John Middlekauff· Jul 27, 2025
On his podcast, John previewed several 2025 storylines: he expects the Cowboys to be roughly an eight-to-nine win team, gives the NFC South to Tampa Bay, picks Green Bay to win its division and make the playoffs, thinks Kyler Murray will be elsewhere by 2026, and says Daniel Jones will start Week 1 in Indianapolis.
“I'm gonna pick the Packers to win the division.”
said on air or in an interview · The Herd with Colin Cowherd (podcast) · read the original →
The page this came from has changed since we captured it on Aug 5, 2026. The quote and evidence above are from our capture, not from what the page says today.
7 checkable claims — 2 division winners, 1 coach award pick, 1 depth chart call, 1 playoff pick, 1 season win total and 1 trade and signing call — each graded on its own rather than as one all-or-nothing bet.
It names 6 players and teams, each linked to their own record.
5 of 7 have settled so far, averaging 40 out of 100, against 60 for a naive guess at the same calls.
Where do you stand? Pick this and every open claim on Picks →
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.
- Trade and Signing CallsKyler MurrayJul 27, 2025
Kyler Murray to move
“And I think there's a pretty good chance that Kyler Murray is playing somewhere else in twenty twenty six.”
Miss · 0Scored 0a naive guess scored 100-200 skillHow this was scored
- skill:
- -200
- player:
- Kyler Murray
- season:
- 2025
- claimed:
- he leaves
- was with:
- ARI
- accuracy:
- 0
- baseline:
- 100
- difficulty:
- 2
- the naive guess:
- he stays where he is
- weeks in the season:
- 18
- ended up with:
- ARI
- weeks left when called:
- 18
- Division WinnersTampa Bay BuccaneersJul 27, 2025
Tampa Bay Buccaneers to win the division
“And as we're sitting here right now I'm giving it to the Bucks”
Miss · 0Scored 0a naive guess scored 0+0 skillHow this was scored
- skill:
- 0
- method:
- division winners read off the bracket: the bye teams and the wild-card hosts
- they picked:
- TB
- season:
- 2025
- accuracy:
- 0
- baseline:
- 0
- the naive pick:
- TB
- difficulty:
- 2
- the naive guess:
- last season's winner of the same division
- weeks in the season:
- 18
- weeks left when called:
- 18
- won the division:
- no
- Division WinnersGreen Bay PackersJul 27, 2025
Green Bay Packers to win the division
“I'm gonna pick the Packers to win the division.”
Miss · 0Scored 0a naive guess scored 0+0 skillHow this was scored
- skill:
- 0
- method:
- division winners read off the bracket: the bye teams and the wild-card hosts
- they picked:
- GB
- season:
- 2025
- accuracy:
- 0
- baseline:
- 0
- the naive pick:
- DET
- difficulty:
- 2
- the naive guess:
- last season's winner of the same division
- weeks in the season:
- 18
- weeks left when called:
- 18
- won the division:
- no
- Playoff PicksGreen Bay PackersJul 27, 2025
Green Bay Packers to make the playoffs
“I mean, I expect the Packers to make the playoffs”
Hit · 100Scored 100a naive guess scored 100+0 skillHow this was scored
- team:
- GB
- skill:
- 0
- season:
- 2025
- accuracy:
- 100
- baseline:
- 100
- the naive guess said:
- yes
- difficulty:
- 2
- weeks in the season:
- 18
- made the playoffs:
- yes
- weeks left when called:
- 18
- Depth Chart CallsDaniel JonesIndianapolis ColtsJul 27, 2025
Daniel Jones to be 1st on the depth chart
“Anthony Richardson is going into his third year. I think we all know how this thing's gonna end. Daniel Jones going to be starting week one.”
Hit · 100Scored 100a naive guess scored 100+0 skillHow this was scored
- club:
- IND
- skill:
- 0
- player:
- Daniel Jones
- season:
- 2025
- accuracy:
- 100
- baseline:
- 100
- position:
- QB
- naive slot:
- 1
- actual slot:
- 1
- difficulty:
- 2
- measured by:
- passing yards
- the naive guess:
- where he sat last season
- weeks in the season:
- 18
- predicted slot:
- 1
- weeks left when called:
- 18
- Coach Award PicksJul 27, 2025
? to win a coach award
Too vague to check — we could not tell what would count as right.
- Season Win TotalsDallas CowboysJul 27, 2025
Dallas Cowboys to finish with ? wins
“Wouldn't shock me if they're just competitive, probably not a playoff team, But like I could see them in the mix to be like eight nine wins.”
Too vague to check — we could not tell what would count as right.
What others said about the same people
- Randy GurziRoster Spot Calls · Reddy StewardMiss · 0Gurzi predicts the Cowboys' 17-man practice squad, naming each player he expects Dallas to sign, including a surprise addition of released Giants tackle Evan Neal. He also predicts Jaydon Blue will be claimed off waivers by another team and that Sam Williams will land elsewhere.
- Mike KadlickScore Predictions · Green Bay PackersMiss · 7Kadlick expects an ugly, low-scoring Thursday night game at Lambeau Field, with Green Bay beating Atlanta 10–7 to move to 2–1 while the Falcons drop to 0–3 in Michael Penix Jr.'s return.
- Jared DubinScore Predictions · Green Bay PackersMiss · 24Dubin picks the Packers to beat the Falcons comfortably on Thursday Night Football, predicting a 23-13 Green Bay win.
- Jordan DajaniScore Predictions · Green Bay PackersMiss · 17Dajani gave final-score predictions for eight Week 3 games, picking the Packers, Bengals, Jaguars, Texans, Buccaneers (upset), Ravens, Broncos (upset) and Eagles to win.
- Jared DubinScore Predictions · Green Bay PackersMiss · 24Dubin gave final-score predictions for the same eight Week 3 games, picking the Packers, Bengals, Jaguars, Texans, Vikings, Ravens, Rams and Eagles.
- Richard ShermanGame Outcome Picks · Green Bay PackersMiss · 0Sherman picked winners and several exact scores across the Week 3 slate, favoring Seattle, San Francisco, Cincinnati, Detroit, Green Bay, Carolina, New Orleans, Baltimore, the Rams, Philadelphia, Buffalo, Kansas City, Minnesota, the Giants, Jacksonville and Houston, and named Kenneth Walker his MVP.
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.