# Manti Te'o: Manti Te'o picked the Chargers to beat the Houston Texans.

**Claimed:** Jan 10, 2025
**Pundit:** Manti Te'o — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/pundits/manti-te-o
**Outlet:** Move the Sticks (podcast) — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/outlets/move-the-sticks-podcast
**How it reached us:** said on air or in an interview
**Original:** https://omny.fm/shows/nfl-good-morning-football/gmfb-friday-hour-2-eagles-concerns-nfl-honors-anno

One checkable claim, graded on its own against what actually happened.

The call scored 0 out of 100, against 100 for a naive guess at the same calls.

> I got the Chargers over the Houston Texans.

*(their words, quoted for attribution)*

## The claims

- **Los Angeles Chargers to beat Houston Texans**
  - Kind: Game Outcome Picks · About: Los Angeles Chargers
  - Verdict: scored 0 out of 100, against 100 for a naive guess

## Who this take is about

- Los Angeles Chargers — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/teams/chargers

## What others said about the same people

- Carter Bahns on Trevor Penning: A CBS Sports piece names 20 notable veterans it considers at risk of being cut before the 53-man roster deadline, with several pegged for the practice squad or outright release, and also sketches a few depth-chart pecking orders (Titans QBs, Panthers tight ends, Texans receivers, Eagles backfield). — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/94f49c83-2307-4f25-b10c-b1cba9df5dbc (scored 0)
- Daniel Wade on Derius Davis: Wade expects tight end Charlie Kohler (Kolar) to easily double his career reception total of 10 in the Chargers' offense, and believes wide receiver Darius Davis is essentially assured of a roster spot while KOS has played his way into being un-releasable. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/0f071c85-2927-421b-a072-2bbc110a57c4 (scored 100)
- Chris Roling on Brenen Thompson: After the Chargers' preseason opener, Roling projects Kayode Awosika as the Week 1 starting left guard with rookie Jake Slaughter backing him up and Branson Taylor as the backup swing tackle, expects Derius Davis to hold the return job, sees Brenen Thompson as a roster lock, and pegs Amar Johnson as the leader for the fourth running back spot behind Omarion Hampton and Kimani Vidal. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/e9fc2064-a215-4e72-ae36-801974a34baa (scored 100)
- Nate Gosney on Kendall Williamson: Gosney expects Kendall Williamson to remain with the Chargers in some capacity in 2026 — either on the 53-man roster or elsewhere on the team — despite the drafting of Genesis Smith making a roster spot harder to win. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/6e2b2d65-fc86-4d87-b9b5-73e9b640a2d1 (scored 100)
- Shanna McCarriston on Deane Leonard: A CBS Sports Week 1 preseason preview notes expectations that four Chargers cornerbacks will make the roster and that Raiders veteran Kirk Cousins will open the season as the starting quarterback ahead of No. 1 overall pick Fernando Mendoza. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/b2cfe46c-5e75-40f6-a5fa-8de2f8fcd750 (scored 100)
- David Droegemeier on Trey Pipkins: Drogemeyer buys Omarion Hampton as a top-five rusher and the Chargers having one of the league's best running games, predicts Brennan Thompson will score five touchdowns with three going 40-plus yards, and sells the idea that Trey Pipkins gets cut or that the Chargers sign Zeitler or Bitonio before camp. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/34e5d90a-ac6e-49b1-beae-28df357804ea (scored 100)

## More game outcome picks

The same kind of call, about other players and teams.

- Richard Sherman on Green Bay Packers: Sherman 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. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/c2102f61-711d-4041-af08-065e95ccaf03 (scored 0)
- Bill Huber on Green Bay Packers: Huber forecasts the Packers starting 3-4 through seven games — losing at Minnesota and Tampa Bay, beating the Jets and Falcons, losing to the Bears — and finishing the season with about eight wins. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/2df248b5-ab27-436f-ae3f-7b2ccb53ade6 (scored 0)
- Jared Dubin on Los Angeles Rams: Dubin 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. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/e613e391-ce67-4554-a115-59096e1fecfd (scored 100)
- Dan Orlovsky on Los Angeles Rams: Orlovsky 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. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/35fbf38d-85b0-4e52-b089-d8d9b6858e46 (scored 100)
- Patricia Traina on New York Giants: In 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. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/ed7864bb-8795-4c1b-9517-fd7164fefb20 (scored 0)
- Danny Parkins on New York Giants: Parkins 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. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/36d4ede8-3066-4102-abbc-cb08e4544c92 (scored 0)

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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:
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