Matt Verderame#83 of 87 NFL pundits · Jun 1, 2026
Verderim ranked the five toughest games on the Chiefs' 2025 schedule, with the Thanksgiving trip to Buffalo as the hardest, followed by the Rams, Seahawks, Bengals and 49ers. They also called the Rams the best team in football and said the Chiefs should still win the home game against the 49ers and the road game in Cincinnati.
Said on air, transcribed by us · KC Sports Network (podcast)Hear the original
What Matt Verderame said
our reading, beside the words we read it fromIn a vacuum, that's the best team in football in my opinion, and they're Chiefs are on the road for it.
- Where it was said
- KC Sports Network (podcast)
- The episode
- That Football Show 6/1: Ranking the 5 Toughest Games on the Chiefs' 2026 Schedule
- The original
- Hear the original
- Read it wrong?
- Tell us and we will look
- 1Kansas City Chiefs to beat Niners“Like, the Niners, I think it's tough game because they're at home for the game... And it's in December. They should win the game. Yeah. It's a hard game, but they should win it.”
- 2Kansas City Chiefs to beat Bengals“So I I think it's a game they ought to win. I also think it's a game that could be, you know, 38, 35”
- 3Power Rankings“I and the Rams are the best team in the league... In a vacuum, that's the best team in football in my opinion”
- 4Tuli Tuipulotu to move to Los Angeles Chargers“I would imagine I would imagine they'll keep Tui Palotu. Give him a big money in the yard, I would think.”
- 5Power Rankings“number five, the the game against the Niners... So number four for me, I'm gonna go with Cincinnati... They're my number three? ... Two for me is is the game against the Rams... So it is number one for me... It is the game that matches a really good team... That Buffalo game”
Box score
HitCloseMissWaiting| Verdict | Call | Kind | What happened | Score | Naive | Skill |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kansas City Chiefs to beat Niners1 | Game Outcome Picks | — | — | — | — | |
| Kansas City Chiefs to beat Bengals2 | Game Outcome Picks | — | — | — | — | |
| “I and the Rams are the best team in the league... In a vacuum,…”3 | Power Rankings | — | — | — | — | |
| Tuli Tuipulotu to move to Los Angeles Chargers4 | Trade and Signing Calls | — | — | — | — | |
| “number five, the the game against the Niners... So number four…”5 | Power Rankings | — | — | — | — | |
| 5 calls · 5 waiting | — | — | ||||
How each call scored
5 checkable claims — 2 game outcome picks, 2 power rankings and 1 trade and signing call — each graded on its own rather than as one all-or-nothing call.
It names 3 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.
1Game Outcome PicksKansas City Chiefs
Kansas City Chiefs to beat Niners
VerdictWaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
2Game Outcome PicksKansas City Chiefs
Kansas City Chiefs to beat Bengals
VerdictWaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
“I and the Rams are the best team in the league... In a vacuum, that's the best team in football in my opinion”
VerdictWaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
4Trade and Signing CallsTuli TuipulotuLos Angeles Chargers
Tuli Tuipulotu to move to Los Angeles Chargers
VerdictWaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
“number five, the the game against the Niners... So number four for me, I'm gonna go with Cincinnati... They're my number three? ... Two for me is is the game against the Rams... So it is number one for me... It is the game that matches a really good team... That Buffalo game”
VerdictWaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
The games in this take
every pundit’s pick on eachWho this take is about
Others on the same people
Chris Clark · Trade and Signing Calls · Nikko Remigio · Miss 0
Clark expects the Chiefs to bring back exclusive-rights receiver Nico (Remigio) and long snapper James Winchester, to re-sign JuJu Smith-Schuster as a cheap veteran fifth receiver, and not to bring back Hollywood Brown, Josh Dobbs-type depth, Gardner Minshew, Janarius Robinson or Mike Caliendo; they also say the Chiefs will not use a franchise tag and believes Bryan Cook won't return.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.Gilberto Manzano · Trade and Signing Calls · Josh Downs · Hit 100
Previewing the trade deadline, he expects Justin Herbert to stay in Los Angeles despite the Chargers' 0–7 start, thinks the Jets will keep Garrett Wilson and pair him with their young weapons, expects a receiver-hungry Kansas City to be aggressive with Josh Downs the likeliest target, and suggests expiring Eagles contracts Moro Ojomo and Riq Woolen could be dealt for mid-round picks.Joshua Poniatowski · Trade and Signing Calls · Josh Downs · Hit 100
Poniatowski names several trade targets, predicting Malik Willis underperforms this week against New England, that Omarion Hampton could become a viable RB2 if Adam Gase takes over play-calling, that Josh Downs gets traded (ideally to Kansas City, where they'd be a top-24 WR), that Brian Thomas Jr. could be dealt to the Rams or 49ers, and that Travis Kelce remains a consistent weekly TE.Jordan Dajani · Trade and Signing Calls · Josh Downs · Hit 100
After reporting that Colts receiver Josh Downs requested a trade, they identify five clubs as plausible landing spots for them: the Rams, Patriots, Falcons, Chiefs and Raiders, and suggests Las Vegas could also give them a long-term extension.
More game outcome picks
The same kind of call, about other players and teams.
Sam Monson · Game Outcome Picks · New York Giants · Miss 0
Monson picked every Week 10 game, taking the Giants, Lions, Packers, Panthers, Colts, Texans, Bills, Chiefs, Jaguars, Seahawks, Rams, Cowboys, Bengals and Ravens, and also suggested the Chargers' only likely wins the rest of the way come against the Jets and Dolphins.Eva Geitheim · Game Outcome Picks · Washington Commanders · Hit 100
Geitheim picked the Commanders, Lions, Chiefs, Texans, Vikings, Jaguars, Colts, Panthers, Bills, Seahawks, Rams, 49ers, Bengals and Ravens in Week 10.Conor Orr · Game Outcome Picks · New York Giants · Miss 0
Orr picked the Giants, Lions, Chiefs, Texans, Packers, Jaguars, Dolphins, Panthers, Bills, Seahawks, Rams, 49ers, Bengals and Chargers in Week 10.Albert Breer · Game Outcome Picks · New York Giants · Miss 0
Breer picked all 14 Week 10 games straight up, favoring the Giants, Lions, Chiefs, Texans, Packers, Jaguars, Dolphins, Panthers, Bills, Seahawks, Rams, 49ers, Bengals and Ravens.Mitch Goldich · Game Outcome Picks · New York Giants · Miss 0
Goldich picked the Giants, Lions, Chiefs, Texans, Packers, Jaguars, Dolphins, Panthers, Bills, Seahawks, Rams, 49ers, Bengals and Ravens in Week 10.John Pluym · Game Outcome Picks · New York Giants · Miss 0
Pluym picked the Giants, Patriots, Chiefs, Texans, Packers, Jaguars, Colts, Saints, Bills, Seahawks, Rams, 49ers, Bengals and Chargers in Week 10.