# Colin Cowherd: Cowherd laid out his full AFC and NFC division-by-division predictions, naming division winners, wild cards, new playoff teams, and order of finish in each division. **Claimed:** Aug 29, 2026 **Pundit:** Colin Cowherd — https://missedtakes.co/pundits/colin-cowherd **Outlet:** The Herd with Colin Cowherd (podcast) — https://missedtakes.co/outlets/the-herd-with-colin-cowherd-podcast **How it reached us:** said on air or in an interview **Original:** https://podtrac.com/pts/redirect.mp3/pscrb.fm/rss/p/traffic.omny.fm/d/clips/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/1508ddb2-0c9a-42f6-aafe-ae3300346aa9/2be5dcf6-91f3-4be7-a4ff-b4b40101721f/audio.mp3?in_playlist=bf391792-153e-41b3-9d3d-ae3300346ad8 37 checkable claims — 10 playoff picks, 9 power rankings, 8 division winners, 5 depth chart calls, 4 season win totals and 1 surprise team call — each graded on its own rather than as one all-or-nothing bet. It names 21 players and teams, each linked to their own record. None of them have settled yet — they grade once their results are in. Of the 9 unsettled calls enough other pundits have weighed in on, this one lands above the room on 2 and below it on 7. > So I have the Bills, Ravens, Texans, Chargers winning their division. Patriots, Bengals, Chiefs as wildcard. *(their words, quoted for attribution)* ## The claims - **Detroit Lions to make the playoffs** - Kind: Playoff Picks · About: Detroit Lions - Verdict: not settled yet - **New York Giants to beat expectations** - Kind: Surprise Team Calls · About: New York Giants - Verdict: not settled yet - **Buffalo Bills to make the playoffs** - Kind: Playoff Picks · About: Buffalo Bills - Verdict: not settled yet - **New York Jets to finish with 5 wins** - Kind: Season Win Totals · About: New York Jets - Verdict: not settled yet - **I'm going to go Colts over the Jags... And the Titans for fourth** - Kind: Power Rankings - Verdict: not settled yet - **I have them winning the division... Kansas City gets a slight edge to me. Raiders could be the best fourth plays team in football** - Kind: Power Rankings - Verdict: not settled yet - **Baltimore Ravens to win the division** - Kind: Division Winners · About: Baltimore Ravens - Verdict: not settled yet - **Los Angeles Chargers to win the division** - Kind: Division Winners · About: Los Angeles Chargers - Verdict: not settled yet - **I'm going to go with Baltimore... Cincinnati, I have as a new playoff team... Steelers... Cleveland, I don't hate them.** - Kind: Power Rankings - Verdict: not settled yet - **Cincinnati Bengals to make the playoffs** - Kind: Playoff Picks · About: Cincinnati Bengals - Verdict: not settled yet - **New Orleans Saints to make the playoffs** - Kind: Playoff Picks · About: New Orleans Saints - Verdict: not settled yet - **I'll take. Them to win the division. New England's schedule is much tougher... The Jets in third... Dolphins are rebuilding... I'll pick them easily for fourth.** - Kind: Power Rankings - Verdict: not settled yet - **I think Carolina will vie for the division title and a playoff spot. I like the top two teams. Tampa Bay... I'm going to pick Atlanta. For fourth place.** - Kind: Power Rankings - Verdict: not settled yet - **I'm going to go Chicago second... I'm going to choose Green Bay over Minnesota... so I have them fourth** - Kind: Power Rankings - Verdict: not settled yet - **New York Giants to make the playoffs** - Kind: Playoff Picks · About: New York Giants - Verdict: not settled yet - **Shedeur Sanders to be 1st on the depth chart** - Kind: Depth Chart Calls · About: Shedeur Sanders, Cleveland Browns - Verdict: not settled yet - **Blake Miller to be 1st on the depth chart** - Kind: Depth Chart Calls · About: Blake Miller, Detroit Lions - Verdict: not settled yet - **Detroit Lions to win the division** - Kind: Division Winners · About: Detroit Lions - Verdict: not settled yet - **Los Angeles Rams to finish with 11 wins** - Kind: Season Win Totals · About: Los Angeles Rams - Verdict: not settled yet - **Los Angeles Chargers to make the playoffs** - Kind: Playoff Picks · About: Los Angeles Chargers - Verdict: not settled yet - **Philadelphia Eagles to win the division** - Kind: Division Winners · About: Philadelphia Eagles - Verdict: not settled yet - **I'll take Seattle to win over the Rams... San Francisco, I worry about it... And then Arizona, bit of a mess... Arizona at fourth place.** - Kind: Power Rankings - Verdict: not settled yet - **Seattle Seahawks to finish with 12 wins** - Kind: Season Win Totals · About: Seattle Seahawks - Verdict: not settled yet - **I think these two teams, in my opinion, are the best two teams in the NFL, Seahawks-Rams, one and two in my book.** - Kind: Power Rankings - Verdict: not settled yet - **Houston Texans to make the playoffs** - Kind: Playoff Picks · About: Houston Texans - Verdict: not settled yet - **I'm going to go with the Giants over the Cowboys... I have the Cowboys better, but not a playoff team third. And Washington just doesn't have enough talent.