Ralph VacchianoSep 8, 2026
Vacchiano ranks all 32 NFL teams entering the 2026 season, with the Rams first and Dolphins last. They also flag the Giants as a potential surprise team with a top-10 defense, and notes Deshaun Watson won Cleveland's QB job while Tua Tagovailoa starts Week 1 in Atlanta.
Published in writing · Fox SportsRead the original
What Ralph Vacchiano said
our reading, beside the words we read it fromOne practice a few weeks ago was more than enough to convince me they’re the worst team in the league.
- Where it was published
- Fox Sports
- The piece
- 2026 NFL Power Rankings: Where Every Team Stands Heading Into The Season
- The original
- Read the original
- Read it wrong?
- Tell us and we will look
- SaidSep 8
- PlayedSep 13
- GradedSep 17
- 1Tua Tagovailoa to be 1st on the depth chart“Tua got the Week 1 nod”
- 2Deshaun Watson to be 1st on the depth chart“So, Deshaun Watson "won" the QB battle over Shedeur Sanders”
- 3A.J. Brown to be 1st on the depth chart“Now he’s got a new No. 1 in still-elite A.J. Brown.”
- 4Power Rankings“Here are my Power Rankings as the 2026 season begins. #32 Miami Dolphins ... #1 Los Angeles Rams”
- 5New York Giants to beat expectations“They could make the Giants a surprise team, especially with a defense that could end up in the top 10.”
- 6Kirk Cousins to be 1st on the depth chart“Starting veteran QB Kirk Cousins will bring early stability.”
Box score
HitCloseMissWaiting| Verdict | Call | Kind | What happened | Score | Naive | Skill |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tua Tagovailoa to be 1st on the depth chart1 | Depth Chart Calls | — | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Deshaun Watson to be 1st on the depth chart2 | Depth Chart Calls | — | — | — | — | |
| A.J. Brown to be 1st on the depth chart3 | Depth Chart Calls | — | — | — | — | |
| “Here are my Power Rankings as the 2026 season begins. #32 Miami…”4 | Power Rankings | — | — | — | — | |
| New York Giants to beat expectations5 | Surprise Team Calls | — | — | — | — | |
| Kirk Cousins to be 1st on the depth chart6 | Depth Chart Calls | — | — | — | — | |
| 6 calls · 1 miss · 5 waiting | 0 | 0 | ||||
How each call scored
a naive guessbetter than naive6 checkable claims — 4 depth chart calls, 1 power ranking and 1 surprise team call — each graded on its own rather than as one all-or-nothing call.
It names 9 players and teams, each linked to their own record.
1 of 6 have settled so far, averaging 0 out of 100, against 0 for a naive guess at the same calls.
Of the 3 unsettled calls enough other pundits have weighed in on, this one lands below the rest of the room on every one.
Each call is scored 0 to 100 against what happened, on its own, by the published methodology. The naive guess is what knowing nothing would have scored on the same calls; the gap, weighted by how hard the call was, is the skill.
Where this call stands in the room
Deshaun Watson · 2026 season26 calls from 18 pundits between 1 and 2. Ralph Vacchiano said 1. the room's median is 1. not settled yet
Every dot is a call somebody published on the same question. Where the dots land says where this take sits, not whether it is right — nothing here is settled yet. Hover a dot for the name and number; click it to read that take.
1Depth Chart CallsTua TagovailoaAtlanta Falcons
Tua Tagovailoa to be 1st on the depth chart
VerdictMiss0Miss · naive 00this call−0a naive guess=0better than naive×2difficulty=0skillThink this is wrong?How this was scored
- club:
- ATL
- week:
- 1
- skill:
- 0
- player:
- Tua Tagovailoa
- season:
- 2026
- claimed:
- he starts
- accuracy:
- 0
- baseline:
- 0
- reported:
- he did not play that week
- naive slot:
- 1
- settled by:
- weekly snap counts (he took no snap in the game)
- difficulty:
- 2
- the naive guess:
- he keeps the job he had last season
- weeks in the season:
- 18
- weeks left when called:
- 18
2Depth Chart CallsDeshaun WatsonCleveland Browns
Deshaun Watson to be 1st on the depth chart
VerdictWaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
3Depth Chart CallsA.J. BrownNew England Patriots
A.J. Brown to be 1st on the depth chart
VerdictWaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
“Here are my Power Rankings as the 2026 season begins. #32 Miami Dolphins ... #1 Los Angeles Rams”
VerdictWaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
5Surprise Team CallsNew York Giants
New York Giants to beat expectations
VerdictWaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
6Depth Chart CallsKirk CousinsLas Vegas Raiders
Kirk Cousins to be 1st on the depth chart
VerdictWaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
The game in this take
every pundit’s pick on eachWho this take is about
Others on the same people
Sam Monson · Game Outcome Picks · New York Giants · Miss 0
Monson picked every Week 10 game, taking the Giants, Lions, Packers, Panthers, Colts, Texans, Bills, Chiefs, Jaguars, Seahawks, Rams, Cowboys, Bengals and Ravens, and also suggested the Chargers' only likely wins the rest of the way come against the Jets and Dolphins.Pete Prisco · Score Predictions · New York Giants · Miss 36
Prisco picks the Giants to beat the Commanders 23-14 on Thursday night and the Lions to beat the Patriots 30-24 in Munich.Jared Dubin · Score Predictions · New York Giants · Close 43
Dubin picks the Giants to beat the Commanders 20-14 on Thursday night and takes the Packers over the Vikings 17-14 in a low-scoring Week 10 game.Jared Dubin · Score Predictions · New York Giants · Close 43
Dubin picks the Giants to beat the Commanders at home on Thursday night, projecting a 20-14 final score.Pete Prisco · Score Predictions · New York Giants · Miss 36
Prisco picked the Giants to beat the Commanders at home in the Thursday night Week 10 game, 23-14, citing New York's dominant front seven containing Jayden Daniels.Jared Dubin · Score Predictions · New York Giants · Close 43
Dubin predicted final scores for seven Week 10 games, taking the Giants over the Commanders, the Lions, Chiefs, Packers, 49ers, Bengals and Ravens to win their respective matchups.
More depth chart calls
The same kind of call, about other players and teams.
Nic Bodiford · Depth Chart Calls · Joe Fagnano · Hit 100
Previewing Week 9 running game matchups, Bodiford expects Jacksonville to win lopsidedly over a depleted Baltimore team, with Bhayshul Tuten sitting out and Chris Rodriguez taking over as lead back, while Joe Fagnano starts at quarterback for the Ravens. They also view Broncos rookie Jonah Coleman as an RB2 going forward.Jordan Dajani · Depth Chart Calls · Drew Kendall · Miss 0
Dajani expects Cam Jurgens to move back to center as the Ravens' starter after the trade, and projects a rebuilt Eagles offensive line for Week 5 with Jordan Mailata, Willie Lampkin, Drew Kendall, Tyler Steen and Markel Bell starting from left tackle to right tackle.