# John Middlekauff: Middlekauff also picks Seattle to repeat as Super Bowl champion, likes Denver to win the AFC West and the AFC with a Bengals-Broncos AFC Championship, and picks Seattle to beat New England in Week 1. He also predicts the Falcons will be terrible and doubts Bill Belichick survives at North Carolina. **Claimed:** Sep 8, 2026 **Pundit:** John Middlekauff — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/pundits/john-middlekauff **Outlet:** The Colin Cowherd Podcast (podcast) — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/outlets/the-colin-cowherd-podcast-podcast **How it reached us:** said on air or in an interview **Original:** https://podtrac.com/pts/redirect.mp3/arttrk.com/p/D5CA5/pscrb.fm/rss/p/prfx.byspotify.com/e/pscrb.fm/rss/p/traffic.omny.fm/d/clips/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/4013d28e-5f67-4885-bff1-ae3300346830/4cf7d267-9579-4d95-ab6f-b4bf0016e850/audio.mp3?in_playlist=e829cf60-fc06-4d61-8691-ae330034683e 5 checkable claims — 1 conference champion, 1 division winner, 1 game outcome pick, 1 super bowl pick and 1 surprise team call — each graded on its own rather than as one all-or-nothing bet. It names 3 players and teams, each linked to their own record. 1 of 5 have settled so far, averaging 100 out of 100, against 100 for a naive guess at the same calls. > So I think Seattle goes back to back. *(their words, quoted for attribution)* ## The claims - **Seattle Seahawks to win** - Kind: Game Outcome Picks · About: Seattle Seahawks - Verdict: scored 100 out of 100, against 100 for a naive guess - **Los Angeles Chargers to beat expectations** - Kind: Surprise Team Calls · About: Los Angeles Chargers - Verdict: not settled yet - **Denver Broncos to win the division** - Kind: Division Winners · About: Denver Broncos - Verdict: not settled yet - **Denver Broncos to reach the Super Bowl** - Kind: Conference Champions · About: Denver Broncos - Verdict: not settled yet - **Seattle Seahawks to win the Super Bowl** - Kind: Super Bowl Picks · About: Seattle Seahawks - Verdict: not settled yet ## Who this take is about - Seattle Seahawks — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/teams/seahawks - Los Angeles Chargers — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/teams/chargers - Denver Broncos — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/teams/broncos ## What others said about the same people - Tyler Sullivan on Drew Lock: In an unsigned Week 2 odds roundup, the piece states that with Sam Darnold hurt, Drew Lock will likely start at quarterback for Seattle against Arizona. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/8a14b5e6-066b-457f-b409-a3ddbd512aca (scored 0) - Michael Hanich on Bud Clark: Hanich suggests Nick Emmanwori may miss Week 1 after ankle surgery, and that Noah Igbinoghene is making a strong case to be the Seahawks' Week 1 starting nickel, with Bud Clark also possibly stepping into a starting role if Emmanwori is out. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/c15b8321-a10e-421f-8076-039ca96a05a8 (scored 0) - Jared Dubin on Denver Broncos: Dubin picks Denver to win narrowly in Kansas City, 21-20. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/b4339e96-6ced-44c2-88e9-b490d027df7b (scored 2.38) - Tyler Sullivan on Denver Broncos: Sullivan picks Denver to beat Kansas City 24-20. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/d8636e57-b6d8-471a-a98a-75871c7ee5bf (scored 9.52) - Jordan Dajani on Denver Broncos: Dajani picks the Broncos over the Chiefs, 17-14. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/12e23aa9-d2ca-4db3-bfb0-25c09e63b1eb (scored 7.14) - John Breech on Denver Broncos: In the Pick Six newsletter, Breech picks the Broncos to upset the Chiefs on Monday night, 23-21. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/31f3511a-a211-46e0-a6dd-d2cfb70ee207 (scored 4.76) ## More conference champions The same kind of call, about other players and teams. - Nick Wright on New England Patriots: The host picks the Rams to beat the Seahawks in the NFC Championship game and believes the winner of that game wins the Super Bowl, i.e. that this is the Rams' year; he also picks New England to win in Denver despite taking the Broncos with the points, and says Stafford is winning MVP. He calls Sean McVay the second-best coach in the NFL. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/5d16f975-ba4e-46f4-8717-8962b81c5bdf (scored 100) - AJ Hawk on Los Angeles Rams: Hawk picked the Patriots to win in Denver despite liking Stidham and the Broncos defense, and in the NFC he stuck with the Rams, saying Stafford gets to the Super Bowl. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/70ca2972-53a1-4559-bd03-94c5fede2f4e (scored 50) - Connor "Boston Connor" Campbell on New England Patriots: Connor expects a tight first half in Denver before New England pulls away in the second half and advances to the Super Bowl. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/c31dff9f-7c0a-422d-9df1-e7423b9edcc8 (scored 100) - Gregg Rosenthal on New England Patriots: Rosenthal picks the Patriots to beat the Broncos in a close, low-scoring AFC Championship in Denver (while liking Denver to cover the 4.5 points), takes the Seahawks over the Rams in a defensive NFC Championship he pegs around 23-19, and forecasts a Patriots-Seahawks Super Bowl. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/830a8ed3-b98f-4161-a71c-4c7beb80f350 (scored 100) - Richard Sherman on New England Patriots: Sherman picks the Seahawks to beat the Rams comfortably at home, 27-17, with a defensive score, and says the winner of that NFC Championship game will win the Super Bowl. He also picks the Patriots to win comfortably in Denver, 21-15, and assumes Matthew Stafford will be named league MVP. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/4711f09c-65e6-4c33-8374-9601a907fa43 (scored 100) - Mitchell Eisenstein on New England Patriots: Mitchell picks Seattle to beat the Rams by a touchdown, 27-20, and advance to the Super Bowl, picks New England to beat Denver and reach the Super Bowl, and calls Kenneth Walker as Super Bowl MVP. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/fd716584-0e06-4a91-abb9-56f7d9e79b5d (scored 100) --- Accuracy is 0-100 against what actually happened. The naive guess is what a strategy requiring no knowledge would have scored on the same call — the difference is the skill, and it is what the MissedTakes Score averages. Full method: https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/methodology We summarize what a pundit said and quote a short span for attribution; we never republish their article. If this is wrong, tell us: https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/corrections?pundit=john-middlekauff