# Brandon Carney: Carney made a full playoff bracket, picking the Bears, Niners, Rams, Patriots, Jaguars and Texans in the wild card round, then Seahawks and Rams in the NFC divisional, Broncos and Patriots in the AFC, with the Rams beating the Patriots in the Super Bowl. He also gave award picks including Stafford for MVP and Vrabel for Coach of the Year. **Claimed:** Jan 6, 2026 **Pundit:** Brandon Carney — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/pundits/brandon-carney **Outlet:** Bran Coverage with BenchwarmerBran (podcast) — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/outlets/bran-coverage-with-benchwarmerbran-podcast **How it reached us:** said on air, transcribed by us **Original:** https://www.buzzsprout.com/2182919/episodes/18462936-black-monday-reactions-playoff-predictions-award-picks-podcast-for-1-6.mp3 20 checkable claims — 9 game outcome picks, 6 award picks, 2 conference champions, 1 coach award pick, 1 pro bowl and all-pro call and 1 super bowl pick — each graded on its own rather than as one all-or-nothing bet. It names 17 players and teams, each linked to their own record. All 20 have settled, averaging 80.8 out of 100, against 16.1 for a naive guess at the same calls. > I'm gonna pick the Rams to beat the Patriots in the Super Bowl. *(their words, quoted for attribution)* ## The claims - **Trent Williams to make Protector of the Year** - Kind: Pro Bowl and All-Pro Calls · About: Trent Williams - Verdict: scored 0 out of 100, against 100 for a naive guess - **Los Angeles Rams to beat Panthers** - Kind: Game Outcome Picks · About: Los Angeles Rams - Verdict: scored 100 out of 100, against 0 for a naive guess - **New England Patriots to reach the Super Bowl** - Kind: Conference Champions · About: New England Patriots - Verdict: scored 100 out of 100, against 0 for a naive guess - **Los Angeles Rams to reach the Super Bowl** - Kind: Conference Champions · About: Los Angeles Rams - Verdict: scored 50 out of 100, against 0 for a naive guess - **Chicago Bears to beat Packers** - Kind: Game Outcome Picks · About: Chicago Bears - Verdict: scored 100 out of 100, against 100 for a naive guess - **New England Patriots to beat Jags** - Kind: Game Outcome Picks · About: New England Patriots - Verdict: scored 66.67 out of 100, against 22.92 for a naive guess - **Christian McCaffrey to win Comeback Player of the Year** - Kind: Award Picks · About: Christian McCaffrey - Verdict: scored 100 out of 100, against 0 for a naive guess - **Matthew Stafford to win MVP** - Kind: Award Picks · About: Matthew Stafford, Los Angeles Rams - Verdict: scored 100 out of 100, against 0 for a naive guess - **Carson Schwesinger to win Defensive Rookie of the Year** - Kind: Award Picks · About: Carson Schwesinger, Cleveland Browns - Verdict: scored 100 out of 100, against 0 for a naive guess - **Los Angeles Rams to win the Super Bowl** - Kind: Super Bowl Picks · About: Los Angeles Rams - Verdict: scored 0 out of 100, against 0 for a naive guess - **Myles Garrett to win Defensive Player of the Year** - Kind: Award Picks · About: Myles Garrett, Cleveland Browns - Verdict: scored 100 out of 100, against 0 for a naive guess - **Tetairoa McMillan to win Offensive Rookie of the Year** - Kind: Award Picks · About: Tetairoa McMillan, Carolina Panthers - Verdict: scored 100 out of 100, against 0 for a naive guess - **San Francisco 49ers to beat Eagles** - Kind: Game Outcome Picks · About: San Francisco 49ers - Verdict: scored 100 out of 100, against 0 for a naive guess - **Los Angeles Rams to beat Chicago Bears** - Kind: Game Outcome Picks · About: Los Angeles Rams - Verdict: scored 100 out of 100, against 0 for a naive guess - **Houston Texans to beat Steelers** - Kind: Game Outcome Picks · About: Houston Texans - Verdict: scored 100 out of 100, against 0 for a naive guess - **Jacksonville Jaguars to beat Bills** - Kind: Game Outcome Picks · About: Jacksonville Jaguars - Verdict: scored 0 out of 100, against 0 for a naive guess - **New England Patriots to beat Chargers** - Kind: Game Outcome Picks · About: New England Patriots - Verdict: scored 100 out of 100, against 100 for a naive guess - **Mike Vrabel to win Coach of the Year** - Kind: Coach Award Picks - Verdict: scored 100 out of 100, against 0 for a naive guess - **Denver Broncos to beat Texans** - Kind: Game Outcome Picks · About: Denver Broncos - Verdict: scored 100 out of 100, against 0 for a naive guess - **Jaxon Smith-Njigba to win Offensive Player of the Year** - Kind: Award Picks · About: Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Seattle Seahawks - Verdict: scored 100 out of 100, against 0 for a naive guess ## Who this take is about - Trent Williams — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/players/trent-williams - Los Angeles Rams — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/teams/rams - New England Patriots — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/teams/patriots - Chicago Bears — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/teams/bears - Christian McCaffrey — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/players/christian-mccaffrey - Matthew Stafford — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/players/matthew-stafford - Carson Schwesinger — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/players/carson-schwesinger - Cleveland Browns — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/teams/browns - Myles Garrett — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/players/myles-garrett - Tetairoa McMillan — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/players/tetairoa-mcmillan - Carolina Panthers — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/teams/panthers - San Francisco 49ers — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/teams/49ers - Houston Texans — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/teams/texans - Jacksonville Jaguars — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/teams/jaguars - Denver Broncos — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/teams/broncos - Jaxon Smith-Njigba — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/players/jaxon-smith-njigba - Seattle Seahawks — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/teams/seahawks ## What others said about the same people - Ethan Hurwitz on Jeremiah Pharms Jr.: Hurwitz writes that the elevations of Jeremiah Pharms Jr. and Mike Brown likely mean Leonard Taylor III stays a healthy scratch and Joshua Farmer could be one too for the Week 3 game at Jacksonville, and that both elevated players will revert to the practice squad after Sunday. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/fc98ac5c-1a8e-4462-94fa-993b02c52d00 (scored 0) - Brian Peacock on Sebastian Valdez: Peacock lays out his projected 53-man roster for the 49ers, position by position: three specialists, three quarterbacks (including Curtis Rourke), five running backs, six receivers (cutting Christian Kirk), three tight ends (cutting Braden Willis), nine offensive linemen, ten defensive linemen (with Mykel Williams on PUP), five linebackers, six cornerbacks and four safeties. He also predicts a new player will take center snaps in preseason week three. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/62e9aad7-105c-45a0-95b3-3b43b64603ae (scored 0) - Blaine Grisak on Dean Connors: Grisak argues Wesley Bailey has essentially played his way onto the Rams' roster after a 10-pressure preseason game, suggests Dean Connors and Tim Keenan III could be cut and stashed on the practice squad, and makes a case for Jarquez Hunter making the 53 despite bubble status. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/dd80ddb6-ed9f-4eb7-9ec6-58f9e56d90d8 (scored 0) - Tom Jensen on Sebastian Valdez: Jensen projects the 49ers' final 53-man roster ahead of the August 30 cutdown, naming a long list of players he expects to be released outright, another group he expects to be cut and return on the practice squad ("boomerang cuts"), and three borderline players (Jordan James, Jacob Cowing, James Thompson Jr.) he believes San Francisco will keep. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/30bfad12-5ff9-49d2-8849-9df9b47a054d (scored 0) - Blaine Grisak on Dean Connors: After the Rams' first preseason game, Grisak predicted the full 53-man roster, naming three quarterbacks, four running backs, five receivers, five tight ends, nine offensive linemen, four linebackers, six defensive linemen, four edge rushers, five cornerbacks, five safeties and three special teamers, with Dean Connors headed for the practice squad instead. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/893ce849-9f8b-40c4-b5bc-a578611b14f8 (scored 100) - Blaine Grisak on Dean Connors: Reviewing the Rams' preseason win, Grisak predicted roster outcomes: Dean Connors likely lands on the practice squad rather than the 53, Xavier Smith's roster chances look poor, Nick Andersen is a strong practice squad candidate, and Mark Redman is likely a practice squad candidate. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/6093b2fb-ed84-405f-9566-ec32fbdee8b6 (scored 0) ## 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) - 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) - Garrett Podell on New York Giants: In a Week 2 bold-predictions piece, CBS Sports predicts the Giants will upset the Rams on Monday Night Football at SoFi Stadium, dropping Los Angeles to 0-2, and that Colts quarterback Daniel Jones will throw multiple touchdowns on Sunday Night Football at Kansas City. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/f2748c71-ff83-4632-bb1c-3039b21359a2 (scored 0) - John Middlekauff on Philadelphia Eagles: In a Week 2 preview, Middlekauff argued Matt LaFleur is under enormous pressure in Green Bay, predicted blowout wins for the 49ers over Miami and the Eagles over Tennessee, and offered season win-total views on the Saints, Buccaneers, Texans and Jaguars while backing Dallas to win the NFC East. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/6b74ac24-5cde-4063-b243-78341ac76343 (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=brandon-carney