Cowherd 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.

7 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.

• Head Coach RankingsJan 8, 2026

  “So I go McVeigh, Jim Harbaugh, Shanahan, Peyton Vrabel, and Mike McDonald... I would go Ben Johnson seven and then Demiko Ryans eight”

  Scored 47.62a naive guess scored 28.57+19.05 skill
  How this was scored

  best:

  Mike Vrabel

  skill:

  19.05

  method:

  spearman

  season:

  2025

  accuracy:

  47.62

  baseline:

  28.57

  settled by:

  wins above the prior-season baseline

  difficulty:

  1

  weeks in the season:

  18

  coaches ranked:

  8

  weeks left when called:

  0

  Think this is wrong?

• Game Outcome PicksJan 8, 2026

  “in the last twelve hours, I'm like Big Jacksonville, Big Chicago”

  Scored 100a naive guess scored 100+0 skill
  How this was scored

  won:

  JAX

  score:

  6-35

  skill:

  0

  they picked:

  JAX

  season:

  2025

  accuracy:

  100

  baseline:

  100

  naive pick:

  JAX

  difficulty:

  1

  weeks in the season:

  18

  weeks left when called:

  0

  Think this is wrong?

• Season Win TotalsJan 8, 2026

  “I think we'll see highly effective eleven and six can win the division.”

  Scored 40a naive guess scored 55-15 skill
  How this was scored

  team:

  BAL

  naive:

  10.25

  skill:

  -15

  what happened:

  8

  season:

  2025

  zero at:

  5

  accuracy:

  40

  baseline:

  55

  predicted:

  11

  difficulty:

  1

  weeks in the season:

  18

  weeks left when called:

  0

  Think this is wrong?

• Game Outcome PicksJan 8, 2026

  “I think they can beat Houston. I honestly do.”

  Scored 0a naive guess scored 0+0 skill
  How this was scored

  won:

  HOU

  score:

  30-6

  skill:

  0

  they picked:

  PIT

  season:

  2025

  accuracy:

  0

  baseline:

  0

  naive pick:

  PIT

  difficulty:

  1

  weeks in the season:

  18

  weeks left when called:

  0

  Think this is wrong?

• Division WinnersJan 8, 2026

  “I think we'll see highly effective eleven and six can win the division.”

  Not settled yet. This is graded once the season it describes has finished.

  Think this is wrong?

• Trade and Signing CallsJan 8, 2026

  “I said, I would not be shocked if Pooka's gone in the offseason.”

  Not settled yet. This is graded once the season it describes has finished.

  Think this is wrong?

• Game Outcome PicksJan 8, 2026

  “I think the Bears are completely built for you... Big Jacksonville, Big Chicago”

  Not settled yet. This is graded once the season it describes has finished.

  Think this is wrong?