# Manti Te'o: Te'o picks Lamar Jackson for a third MVP, Jalen Carter for Defensive Player of the Year, the Broncos to win the AFC West, and has the 49ers, Steelers, Buccaneers and Ravens in the playoffs. **Claimed:** Sep 3, 2025 **Pundit:** Manti Te'o — https://missedtakes.co/pundits/manti-te-o **Outlet:** Move the Sticks (podcast) — https://missedtakes.co/outlets/move-the-sticks-podcast **How it reached us:** said on air or in an interview **Original:** https://omny.fm/shows/nfl-good-morning-football/gmfb-wednesday-hour-2-playoff-teams-reactions-brandon-graham-and-defensive-poy-predictions 8 checkable claims — 4 playoff picks, 2 award picks, 1 depth chart call and 1 division winner — each graded on its own rather than as one all-or-nothing bet. It names 10 players and teams, each linked to their own record. All 8 have settled, averaging 49 out of 100, against 24 for a naive guess at the same calls. > So the one that I'm most proud of of sticking to my guns, would have to be the Denver Broncos. As if AFC West champions *(their words, quoted for attribution)* ## The claims - **Denver Broncos to win the division** - Kind: Division Winners · About: Denver Broncos - Verdict: scored 100 out of 100, against 0 for a naive guess - **Tampa Bay Buccaneers to make the playoffs** - Kind: Playoff Picks · About: Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Verdict: scored 0 out of 100, against 0 for a naive guess - **Baltimore Ravens to make the playoffs** - Kind: Playoff Picks · About: Baltimore Ravens - Verdict: scored 0 out of 100, against 0 for a naive guess - **Lamar Jackson to win MVP** - Kind: Award Picks · About: Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens - Verdict: scored 0 out of 100, against 0 for a naive guess - **Russell Wilson to be 1st on the depth chart** - Kind: Depth Chart Calls · About: Russell Wilson, New York Giants - Verdict: scored 91.67 out of 100, against 91.67 for a naive guess - **Jalen Carter to win Defensive Player of the Year** - Kind: Award Picks · About: Jalen Carter, Philadelphia Eagles - Verdict: scored 0 out of 100, against 0 for a naive guess - **San Francisco 49ers to make the playoffs** - Kind: Playoff Picks · About: San Francisco 49ers - Verdict: scored 100 out of 100, against 0 for a naive guess - **Pittsburgh Steelers to make the playoffs** - Kind: Playoff Picks · About: Pittsburgh Steelers - Verdict: scored 100 out of 100, against 100 for a naive guess ## Who this take is about - Denver Broncos — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/broncos - Tampa Bay Buccaneers — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/buccaneers - Baltimore Ravens — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/ravens - Lamar Jackson — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/lamar-jackson - Russell Wilson — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/russell-wilson - New York Giants — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/giants - Jalen Carter — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/jalen-carter - Philadelphia Eagles — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/eagles - San Francisco 49ers — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/49ers - Pittsburgh Steelers — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/steelers ## What others said about the same people - Chris Simms on Baltimore Ravens: 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 97.62) - 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) - Steven Ruiz on Denver Broncos: 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) - Matt Harmon on Philadelphia Eagles: Harmon picked the Bengals to beat the Texans in Week 2, expecting Nico Collins to miss the game with a hamstring injury, and also predicted the Titans would be shut out by the Eagles. He took the Rams over the Giants, the Bears over the Vikings, and the Jaguars at Denver. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/21a71025-ab65-4716-ac2c-e77ad5ce3348 (scored 100) - Marcus Ray on Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Marcus predicted a 30-13 Buccaneers win over Cleveland with three touchdowns and three field goals, and picked the Raiders to beat a Jim Harbaugh team to start 2-0. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/aa09b337-f1fa-49b0-bc4b-5e2bbaddb5df (scored 19.05) ## More playoff picks The same kind of call, about other players and teams. - Craig Stout on Kansas City Chiefs: Craig believes better execution from a Patrick Mahomes-led Chiefs team will be enough to return them to the playoffs in the coming season, and he expects Tyler Algeier to land with Denver as a complement to RJ Harvey. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/4ad5b565-6220-4c30-9371-e55be75a35f0 (scored 0) - Ross Jackson on New Orleans Saints: 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. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/4dc05898-73fd-4fcb-92c4-a940d7e395ba (scored 0) - 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) - 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) - 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) - Chris Brockman on Buffalo Bills: Brockman argued the Texans will reach the AFC Championship Game, declared the Chiefs dynasty over, said the road to the Super Bowl in the NFC goes through Lambeau Field, that Josh Allen is still the most dangerous QB and the Bills will win a playoff game (with the AFC East runner-up as the 5 seed winning in Pittsburgh or Baltimore), that Carolina will win the NFC South, that Baltimore finishes under .500 with Lamar no longer a top-five QB, that the Colts should trade for Mac Jones, and that Marcus Freeman will be in the NFL next year. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/c06d1a3a-78d8-4aec-8574-159821b42aab (scored 100) --- Accuracy is 0-100 against what actually happened. 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