# John Middlekauff: Middlecoff says Anthony Richardson's Colts career is finished and expects him to be traded within ten days for any value, even a fifth-round pick. He backs the Texans to win the AFC South, calls the Ravens, Bills and Chiefs playoff locks with Baltimore and Buffalo winning their divisions, and expects Buffalo to win 14-plus games. **Claimed:** Aug 20, 2025 **Pundit:** John Middlekauff — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/pundits/john-middlekauff **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/3-and-out-with-john-middlekauff/anthony-richardson-out-in-indy-what-is-going-on-rankings-jon-gruden-back-to-coaching 8 checkable claims — 3 division winners, 3 playoff picks, 1 season win total and 1 trade and signing call — each graded on its own rather than as one all-or-nothing bet. It names 6 players and teams, each linked to their own record. All 8 have settled, averaging 20 out of 100, against 34.4 for a naive guess at the same calls. > I would imagine the next ten days if they get any bit of value a fifth round pick he's traded, it's over. *(their words, quoted for attribution)* ## The claims - **Anthony Richardson to move to Indianapolis Colts** - Kind: Trade and Signing Calls · About: Anthony Richardson, Indianapolis Colts - Verdict: scored 0 out of 100, against 100 for a naive guess - **Buffalo Bills to win the division** - Kind: Division Winners · About: Buffalo Bills - Verdict: scored 0 out of 100, against 0 for a naive guess - **Baltimore Ravens to win the division** - Kind: Division Winners · About: Baltimore Ravens - Verdict: scored 0 out of 100, against 0 for a naive guess - **Houston Texans to win the division** - Kind: Division Winners · About: Houston Texans - Verdict: scored 0 out of 100, against 0 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 - **Buffalo Bills to make the playoffs** - Kind: Playoff Picks · About: Buffalo Bills - Verdict: scored 100 out of 100, against 100 for a naive guess - **Buffalo Bills to finish with 14 wins** - Kind: Season Win Totals · About: Buffalo Bills - Verdict: scored 60 out of 100, against 75 for a naive guess - **Baltimore Ravens to make the playoffs** - Kind: Playoff Picks · About: Baltimore Ravens - Verdict: scored 0 out of 100, against 0 for a naive guess ## Who this take is about - Anthony Richardson — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/players/anthony-richardson - Indianapolis Colts — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/teams/colts - Buffalo Bills — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/teams/bills - Baltimore Ravens — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/teams/ravens - Houston Texans — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/teams/texans - Kansas City Chiefs — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/teams/chiefs ## What others said about the same people - Jared Koch on Lewis Bond: Koch argues Kayshon Boutte is a winner in the trade to Houston, likely to see many more snaps and potentially post a career season, while Xavier Hutchinson's path to a breakout gets harder. He also sees Kamari Ramsey stepping up as the primary backup safety behind a top three of Bullock, Pitre and Blankenship, and views Jared Wayne as a fringe roster player squeezed by receivers he calls virtual locks. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/14048ef2-7210-46fd-825a-b9849c144a9f (scored 100) - 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) - Lance Zierlein on Lewis Bond: Zierlein expects Texans QB C.J. Stroud to play roughly 10-12 plays in Thursday's preseason game, with Davis Mills going to halftime and newly signed Brett Rypien playing the entire second half. He also said if Tank Dell isn't ready, Lewis Bond and Jaden Hall would both likely make the roster, and predicted Keelan Rutledge will be the starting center with Wyatt Teller and Braden Smith starting. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/20e6ff7b-1de6-4de6-9567-3997edaea6b8 (scored 100) - Lance Zierlein on Lewis Bond: Zierlein expects Trevor Goosby, Texas' starting left tackle, to be a first-round NFL draft pick, and thinks Quinn Ewers may struggle to stay on the Dolphins' roster beyond this year. He also predicts the Texans' preseason quarterback usage: C.J. Stroud around 10-12 plays, Davis Mills through the first half, and Brett Rypien for the second half. If Tank Dell isn't ready, he thinks Lewis Bond and Jaden Hall could both make the roster. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/684f97b2-1578-404d-9e71-4026eea8db4d (scored 100) - Nick Wright on Buffalo Bills: Nick Wright expects the Bills to beat the Lions comfortably in the Thursday night home opener, with Josh Allen shredding a depleted Detroit secondary, and he also picks a workmanlike Chiefs win over the Colts on Sunday night. He further predicts Tyreek Hill will end up on the Chiefs by around Halloween. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/00ed9114-0e69-4e26-9fb2-4e5e3893c56e (scored 100) - Bucky Brooks on Keenan Allen: 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 100) ## More division winners The same kind of call, about other players and teams. - Daniel DiBerardinis on Atlanta Falcons: Danny D predicts Sonny Styles goes in the top ten (maybe top five), doesn't think Ty Simpson goes before late first round, says Kenyon Sadiq lands with the Rams at 13, and picks the Falcons to win the NFC South while naming the Bengals an AFC bounce-back team. He also gives a Final Four of Michigan, Florida, Purdue and Arizona with Michigan winning. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/8a8e0b7c-9f1c-4c13-8138-1332d73b9b02 (scored 0) - Colin Cowherd on New York Giants: Cowherd projects the NFC East with the Giants winning the division ahead of Philadelphia, Washington and Dallas, pegging the Cowboys as a six- or seven-win team. He also expects Malik Willis to land a big free-agent deal, Kayvon Thibodeaux to be moved, and Baltimore to lose Isaiah Likely, and he floats the Rams reaching on Ty Simpson late in round one. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/cd243624-9451-4824-a8a4-7b468d681c8f (scored 0) - Colin Cowherd on Los Angeles Chargers: Cowherd unveiled his top 10 NFL teams entering next season, with Seattle first, the Rams second and the Chiefs tenth, and separately picked the Chargers to win the AFC West. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/78de302a-c2f9-41b4-8897-87943ca44caa (scored 0) - Rich Eisen on Jacksonville Jaguars: 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) - Rich Eisen on Jacksonville Jaguars: Eisen called the 49ers-as-NFC-favorites take an overreaction, picked the Jaguars to beat the Titans and win their division, leaned Ravens over the Steelers in the Week 18 Sunday night game, expects the Bills to beat the Jets even without Josh Allen, sees the Chargers as the AFC's seventh seed, agreed Tyler Shough could win Offensive Rookie of the Year with a good Saints 2026, said Malik Willis will be a starter somewhere next season, and insisted Detroit goes into 2026 with Goff. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/15192136-24b9-4127-ac9d-69dc69aab3d5 (scored 100) - Chris Brockman on Chicago Bears: Brockman called the Broncos-Packers game the best of the day, said Denver looks poised to lock up the AFC's No. 1 seed and reach the AFC Championship Game, predicted the Bears win the NFC North and the Eagles win their division (though he thinks they lose to a five seed from the NFC West), and said Philip Rivers will be in the NFL in 2026. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/e86c9e4d-7802-432a-a26c-4edefb3b6aee (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=john-middlekauff