Danny Parkins#75 of 87 NFL pundits · Sep 3, 2026
Filling in for Colin Cowherd, Parkins gave their full AFC playoff field: Bills, Bengals, Colts and Chargers as division winners, with the Patriots, Ravens and Broncos as wild cards, and explicitly had the Chiefs missing the playoffs. They also predicted DJ Moore puts up monstrous numbers in Buffalo and that Drake Maye wins an MVP at some point in their career.
Said on air or in an interview · The Herd with Colin Cowherd (podcast)Hear the original
What Danny Parkins said
our reading, beside the words we read it fromSo I like the Bills to win the AFC East.
- Where it was said
- The Herd with Colin Cowherd (podcast)
- The episode
- BEST OF THE HERD – Kawhi Leonard Was A Historic Flop | AFC Playoff Predictions: Chiefs OUT | Josh Allen NFL’s #1 QB
- The original
- Hear the original
- Read it wrong?
- Tell us and we will look
- 1Cincinnati Bengals to make the playoffs“I like the Bengals to just barely edge the Ravens and take the AFC North.”
- 2Los Angeles Chargers to make the playoffs“I think the Chargers take the AFC West.”
- 3Fernando Mendoza to be 1st on the depth chart“the Raiders have named a starter. They've made it to be Kirk Cousins. Frankly, I think they're making a huge mistake. I'd start Fernando Mendoza week one against the Dolphins.”
Box score
HitCloseMissWaiting| Verdict | Call | Kind | What happened | Score | Naive | Skill |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cincinnati Bengals to make the playoffs1 | Playoff Picks | — | — | — | — | |
| Los Angeles Chargers to make the playoffs2 | Playoff Picks | — | — | — | — | |
| Fernando Mendoza to be 1st on the depth chart3 | Depth Chart Calls | — | — | — | — | |
| 3 calls · 3 waiting | — | — | ||||
How each call scored
3 checkable claims — 2 playoff picks and 1 depth chart call — each graded on its own rather than as one all-or-nothing call.
It names 4 players and teams, each linked to their own record.
None of them have settled yet — they grade once their results are in.
Of the 1 unsettled call enough other pundits have weighed in on, this one lands below the rest of the room.
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.
Where this call stands in the room
Fernando Mendoza · 2026 season53 calls from 40 pundits between 1 and 3. Danny Parkins said 1. the room's median is 1. not settled yet
Every dot is a call somebody published on the same question. Where the dots land says where this take sits, not whether it is right — nothing here is settled yet. Hover a dot for the name and number; click it to read that take.
Their call against the record
Their call against what actually happened last time. Not yet settled.
1Playoff PicksCincinnati Bengals
Cincinnati Bengals to make the playoffs
VerdictWaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
2Playoff PicksLos Angeles Chargers
Los Angeles Chargers to make the playoffs
VerdictWaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
3Depth Chart CallsFernando MendozaLas Vegas Raiders
Fernando Mendoza to be 1st on the depth chart
VerdictWaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
Who this take is about
Others on the same people
Nate Gosney · Trade and Signing Calls · Daiyan Henley · Miss 0
After the Broncos rescinded the trade, Gosney expects Daiyan Henley to remain with the Chargers for the rest of the 2026 season, but believes the awkward fallout has effectively killed any chance of them signing a new contract with Los Angeles after the season.Derek Brown · Game Outcome Picks · Cincinnati Bengals · Hit 100
Brown picked the Bengals to beat the Falcons in Madrid, the Packers to win outright in New England and the Bills to beat the Vikings on Monday night. They were bullish on Jonah Coleman's rest-of-season value, expected Jonathan Taylor to play for the Colts, floated a Breece Hall trade, and did not expect DJ Reed to play in Week 9.Eric Mangini · Game Outcome Picks · Cincinnati Bengals · Hit 100
Mangini picked New England to beat Green Bay by more than a field goal, flagged Tampa Bay as their upset alert over Chicago, expects Kansas City to handle the Jets, took Buffalo over Minnesota, backed Cincinnati over Atlanta in Madrid, and updated their Super Bowl to Rams–Bengals.Rich Eisen · Game Outcome Picks · Cincinnati Bengals · Hit 100
Previewing the Bengals-Falcons game in Madrid, Eisen expects Cincinnati to fall behind by two scores before Joe Burrow brings them back to win.
More playoff picks
The same kind of call, about other players and teams.
Ross Jackson · Playoff Picks · New Orleans Saints · Miss 0
Jackson projects a big sophomore jump for Saints QB Tyler Shuck, laying out a Drake May-style stat line (17 starts, 72% completions, ~4,601 passing yards, 24 TDs, 9 INTs) or a Bo Nix-style consistency line (over 4,000 yards, over 20 TDs, ~10 INTs), and says either path means a playoff season for New Orleans in 2026.Rich Eisen · Playoff Picks · Minnesota Vikings · Miss 0
Eisen argues Ohio State will produce multiple top-10 picks — Sonny Styles, Arvell Reese and Caleb Downs — becoming the first school with three defensive players in the top 10, and that Styles will not be available at No. 12 to the Cowboys. He also thinks Fernando Mendoza is worthy of the No. 1 overall pick and expects the Raiders to draft him, and picks Trey Lance over Anthony Richardson to start a game first, Micah Parsons to fetch a bigger trade return than Maxx Crosby, Kirk Cousins as the released QB most likely to reach the playoffs, and J.J. McCarthy as the Vikings' Week 1 starter.Rich Eisen · Playoff Picks · Carolina Panthers · Hit 100
Eisen forecast the Week 18 results and the entire wild-card field: Buccaneers over Panthers but Carolina still gets in as the 5 seed when Atlanta beats New Orleans, 49ers over Seahawks, Ravens over Steelers, Jaguars beating Tennessee to win the AFC South, and six wild-card matchups (Seahawks-Panthers, Bills-Jaguars, Texans-Ravens, Packers-Bears, Chargers-Patriots, Rams-Eagles), with Houston upsetting Baltimore. They also tabbed Saints rookie Tyler Shough as a possible Offensive Rookie of the Year.