# Nick Wright: Nick Wright predicts Shedeur Sanders stays behind Dylan Gabriel on the Browns depth chart, forecasts a season where Flacco is benched a third of the way in, Gabriel then fails, Shedeur then fails, and Cleveland drafts a quarterback next year. He also makes a long list of win-total, playoff and division calls across the AFC North and beyond. **Claimed:** Aug 31, 2025 **Pundit:** Nick Wright — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/pundits/nick-wright **Outlet:** The Herd with Colin Cowherd (podcast) — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/outlets/the-herd-with-colin-cowherd-podcast **How it reached us:** said on air or in an interview **Original:** https://omny.fm/shows/whats-wright-with-nick-wright/best-of-shedeur-sanders-blew-it-nfl-playoff-predictions-bengals-will-miss-playoffs-fire-coach 14 checkable claims — 5 playoff picks, 4 season win totals, 3 depth chart calls, 1 division winner and 1 surprise team call — each graded on its own rather than as one all-or-nothing bet. It names 11 players and teams, each linked to their own record. 13 of 14 have settled so far, averaging 46.4 out of 100, against 57.2 for a naive guess at the same calls. > The bet is Bengals under nine and a half. *(their words, quoted for attribution)* ## The claims - **Tampa Bay Buccaneers to win the division** - Kind: Division Winners · About: Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Verdict: scored 0 out of 100, against 0 for a naive guess - **Shedeur Sanders to be 3rd on the depth chart** - Kind: Depth Chart Calls · About: Shedeur Sanders, Cleveland Browns - Verdict: scored 83.33 out of 100, against 91.67 for a naive guess - **Joe Flacco to be 1st on the depth chart** - Kind: Depth Chart Calls · About: Joe Flacco, Cleveland Browns - Verdict: scored 100 out of 100, against 91.67 for a naive guess - **Tampa Bay Buccaneers to finish with 10 wins** - Kind: Season Win Totals · About: Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Verdict: scored 60 out of 100, against 75 for a naive guess - **Tampa Bay Buccaneers to make the playoffs** - Kind: Playoff Picks · About: Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Verdict: scored 0 out of 100, against 0 for a naive guess - **Dillon Gabriel to be 2nd on the depth chart** - Kind: Depth Chart Calls · About: Dillon Gabriel, Cleveland Browns - Verdict: scored 100 out of 100, against 100 for a naive guess - **Jacksonville Jaguars to make the playoffs** - Kind: Playoff Picks · About: Jacksonville Jaguars - Verdict: scored 100 out of 100, against 0 for a naive guess - **Cleveland Browns to finish with 5 wins** - Kind: Season Win Totals · About: Cleveland Browns - Verdict: scored 100 out of 100, against 85 for a naive guess - **Las Vegas Raiders to make the playoffs** - Kind: Playoff Picks · About: Las Vegas Raiders - Verdict: scored 0 out of 100, against 100 for a naive guess - **Kansas City Chiefs to make the playoffs** - Kind: Playoff Picks · About: Kansas City Chiefs - Verdict: scored 0 out of 100, against 0 for a naive guess - **Cincinnati Bengals to finish with 9 wins** - Kind: Season Win Totals · About: Cincinnati Bengals - Verdict: scored 40 out of 100, against 45 for a naive guess - **Baltimore Ravens to finish with 12 wins** - Kind: Season Win Totals · About: Baltimore Ravens - Verdict: scored 20 out of 100, against 55 for a naive guess - **New York Giants to make the playoffs** - Kind: Playoff Picks · About: New York Giants - Verdict: scored 0 out of 100, against 100 for a naive guess - **Las Vegas Raiders to beat expectations** - Kind: Surprise Team Calls · About: Las Vegas Raiders - Verdict: not settled yet ## Who this take is about - Tampa Bay Buccaneers — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/teams/buccaneers - Shedeur Sanders — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/players/shedeur-sanders - Cleveland Browns — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/teams/browns - Joe Flacco — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/players/joe-flacco - Dillon Gabriel — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/players/dillon-gabriel - Jacksonville Jaguars — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/teams/jaguars - Las Vegas Raiders — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/teams/raiders - Kansas City Chiefs — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/teams/chiefs - Cincinnati Bengals — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/teams/bengals - Baltimore Ravens — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/teams/ravens - New York Giants — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/teams/giants ## What others said about the same people - John Shipley on Jalen McLeod: Shipley projects a full 16-player (plus one international/exemption spot) Jaguars practice squad for 2026, naming specific players at each position he expects to land there. