Zachary PerelesAug 10, 2026
A CBS Sports piece names five quiet-offseason teams that could outperform expectations in the coming season — the Seahawks, Packers, Broncos, Jaguars and Saints — arguing Seattle remains a legitimate contender, Denver is a lock for the playoffs, and Green Bay's Matthew Golden is a breakout candidate.
Published in writing · CBS SportsRead the original
What Zachary Pereles said
our reading, beside the words we read it fromHere are five teams that haven't made a ton of noise this offseason but could make plenty when the results actually matter.
- Where it was published
- CBS Sports
- The piece
- Five NFL teams we're not talking about enough: Seahawks under the radar again? Packers take next step?
- The original
- Read the original
- Read it wrong?
- Tell us and we will look
- 1Devon Witherspoon to finish top 5 at his position, by interceptions“Devon Witherspoon is a top-five cornerback”
- 2New Orleans Saints to beat expectations“Here's one team well outside the projected playoff picture to be bullish on.”
- 3Jacksonville Jaguars to beat expectations“4. Jaguars ... But what about the internal development? Trevor Lawrence caught fire down the stretch of last season”
- 4Green Bay Packers to beat expectations“2. Packers ... perhaps this is actually the year the offense becomes one of the league's best.”
- 5Denver Broncos to make the playoffs“Denver should be a shoo-in playoff team at worst.”
- 6Denver Broncos to beat expectations“3. Broncos ... The Broncos were likely a freak injury away from the Super Bowl.”
- 7Seattle Seahawks to beat expectations“1. Seahawks ... they're not getting much buzz. That's a mistake. Last year wasn't just some lucky run.”
Box score
HitCloseMissWaiting| Verdict | Call | Kind | What happened | Score | Naive | Skill |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Devon Witherspoon to finish top 5 at his position, by interceptions1 | Positional Finishes | — | — | — | — | |
| New Orleans Saints to beat expectations2 | Surprise Team Calls | — | — | — | — | |
| Jacksonville Jaguars to beat expectations3 | Surprise Team Calls | — | — | — | — | |
| Green Bay Packers to beat expectations4 | Surprise Team Calls | — | — | — | — | |
| Denver Broncos to make the playoffs5 | Playoff Picks | — | — | — | — | |
| Denver Broncos to beat expectations6 | Surprise Team Calls | — | — | — | — | |
| Seattle Seahawks to beat expectations7 | Surprise Team Calls | — | — | — | — | |
| 7 calls · 7 waiting | — | — | ||||
How each call scored
7 checkable claims — 5 surprise team calls, 1 playoff pick and 1 positional finish — 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.
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.
Their call against the record
positional finishTheir call against what actually happened last time. Not yet settled.
1Positional FinishesDevon WitherspoonSeattle Seahawks
Devon Witherspoon to finish top 5 at his position, by interceptions
VerdictWaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
2Surprise Team CallsNew Orleans Saints
New Orleans Saints to beat expectations
VerdictWaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
3Surprise Team CallsJacksonville Jaguars
Jacksonville Jaguars to beat expectations
VerdictWaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
4Surprise Team CallsGreen Bay Packers
Green Bay Packers to beat expectations
VerdictWaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
Denver Broncos to make the playoffs
VerdictWaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
6Surprise Team CallsDenver Broncos
Denver Broncos to beat expectations
VerdictWaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
7Surprise Team CallsSeattle Seahawks
Seattle Seahawks to beat expectations
VerdictWaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
Who this take is about
Others on the same people
Zack Kelberman · Roster Spot Calls · Sean Fresch Jr. · Miss 0
Kelberman expects Sean Fresch Jr. to clear waivers and return to the Broncos' practice squad, sees Riley Moss back from concussion for the Week 11 game at Las Vegas, and projects newly acquired Daiyan Henley to begin as the third inside linebacker behind Alex Singleton and Justin Strnad before likely moving into a starting role.Zack Kelberman · Roster Spot Calls · Sean Fresch Jr. · Miss 0
Kelberman writes that Riley Moss may sit out the preseason finale against Minnesota but should be available for the Week 1 opener at Kansas City; they also suggest undrafted corners Sean Fresch Jr. and Brent Austin are being evaluated for practice squad spots.Chad Jensen · Roster Spot Calls · Jordan Turner · Miss 0
Jensen predicts Daiyan Henley's arrival will cut into Justin Strnad's snaps while Alex Singleton keeps playing virtually every down, and that Denver will return to a three-linebacker rotation after the Week 10 bye. They also expect one of Jordan Turner or Karene Reid — most likely Turner — to be waived to clear a roster spot.Bill Huber · Game Outcome Picks · Green Bay Packers · Hit 100
Huber argues Green Bay has no excuses left and will beat New England in Foxborough, and expects Christian Watson to play despite their rib injury. They also sketch the projected interior offensive line, with John Williams at center and Laken Tomlinson at right guard.Albert Breer · Game Outcome Picks · Seattle Seahawks · Hit 100
Breer picks the Seahawks to beat the Cardinals in their Week 9 NFC West matchup.
More surprise team calls
The same kind of call, about other players and teams.
Nick Wright · Surprise Team Calls · Houston Texans · Waiting
Wright expects the 49ers to handle Dallas, the Lions to beat New England, the Packers to beat Minnesota and the Chiefs to win in Atlanta, while naming the Texans again as the league's second-half surge team, picking Joe Burrow for MVP and saying Kansas City still makes the playoffs.Dan Orlovsky · Surprise Team Calls · Houston Texans · Waiting
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.Bill Simmons · Surprise Team Calls · Tampa Bay Buccaneers · Waiting
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.Danny Kelly · Surprise Team Calls · Tampa Bay Buccaneers · Waiting
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.Logan Lazarczyk · Surprise Team Calls · Houston Texans · Waiting
Lazarczyk argues the Raiders can still contend for the AFC's final wild-card spot, naming the Bills, Broncos, Jaguars, Steelers, Chiefs and Bengals as locks for the top six seeds, calling Houston a sleeper, and predicting Las Vegas can beat the Chargers, Titans and Cardinals down the stretch.Jordan Dajani · Surprise Team Calls · Pittsburgh Steelers · Waiting
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.