John Middlekauff· Aug 13, 2026
Middlekauff's bold predictions: Max Crosby gets traded to the Bears midseason, the 49ers win the NFC West, the Bengals earn the AFC's No. 1 seed, the Patriots go 9-8, and Dak Prescott wins MVP as the Cowboys win the NFC East. He also expects JJ McCarthy to be Minnesota's third-string QB in Week 1.
“I got him as the number one seed in the AFC.”
said on air or in an interview · The Herd with Colin Cowherd (podcast) · read the original →
7 checkable claims — 2 division winners, 1 award pick, 1 depth chart call, 1 season win total, 1 seeding, byes and home field and 1 trade and signing call — each graded on its own rather than as one all-or-nothing bet.
It names 9 players and teams, each linked to their own record.
None of them have settled yet — they grade once their results are in.
Of the 3 unsettled calls enough other pundits have weighed in on, this one lands above the room on 1 and below it on 2.
Where this call stands in the room
New England Patriots · 2026 season · wins18 calls from 10 pundits between 9 wins and 14 wins. John Middlekauff said 9 wins. the room's median is 10 wins. 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.
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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.
- Division WinnersDallas CowboysAug 13, 2026
Dallas Cowboys to win the division
“So I think the Cowboys are going to be good this year. I have picking them to win the East.”
Not settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
- Division WinnersSan Francisco 49ersAug 13, 2026
San Francisco 49ers to win the division
“I got the Niners winning the NFC West.”
Not settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
- Depth Chart CallsJ.J. McCarthyMinnesota VikingsAug 13, 2026
J.J. McCarthy to be 3rd on the depth chart
“but he's probably going to be the third string quarterback come week one behind Wentz”
Not settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
- Trade and Signing CallsMaxx CrosbyChicago BearsAug 13, 2026
Maxx Crosby to move to Chicago Bears
“I think Max Crosby ends up on the Browns and or, excuse me, the Bears in the middle of the season... Max Crosby the Bears”
Not settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
- Award PicksDak PrescottDallas CowboysAug 13, 2026
Dak Prescott to win MVP
“I also have an NFC quarterback winning the MVP, but his name is Dakota Prescott”
Not settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
- Season Win TotalsNew England PatriotsAug 13, 2026
New England Patriots to finish with 9 wins
“You go nine to eight, missed the playoffs.”
Not settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
- Seeding, Byes and Home FieldCincinnati BengalsAug 13, 2026
Cincinnati Bengals to take the top seed
“I got a team finishing first, and they're the Cincinnati Bengals. I got him as the number one seed in the AFC.”
Not settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
What others said about the same people
- Mike MoraitisTrade and Signing Calls · DaRon BlandHit · 100Moraitis names five Cowboys he expects to be playing their final season opener in Dallas in 2026: George Pickens (likely tag-and-trade or departure), Malik Hooker, Luke Schoonmaker, DeMarvion Overshown and DaRon Bland.
- Pat FitzmauriceDepth Chart Calls · Kyler MurrayHit · 100Fitzmaurice touts Kyler Murray as a value QB who will start Week 1 for Minnesota, Tyler Shough as the Saints' undisputed starter, and Juwan Johnson and Terrance Ferguson as late-round tight end targets.
- Pat FitzmauriceDepth Chart Calls · Kyler MurrayHit · 100Fitzmaurice expects Kyler Murray to be Minnesota's Week 1 starter and calls him one of the better quarterback values in 2026 drafts; he also views Jordan Love as a top-10 real-life quarterback but only a QB2 in fantasy.
- Pat FitzmauriceDepth Chart Calls · Kyler MurrayHit · 100Fitzmaurice expects Kyler Murray to open the season as Minnesota's starting quarterback and to be one of the better quarterback values in 2026 fantasy drafts, and he likewise likes Tyler Shough as New Orleans' entrenched starter with an easy schedule.
- Mike MoraitisDepth Chart Calls · Ozzy TrapiloMiss · 0Moraitis writes that although Braxton Jones has looked like the favorite, Ozzy Trapilo is likely to take over as the Bears' starting left tackle once he's healthy enough to play.
- Pete MartuneacDepth Chart Calls · Ozzy TrapiloMiss · 0After Trapilo's activation from the PUP list roughly seven months after rupturing his patellar tendon, Martuneac says the Bears' left tackle competition is over and Trapilo will be starting at left tackle early in the 2026 season, even if not by Week 1.
More division winners
The same kind of call, about other players and teams.
- Daniel DiBerardinisDivision Winners · Atlanta FalconsMiss · 0Danny D predicts Sonny Styles goes in the top ten (maybe top five), doesn't think Ty Simpson goes before late first round, says Kenyon Sadiq lands with the Rams at 13, and picks the Falcons to win the NFC South while naming the Bengals an AFC bounce-back team. He also gives a Final Four of Michigan, Florida, Purdue and Arizona with Michigan winning.
- Colin CowherdDivision Winners · New York GiantsMiss · 0Cowherd projects the NFC East with the Giants winning the division ahead of Philadelphia, Washington and Dallas, pegging the Cowboys as a six- or seven-win team. He also expects Malik Willis to land a big free-agent deal, Kayvon Thibodeaux to be moved, and Baltimore to lose Isaiah Likely, and he floats the Rams reaching on Ty Simpson late in round one.
- Colin CowherdDivision Winners · Los Angeles ChargersMiss · 0Cowherd unveiled his top 10 NFL teams entering next season, with Seattle first, the Rams second and the Chiefs tenth, and separately picked the Chargers to win the AFC West.
- Colin CowherdDivision Winners · Baltimore RavensMiss · 0Cowherd likes Jacksonville, Chicago and Pittsburgh (with DK Metcalf back) in the wild-card round, ranks the league's head coaches with McVay first and Ben Johnson seventh, and predicts Lamar Jackson has about two strong years left. He also names the Rams as a possible team to draft a receiver and floats next year's draft having seven first-round quarterbacks.
- Danny ParkinsDivision Winners · Baltimore RavensMiss · 0Parkins lays the points with the Eagles and Cowboys, takes Baltimore to beat Pittsburgh and win the AFC North, picks Carolina over Tampa Bay and Seattle over San Francisco, and says he'd probably pick the Rams to come out of the NFC.
- Rich EisenDivision Winners · Jacksonville JaguarsHit · 100Eisen 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.