Mike Renner · May 20, 2026
Renner likes the Rams over the 49ers in the Australia opener, is bullish on Houston and Cleveland win totals, picks the Falcons to win the NFC South, Cowboys as NFC champs, Bengals as AFC champs, Cowboys as a longshot Super Bowl winner with Cleveland as his sleeper, and goes Burrow for MVP, Jeremiah Love for OROY and Ruben Bain Jr. for DROY.
“I think the Cowboys are a real live team in the NFC this year at plus 1,300.”
said on air, transcribed by us · Pushing the Pile (podcast) · read the original →
11 checkable claims from this
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.
- Conference ChampionsDallas CowboysMay 20, 2026
Dallas Cowboys to reach the Super Bowl
“It's Dallas Cowboys, and they're plus 1,300... I think the Cowboys are a real live team in the NFC this year at plus 1,300.”
Not settled yet. This is graded once the season it describes has finished.
- Conference ChampionsCincinnati BengalsMay 20, 2026
Cincinnati Bengals to reach the Super Bowl
“I think the Bengals for the pretty much the exact same argument I can make for the Cowboys... I think the Bengals could be back to their Super Bowl forms.”
Not settled yet. This is graded once the season it describes has finished.
- Super Bowl PicksDallas CowboysMay 20, 2026
Dallas Cowboys to win the Super Bowl
“But if I had to go with some long shots, I like the Cowboys a plus two, twenty five hundred.”
Not settled yet. This is graded once the season it describes has finished.
- Surprise Team CallsCleveland BrownsMay 20, 2026
Cleveland Browns to beat expectations
“That's why my sleeper going back to the Browns... I think the Browns are my favorite sleeper just because they have the fourth longest odds of anyone in the NFL this year.”
Not settled yet. This is graded once the season it describes has finished.
- Award PicksJoe BurrowCincinnati BengalsMay 20, 2026
Joe Burrow to win MVP
“is gets the Cincinnati Bengals and Joe Burrow. He's my pick at plus 1,000”
Not settled yet. This is graded once the season it describes has finished.
- Award PicksJeremiyah LoveMay 20, 2026
Jeremiyah Love to win Offensive Rookie of the Year
“I'm going Jeremiah Love... I think he's just gonna get such a voluminous workload that Jeremiah Levin's talent becomes your rookie of the year.”
Not settled yet. This is graded once the season it describes has finished.
- Award PicksRueben BainTampa Bay BuccaneersMay 20, 2026
Rueben Bain to win Defensive Rookie of the Year
“I'm going Ruben Bayne junior, the Bucks defensive end, just because I thought he was like the best guy last year in college football”
Not settled yet. This is graded once the season it describes has finished.
- Game Outcome PicksLos Angeles RamsMay 20, 2026
Los Angeles Rams to win
“I think the Rams minus two and a half against the forty niners is one where I just think they are so much better of a team this year heading into 2026 than the forty niners are... For all those reasons, I love the Rams in this one.”
Not settled yet. This is graded once the season it describes has finished.
- Season Win TotalsHouston TexansMay 20, 2026
Houston Texans to finish with 9.5 wins
“I didn't include them, but I love them over a nine and a half wins.”
Not settled yet. This is graded once the season it describes has finished.
- Season Win TotalsCleveland BrownsMay 20, 2026
Cleveland Browns to finish with 6.5 wins
“But the Cleveland Browns, I think, have a very good chance of going over six and a half wins this season.”
Not settled yet. This is graded once the season it describes has finished.
- Division WinnersAtlanta FalconsMay 20, 2026
Atlanta Falcons to win the division
“it's the Falcons plus four fifty because the NFC South right now is a complete crapshoot... I think this is a team that has a very good shot of winning the South”
Not settled yet. This is graded once the season it describes has finished.