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/c0a52b7c-63b2-4e18-b7da-9342dbbc111f (scored 0) - Bucky Brooks on Josh Johnson: Brooks predicted J.J. McCarthy won't be on the Vikings' roster (traded or released), said Kyler Murray wins the Vikings' QB competition, made a series of 2025 award picks, made 2026 Heisman/draft projections including Arch Manning as the front-runner for the No. 1 overall pick, and said none of Lamar Jackson, Josh Allen or Joe Burrow win a championship this season. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/10c3797b-f9e0-41ca-a2a3-5d765a242a79 (scored 0) - Jason La Canfora on Gerad Lichtenhan: La Canfora predicts the Ravens will keep several young players on their practice squad — DL Kaimon Rucker, LB Dominic DeLuca, LB Ethan Burke, CB Amani Oruwariye, OT Gerad Lichtenhan and QB Joe Fagnano — and expects the team to make at least one trade from its surplus of cornerbacks. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/6d42cee5-8b2d-4c78-a41b-ed2daab90019 (scored 0) - Tyler Sullivan on Deshaun Watson: An unsigned CBS Sports preseason review grading all 32 teams, which along the way stakes out a number of depth-chart calls for Week 1 and beyond — including Deshaun Watson opening as Cleveland's starter, Fernando Mendoza taking over as Las Vegas' QB1 by season's end, and Minnesota's Murray-Wentz-McCarthy quarterback order. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/054d7c3e-baca-4414-b3dd-72c4eced2725 (scored 100) - Ryan Wilson on Deshaun Watson: A CBS Sports piece states Deshaun Watson has won Cleveland's starting quarterback job for Week 1 with Shedeur Sanders next in line, while arguing Watson will not play like even an average NFL quarterback and that none of the Browns' current young passers should stop them from drafting a first-round quarterback next April. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/ff870e69-9992-4166-aa81-9b49d6f77f55 (scored 100) - Rafael Zamorano on Deshaun Watson: Zamorano argues the Browns do not have a franchise quarterback and that it's unlikely Watson or Sanders is their long-term answer. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/80cb396b-8dbf-4e39-bd65-6d25df403db1 (scored 100) ## More playoff picks The same kind of call, about other players and teams. - Dan "Buzz" Wilson on Philadelphia Eagles: Wilson argued the Eagles' offseason approach of prioritizing 2026 and beyond doesn't mean a bad 2025 — he expects them to remain among the NFC's best teams and to make a deep playoff run rather than fall off to eight or nine wins. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/afce079c-b986-476b-a872-09905017fc6f (scored 100) - Ross Jackson on New Orleans Saints: Jackson projects a big sophomore jump for Saints QB Tyler Shuck, laying out a Drake May-style stat line (17 starts, 72% completions, ~4,601 passing yards, 24 TDs, 9 INTs) or a Bo Nix-style consistency line (over 4,000 yards, over 20 TDs, ~10 INTs), and says either path means a playoff season for New Orleans in 2026. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/4dc05898-73fd-4fcb-92c4-a940d7e395ba (scored 0) - Rich Eisen on Minnesota Vikings: Eisen argues Ohio State will produce multiple top-10 picks — Sonny Styles, Arvell Reese and Caleb Downs — becoming the first school with three defensive players in the top 10, and that Styles will not be available at No. 12 to the Cowboys. He also thinks Fernando Mendoza is worthy of the No. 1 overall pick and expects the Raiders to draft him, and picks Trey Lance over Anthony Richardson to start a game first, Micah Parsons to fetch a bigger trade return than Maxx Crosby, Kirk Cousins as the released QB most likely to reach the playoffs, and J.J. McCarthy as the Vikings' Week 1 starter. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/29ea2738-79a2-4be9-aa45-e794cd3848fb (scored 0) - Dwaine Board on San Francisco 49ers: Board argues the 49ers can still make the playoffs even if Trent Williams leaves, expects Williams to be brought back, and favors drafting a wide receiver at No. 27 over an offensive tackle. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/07beb6d4-aadc-4b2d-b131-b889c85204a3 (scored 100) - Rich Eisen on Carolina Panthers: Eisen 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. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/34345186-876a-4c4b-9567-9c289a6cbace (scored 100) - Chris Brockman on Pittsburgh Steelers: Brockman argued the road to the Super Bowl in the AFC goes through Foxborough, meaning the Patriots will finish as the No. 1 seed, and called his shot that the Chargers beat Denver in Week 18. He also declared the Bears a team of destiny who will win the NFC, said the Steelers will end their playoff win drought, and that Trevor Lawrence is playing like a top-five quarterback. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/7792215a-c787-44bd-b294-5ff028851d30 (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=nick-wright