Zachary Pereles· Aug 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.
“Here are five teams that haven't made a ton of noise this offseason but could make plenty when the results actually matter.”
published in writing · CBS Sports · read the original →
7 checkable claims — 5 surprise team calls, 1 playoff pick and 1 positional finishe — each graded on its own rather than as one all-or-nothing bet.
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.
Where do you stand? Pick this and every open claim on Picks →
Who this take is about
7 checkable claims in this take
Each one is scored on its own against the published methodology. A pundit naming several outcomes is graded on each, not on all-or-nothing.
- Surprise Team CallsGreen Bay PackersAug 10, 2026
Green Bay Packers to beat expectations
“2. Packers ... perhaps this is actually the year the offense becomes one of the league's best.”
Not settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
- Surprise Team CallsSeattle SeahawksAug 10, 2026
Seattle Seahawks to beat expectations
“1. Seahawks ... they're not getting much buzz. That's a mistake. Last year wasn't just some lucky run.”
Not settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
- Surprise Team CallsDenver BroncosAug 10, 2026
Denver Broncos to beat expectations
“3. Broncos ... The Broncos were likely a freak injury away from the Super Bowl.”
Not settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
- Playoff PicksDenver BroncosAug 10, 2026
Denver Broncos to make the playoffs
“Denver should be a shoo-in playoff team at worst.”
Not settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
- Surprise Team CallsJacksonville JaguarsAug 10, 2026
Jacksonville Jaguars to beat expectations
“4. Jaguars ... But what about the internal development? Trevor Lawrence caught fire down the stretch of last season”
Not settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
- Surprise Team CallsNew Orleans SaintsAug 10, 2026
New Orleans Saints to beat expectations
“Here's one team well outside the projected playoff picture to be bullish on.”
Not settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
Devon Witherspoon to finish top 5 at his position, by interceptions
“Devon Witherspoon is a top-five cornerback”
Too vague to check — we could not tell what would count as right.
What others said about the same people
- Chris SimmsScore Predictions · New Orleans SaintsClose · 48Simms 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.
- Connor RogersGame Outcome Picks · Seattle SeahawksMiss · 0Rogers picked Detroit, Houston, Carolina, Kansas City, Seattle and the Giants to win their Week 3 games, saying the Chiefs win by two touchdowns and the Giants by a field goal.
- Steven RuizGame Outcome Picks · Denver BroncosHit · 100Previewing Week 3, Ruiz picked the Ravens to beat the Cowboys in Brazil, Jacksonville over New England in a low-scoring game, an upset by the Broncos over the Rams, the Raiders over the Saints, the Eagles over the Bears, the Lions over the Jets, and his Hail Mary that Houston beats Indianapolis by two touchdowns.
- Nate TiceGame Outcome Picks · Jacksonville JaguarsHit · 100Tice matched his guest on every Week 3 game, picking the Ravens over the Cowboys, the Jaguars over the Patriots in a close game, the Broncos to upset the Rams, the Raiders over the Saints, the Eagles over the Bears and the Lions over the Jets.
- Chris SimmsScore Predictions · Green Bay PackersMiss · 10Simms picked the Packers to beat the Falcons in the Thursday night game by a low score, expecting a defensive struggle.
- Sam MonsonGame Outcome Picks · Seattle SeahawksMiss · 0Monson 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.
More surprise team calls
The same kind of call, about other players and teams.
- Steven RuizSurprise Team Calls · Houston TexansPendingRuiz expects the Texans to repeat last year's turnaround, saying their defense and schedule will let them pile up wins and stay in the playoff race all season.
- Ben ArthurSurprise Team Calls · Houston TexansPendingArthur also lands on the Texans, arguing their defense will return to elite form and a soft upcoming stretch will get Houston's season back on track.
- Henry McKennaSurprise Team Calls · Houston TexansPendingMcKenna picks the Texans as the 0-2 team most likely to recover, favoring them over the Buccaneers because he believes the AFC South is weaker than the NFC South.
- Eric WilliamsSurprise Team Calls · Los Angeles ChargersPendingWilliams picks the Chargers as the 0-2 team to rebound, comparing it to the 2017 team that started 0-4 and finished 9-7, and suggests they will rise up on the road against Buffalo rather than collapse.
- Greg AumanSurprise Team Calls · Houston TexansPendingAuman names the Texans as the 0-2 team best positioned to turn their season around and get back into the playoff race, citing their history of slow starts and an elite defense. He also references his preseason pick of the Chargers to win the Super Bowl.
- Ralph VacchianoSurprise Team Calls · Indianapolis ColtsPendingVacchiano picks the Colts over the Texans as the 0-2 team most likely to rebound, trusting their offense with Daniel Jones and Jonathan Taylor to keep them in the playoff race.