goals, and picked the Raiders to beat a Jim Harbaugh team to start 2-0. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/aa09b337-f1fa-49b0-bc4b-5e2bbaddb5df (scored 19.05)
- Ryan LaVoy on Tampa Bay Buccaneers: LaVoy predicted a 28-10 Buccaneers win over the Browns, said even the Falcons would beat Cleveland, and named Detroit, Baltimore and the Rams as teams he expects in the playoffs. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/227e256e-a31d-413d-a568-7f7250dcd161 (scored 16.67)
- Jaron Spor on Tampa Bay Buccaneers: The host predicted a comfortable Buccaneers win over Cleveland, 27-10, picked Jacksonville as an upset winner at Denver, said the Giants could win seven or eight games as a sneaky team, and expected Deshaun Watson and the Browns to part ways soon. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/7a7160b2-ca51-4fce-a478-bd9f75323548 (scored 19.05)

## More conference champions

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

- Chris Brockman on Seattle Seahawks: Brockman argues the Seahawks are at the start of a dynasty, predicting they will win multiple Super Bowls over the next five years, and that they are set up to return to the Super Bowl the following season in Los Angeles. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/7755a3be-efa7-417e-aefe-47d37d5fb067 (scored 100)
- Damonza Byrd on Seattle Seahawks: The co-host picks the Seahawks to beat the Rams in the NFC Championship game, and says he believes New England will win in Denver even though he is taking the Broncos with the points. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/c59694cc-b2ff-401f-ae64-3313b822cd5a (scored 100)
- Nick Wright on New England Patriots: The host picks the Rams to beat the Seahawks in the NFC Championship game and believes the winner of that game wins the Super Bowl, i.e. that this is the Rams' year; he also picks New England to win in Denver despite taking the Broncos with the points, and says Stafford is winning MVP. He calls Sean McVay the second-best coach in the NFL. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/5d16f975-ba4e-46f4-8717-8962b81c5bdf (scored 100)
- Nick Wright on Denver Broncos: Wright picked the Broncos to beat the Patriots in a low-scoring AFC Championship game (17-16), said Sean Payton would coach Denver to the Super Bowl, picked the Rams to win outright in Seattle 31-20, believes the winner of the NFC game wins the Super Bowl with the Rams the better team, and expects Matt Stafford to be named league MVP. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/afd8c9a0-6068-4bfc-8dac-3bcc196f1231 (scored 50)
- AJ Hawk on Los Angeles Rams: Hawk picked the Patriots to win in Denver despite liking Stidham and the Broncos defense, and in the NFC he stuck with the Rams, saying Stafford gets to the Super Bowl. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/70ca2972-53a1-4559-bd03-94c5fede2f4e (scored 50)
- Derek Murphy on Seattle Seahawks: Bone said after watching film that Seattle will handle the Rams in the NFC Championship Game, and that the Seahawks are going to the Super Bowl. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/a5f623b2-e1e6-4687-b345-df2d9f35641f (scored 100)

---

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=joe-banner
