# Rich Eisen: Eisen ran a "top five teams that are not dead yet" list, naming the Cardinals, Raiders, Rams, Saints and Texans — plus a bonus Cowboys mention — as clubs still alive and capable of making a run in the second half of the season. **Claimed:** Nov 5, 2026 **Pundit:** Rich Eisen — https://missedtakes.co/pundits/rich-eisen **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/ESP7513341098.mp3 6 checkable claims — 6 surprise team calls — each graded on its own rather than as one all-or-nothing call. It names 6 players and teams, each linked to their own record. None of them have settled yet — they grade once their results are in. > I am kicking off this program with a top five list... of teams that are not dead yet. *(their words, quoted for attribution)* ## The claims - **Houston Texans to beat expectations** - Kind: Surprise Team Calls · About: Houston Texans - Verdict: not settled yet - **Arizona Cardinals to beat expectations** - Kind: Surprise Team Calls · About: Arizona Cardinals - Verdict: not settled yet - **Dallas Cowboys to beat expectations** - Kind: Surprise Team Calls · About: Dallas Cowboys - Verdict: not settled yet - **Las Vegas Raiders to beat expectations** - Kind: Surprise Team Calls · About: Las Vegas Raiders - Verdict: not settled yet - **New Orleans Saints to beat expectations** - Kind: Surprise Team Calls · About: New Orleans Saints - Verdict: not settled yet - **Los Angeles Rams to beat expectations** - Kind: Surprise Team Calls · About: Los Angeles Rams - Verdict: not settled yet ## Who this take is about - Houston Texans — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/texans - Arizona Cardinals — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/cardinals - Dallas Cowboys — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/cowboys - Las Vegas Raiders — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/raiders - New Orleans Saints — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/saints - Los Angeles Rams — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/rams ## What others said about the same people - Bobby Skinner on Stefon Diggs: Skinner predicted Daniel Jones signs with and wins the starting job in Indianapolis, Milton Williams to New England, Lavonte David back to Tampa, Aaron Rodgers and Davante Adams to the Giants, DJ Reid to Arizona, Hassan Reddick to Washington and Justin Fields staying in Pittsburgh, plus alternates they had listed. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/6bc51663-60f7-4897-b5dc-40e284f869a2 (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 Houston Texans: 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 54.76) - Jared Koch on Houston Texans: Koch predicts the Texans will beat the winless Chargers on the road in Week 9 by at least 10 points, with Houston's defense forcing a couple of turnovers to set up a multiple-score win. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/e2861ce9-d1de-4f34-b001-83e64c3f5770 (scored 100) - Chris Simms on Houston Texans: Simms gave a predicted final score for every Week 9 game, picking the Bengals, Chiefs, Broncos, Lions, Giants, Rams, Cowboys, Saints, 49ers, Patriots, Seahawks, Texans, Bears and Bills, and also said they wouldn't be shocked to see Jacksonville reach the AFC Championship Game. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/17eb747a-90b1-472f-bb6d-e71c0c69133a (scored 80.95) ## More surprise team calls The same kind of call, about other players and teams. - Dan Orlovsky on Detroit Lions: Named Houston and Detroit as the underrated teams in each conference, said the Texans could reach 11-6 and the playoffs, and predicted CJ Stroud's next contract will start with a seven annually, with Caleb Williams getting even more afterward. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/01e49745-6d62-434d-a884-17a1fa4a0cca (not settled) - Bill Simmons on Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Simmons named the Houston Texans as the AFC's second-half surge team and, reluctantly, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as the NFC's, arguing both clubs sitting at or below.500 will make a run down the stretch. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/a2fe7493-43ef-4157-b6c3-82a3e9c0f906 (not settled) - Danny Kelly on Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Kelly argued the Buccaneers are the one NFC South club capable of a second-half surge, citing a soft remaining schedule and the league's top defensive EPA. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/13d3230a-fd04-4c32-86f7-7faaa5718bb8 (not settled) - Jordan Dajani on Pittsburgh Steelers: Halfway through the season, Dajani sorts the playoff field into contenders and pretenders: they suggest Joe Burrow could win MVP this year, and while they dismiss Pittsburgh as a true Super Bowl threat, they expect the Steelers to be a playoff team and a possible sleeper. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/3cf5c7f7-905d-4de9-ba67-9ff97a7f6a34 (not settled) - Chris Long on Minnesota Vikings: Previewing NFL Week 5, Chris Long expects the Jaguars to beat the Eagles in London, picks the Browns, Steelers and Texans to win their games, names the Falcons as NFC South champions, lists their current top five teams, and calls the Vikings and Texans sleeping giants. They also flag Ja'Marr Chase and Dallas Goedert as returning, Jake Majors starting at center for Philadelphia, and Baltimore having to pay Cam Jurgens 50-plus. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/f626609f-9766-4234-9bf6-ec25237ae41d (not settled) - Tyler Sullivan on Jacksonville Jaguars: Sullivan argues the 2-2 Packers are a hollow.500 team unlikely to climb over.500 during a tough three-game stretch, expects the Chargers to keep losing with Denver and Kansas City up next, calls the Jaguars the league's most underrated team, and says the Raiders are legitimately good despite their first loss. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/ebb5d4ad-8432-4585-a227-dd908f2def6b (not settled) --- 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=rich-eisen