John Middlekauff· Sep 25, 2026
Reacting to the Packers' blowout loss at Lambeau, Middlekauff said Green Bay's own pick (now owned by the Jets) will land somewhere between 7 and 12 overall, picked Cincinnati to beat Pittsburgh and expected Seattle and Kansas City to roll over Washington and Miami. He also guessed Ole Miss QB Trinidad Chambliss would run about a 4.48-4.50 forty, said Seattle won't trade Drew Lock, and expected Sam Darnold to play in Week 3.
“So this is why I like Cincinnati.”
said on air or in an interview · The Herd with Colin Cowherd (podcast) · read the original →
8 checkable claims — 3 game outcome picks, 1 availability call, 1 combine measurement, 1 conference champion, 1 team draft slot call and 1 trade and signing call — each graded on its own rather than as one all-or-nothing bet.
It names 8 players and teams, each linked to their own record.
None of them have settled yet — they grade once their results are in.
Of the 1 unsettled call enough other pundits have weighed in on, this one lands below the rest of the room.
Where do you stand? Pick this and every open claim on Picks →
Who this take is about
The games in this take
- Chiefs at Dolphins 10 calls
- Bengals at Steelers 8 calls
- Seahawks at Commanders 11 calls
8 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.
- Team Draft Slot CallsGreen Bay PackersSep 25, 2026
Green Bay Packers to pick “somewhere between 7 to 12”
“They have the Packers pick... I don't know, could be a top... 12? I'd say it'll end up somewhere between 7 to 12.”
Not settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
- Game Outcome PicksCincinnati BengalsSep 25, 2026
Cincinnati Bengals to beat Pittsburgh
“So this is why I like Cincinnati... to me, the only way I see Cincinnati not winning this game is like it's going to have to be one of those banana Steelers defense do crazy shit.”
Not settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
- Game Outcome PicksSeattle SeahawksSep 25, 2026
Seattle Seahawks to beat Washington
“Seattle, Washington, Kansas City, Miami, those... Those got blowout written all over them... if those two teams try, it will not be close.”
Not settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
- Game Outcome PicksKansas City ChiefsSep 25, 2026
Kansas City Chiefs to beat Miami
“the Chiefs now, Monday night football, Sunday night football, getting up for road game against, I'm pretty sure, the least talented team in the league. If they try, that's a massacre.”
Not settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
- Combine MeasurementsTrinidad ChamblissSep 25, 2026
Trinidad Chambliss to post like 4.50, 4.48 at the combine
“If I had to guess what he'll run in the 40, like 4.50, 4.48, like he's fast.”
Not settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
- Trade and Signing CallsDrew LockSep 25, 2026
Drew Lock to move — “stays in Seattle; no chance he's traded unless a top 20 pick is offered”
“There's no chance. They're too good of a team and already having the Darnold injury... I think it'd have to be like a top 20 pick for them to entertain it.”
Not settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
- Availability CallsSam DarnoldSeattle SeahawksSep 25, 2026
“I mean, is Darnold going to play this week or not? I don't know. I would imagine he does because he talked to the press.”
Not settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
- Conference ChampionsDenver BroncosSep 25, 2026
Denver Broncos to reach the Super Bowl
“They were my pick to go to the Super Bowl. Through two weeks, I'm not feeling as confident.”
Not settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
What others said about the same people
- 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.
- Tyler SullivanScore Predictions · Green Bay PackersMiss · 12Sullivan projects final scores for every Week 3 game, including a Bills blowout of the reeling Chargers, a Chiefs rout in Miami, a Seahawks win over a Mariota-led Washington, and the Saints beating the Raiders in their home opener. He also expects Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels and Jaxson Dart all to be sidelined in Week 3, with Marcus Mariota starting for Washington.
More game outcome picks
The same kind of call, about other players and teams.
- Jared DubinGame Outcome Picks · Los Angeles RamsHit · 100Dubin picks the Rams to beat the Giants on Monday Night Football, sticking with preseason expectations over Week 1 overreaction. He gives two conditional scores depending on whether Puka Nacua plays: a comfortable 27-17 win if Nacua suits up, and a narrow 17-16 win if he sits.
- Dan OrlovskyGame Outcome Picks · Los Angeles RamsHit · 100Orlovsky said that even without Puka Nacua the Rams would find a way to beat the Giants on Monday night, though he thought the Giants would keep it within a touchdown.
- Patricia TrainaGame Outcome Picks · New York GiantsMiss · 0In her weekly Giants mailbag, Traina said the Giants would beat the Rams if Los Angeles didn't play its best, predicted Aaron Donald wouldn't play a full game Monday night, and said she doesn't expect Paulson Adebo to still be with the Giants in 2027.
- Danny ParkinsGame Outcome Picks · New York GiantsMiss · 0Parkins picked the Giants to beat the Rams outright, backed Jacksonville over Denver, Cincinnati over Houston and Chicago over Minnesota in the chips segment, endorsed Buffalo as the AFC's Super Bowl representative, and predicted Deshaun Watson has started his last NFL game.
- Rich EisenGame Outcome Picks · Los Angeles RamsHit · 100Eisen picked Josh Allen to lead the NFL in total touchdowns over any QB-WR or QB-RB combo, flipped from the Lions to the Bears as NFC North winner, and made several Week 2 game calls, including the Patriots at home, the Jets over Green Bay, and both LA teams winning. He also picked a Jaguars-Broncos AFC title game.
- Brady QuinnGame Outcome Picks · Los Angeles RamsHit · 100In the weekly Picks Against the Spread segment, Quinn took the Vikings to beat the Bears outright, the Bengals to win outright in Houston, the Broncos to beat the Jaguars while laying points, and the Rams to beat the Giants while laying seven.