** - Kind: Power Rankings - Verdict: not settled yet - **New Orleans Saints to win the division** - Kind: Division Winners · About: New Orleans Saints - Verdict: not settled yet - **Fernando Mendoza to be 1st on the depth chart** - Kind: Depth Chart Calls · About: Fernando Mendoza, Las Vegas Raiders - Verdict: not settled yet - **Baltimore Ravens to make the playoffs** - Kind: Playoff Picks · About: Baltimore Ravens - Verdict: not settled yet - **Houston Texans to win the division** - Kind: Division Winners · About: Houston Texans - Verdict: not settled yet - **David Bailey to be 1st on the depth chart** - Kind: Depth Chart Calls · About: David Bailey, New York Jets - Verdict: not settled yet - **Los Angeles Chargers to finish with 11 wins** - Kind: Season Win Totals · About: Los Angeles Chargers - Verdict: not settled yet - **Seattle Seahawks to win the division** - Kind: Division Winners · About: Seattle Seahawks - Verdict: not settled yet - **Buffalo Bills to win the division** - Kind: Division Winners · About: Buffalo Bills - Verdict: not settled yet - **New England Patriots to make the playoffs** - Kind: Playoff Picks · About: New England Patriots - Verdict: not settled yet - **Jake Slaughter to be 1st on the depth chart** - Kind: Depth Chart Calls · About: Jake Slaughter, Los Angeles Chargers - Verdict: not settled yet - **Kansas City Chiefs to make the playoffs** - Kind: Playoff Picks · About: Kansas City Chiefs - Verdict: not settled yet ## Who this take is about - Detroit Lions — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/lions - New York Giants — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/giants - Buffalo Bills — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/bills - New York Jets — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/jets - Baltimore Ravens — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/ravens - Los Angeles Chargers — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/chargers - Cincinnati Bengals — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/bengals - New Orleans Saints — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/saints - Shedeur Sanders — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/shedeur-sanders - Cleveland Browns — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/browns - Blake Miller — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/blake-miller - Los Angeles Rams — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/rams - Philadelphia Eagles — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/eagles - Seattle Seahawks — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/seahawks - Houston Texans — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/texans - Fernando Mendoza — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/fernando-mendoza - Las Vegas Raiders — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/raiders - David Bailey — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/david-bailey - New England Patriots — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/patriots - Jake Slaughter — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/jake-slaughter - Kansas City Chiefs — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/chiefs ## What others said about the same people - Chris Simms on Kansas City Chiefs: 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 100) - Connor Rogers on New York Giants: Rogers 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. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/83d1e88b-95a0-45ba-83d3-f86297170c6c (scored 100) - Chris Long on Cincinnati Bengals: 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 0) - Steven Ruiz on Las Vegas Raiders: Previewing 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. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/a30ff469-4972-4c48-855b-ba984e4de9d0 (scored 100) - Nate Tice on Baltimore Ravens: Tice 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. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/b8378e16-ea5c-4107-a883-28aaf0e71134 (scored 100) - Sam Monson on Seattle Seahawks: 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 0) ## More playoff picks The same kind of call, about other players and teams. - Rich Eisen on Minnesota Vikings: 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. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/29ea2738-79a2-4be9-aa45-e794cd3848fb (scored 0) - Dwaine Board on San Francisco 49ers: Board argues the 49ers can still make the playoffs even if Trent Williams leaves, expects Williams to be brought back, and favors drafting a wide receiver at No. 27 over an offensive tackle. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/07beb6d4-aadc-4b2d-b131-b889c85204a3 (scored 100) - Rich Eisen on Carolina Panthers: 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. He also tabbed Saints rookie Tyler Shough as a possible Offensive Rookie of the Year. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/34345186-876a-4c4b-9567-9c289a6cbace (scored 100) - Chris Brockman on Pittsburgh Steelers: Brockman argued the road to the Super Bowl in the AFC goes through Foxborough, meaning the Patriots will finish as the No. 1 seed, and called his shot that the Chargers beat Denver in Week 18. He also declared the Bears a team of destiny who will win the NFC, said the Steelers will end their playoff win drought, and that Trevor Lawrence is playing like a top-five quarterback. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/7792215a-c787-44bd-b294-5ff028851d30 (scored 100) - Rich Eisen on Green Bay Packers: Eisen agreed the Bears are a team of destiny who will win the NFC, insisted the Packers will make the playoffs and won't lose at home to the Ravens, said the Steelers should make the playoffs, and endorsed the view that Trevor Lawrence is playing like a top-five quarterback. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/1f7633c5-427b-4993-8849-3f53865241bd (scored 100) - Rich Eisen on San Francisco 49ers: Eisen agreed the NFC West will send three teams to the playoffs (Seahawks, 49ers and Rams), endorsed the Bears finishing no worse than the No. 2 seed, and said Chicago would beat Green Bay at home. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/ea0d0a73-4f8b-4c92-8cd3-bcf957dc2115 (scored 100) --- Accuracy is 0-100 against what actually happened. 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