# Manti Te'o: Te'o picks Lamar Jackson for a third MVP, Jalen Carter for Defensive Player of the Year, the Broncos to win the AFC West, and has the 49ers, Steelers, Buccaneers and Ravens in the playoffs. **Claimed:** Sep 3, 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-wednesday-hour-2-playoff-teams-reactions-brandon-graham-and-defensive-poy-predictions 8 checkable claims — 4 playoff picks, 2 award picks, 1 depth chart call and 1 division winner — each graded on its own rather than as one all-or-nothing bet. It names 10 players and teams, each linked to their own record. All 8 have settled, averaging 49 out of 100, against 24 for a naive guess at the same calls. > So the one that I'm most proud of of sticking to my guns, would have to be the Denver Broncos. As if AFC West champions *(their words, quoted for attribution)* ## The claims - **Denver Broncos to win the division** - Kind: Division Winners · About: Denver Broncos - Verdict: scored 100 out of 100, against 0 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 - **Baltimore Ravens to make the playoffs** - Kind: Playoff Picks · About: Baltimore Ravens - Verdict: scored 0 out of 100, against 0 for a naive guess - **Lamar Jackson to win MVP** - Kind: Award Picks · About: Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens - Verdict: scored 0 out of 100, against 0 for a naive guess - **Russell Wilson to be 1st on the depth chart** - Kind: Depth Chart Calls · About: Russell Wilson, New York Giants - Verdict: scored 91.67 out of 100, against 91.67 for a naive guess - **Jalen Carter to win Defensive Player of the Year** - Kind: Award Picks · About: Jalen Carter, Philadelphia Eagles - Verdict: scored 0 out of 100, against 0 for a naive guess - **San Francisco 49ers to make the playoffs** - Kind: Playoff Picks · About: San Francisco 49ers - Verdict: scored 100 out of 100, against 0 for a naive guess - **Pittsburgh Steelers to make the playoffs** - Kind: Playoff Picks · About: Pittsburgh Steelers - Verdict: scored 100 out of 100, against 100 for a naive guess ## Who this take is about - Denver Broncos — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/teams/broncos - Tampa Bay Buccaneers — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/teams/buccaneers - Baltimore Ravens — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/teams/ravens - Lamar Jackson — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/players/lamar-jackson - Russell Wilson — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/players/russell-wilson - New York Giants — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/teams/giants - Jalen Carter — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/players/jalen-carter - Philadelphia Eagles — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/teams/eagles - San Francisco 49ers — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/teams/49ers - Pittsburgh Steelers — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/teams/steelers ## What others said about the same people - 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) - Jeff Kerr on Philadelphia Eagles: Kerr frames the Week 2 trip to Nashville as a game Philadelphia should win, moving the Eagles to 2-0 before a tougher stretch against the Bears and Rams. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/90fdbe23-0880-4177-a75c-2784aeecf209 (scored 100) - Alain Poupart on San Francisco 49ers: Poupart predicts the 49ers beat the Dolphins 27-17 at Levi's Stadium in Week 2, though he expects the game to be closer than the spread suggests. He also anticipates a larger role for De'Von Achane and a big passing day from Brock Purdy. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/70e53b3b-fd72-43e7-a99b-655f41a11160 (scored 71.43) ## More playoff picks The same kind of call, about other players and teams. - Craig Stout on Kansas City Chiefs: Craig believes better execution from a Patrick Mahomes-led Chiefs team will be enough to return them to the playoffs in the coming season, and he expects Tyler Algeier to land with Denver as a complement to RJ Harvey. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/4ad5b565-6220-4c30-9371-e55be75a35f0 (scored 0) - 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) - 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) - Rich Eisen on Green Bay Packers: Eisen agreed the Bears are a team of destiny who will win the NFC, insisted the Packers will make the playoffs and won't lose at home to the Ravens, said the Steelers should make the playoffs, and endorsed the view that Trevor Lawrence is playing like a top-five quarterback. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/1f7633c5-427b-4993-8849-3f53865241bd (scored 100) - Chris Brockman on Buffalo Bills: Brockman argued the Texans will reach the AFC Championship Game, declared the Chiefs dynasty over, said the road to the Super Bowl in the NFC goes through Lambeau Field, that Josh Allen is still the most dangerous QB and the Bills will win a playoff game (with the AFC East runner-up as the 5 seed winning in Pittsburgh or Baltimore), that Carolina will win the NFC South, that Baltimore finishes under .500 with Lamar no longer a top-five QB, that the Colts should trade for Mac Jones, and that Marcus Freeman will be in the NFL next year. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/c06d1a3a-78d8-4aec-8574-159821b42aab (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=manti-te-o