Ralph VacchianoOct 20, 2026

Vacchiano published their Week 7 NFL power rankings, with the 49ers first and the Dolphins last, while also picking the 49ers to beat the Falcons in Atlanta, doubting the Saints can beat the Steelers in Paris, and calling the Texans a good bet to make the playoffs after their 0-4 start.

Published in writing · Fox SportsRead the original

1 of 2calls landed1 hit · 1 miss · 2 waiting

50Average accuracyout of 100, across 2 calls

50A naive guessthe same calls, no knowledge

2Games calledeveryone’s picks below

2Waitingnot graded yet

What Ralph Vacchiano said

our reading, beside the words we read it from

If the Texans can fix it, they're a good bet to become the second-ever team to start 0-4 and make the playoffs.

Ralph Vacchiano, the lead quote · each call’s own words are below

Where it was published: Fox Sports
The piece: 2026 NFL Power Rankings Week 7: Are The Packers For Real? Are The Rams Frauds?
The original: Read the original
Read it wrong?: Tell us and we will look

SaidOct 19
PlayedOct 25
GradedOct 25

1Pittsburgh Steelers to beat Saints“Now they'll all head to Paris for a game against the Steelers ... A win there would give them a nice boost heading into their bye week. But the way their defense nearly threw away the game against the Giants, I wouldn't count on that.”
2San Francisco 49ers to beat Atlanta Falcons“The Falcons' hopes will probably get dashed next Sunday at home against the 49ers ... So let that be a small consolation when Sunday comes and they fall to 2-5.”
3Houston Texans to make the playoffs“If the Texans can fix it, they're a good bet to become the second-ever team to start 0-4 and make the playoffs.”
4Power Rankings“2026 NFL Power Rankings Week 7 — 32. Miami Dolphins ... 1. San Francisco 49ers”

Box score

HitCloseMissWaiting

Call	Kind	What happened	Score	Naive	Skill
Pittsburgh Steelers to beat Saints¹	Game Outcome Picks	Steelers 16–10	100	0	+167
San Francisco 49ers to beat Atlanta Falcons²	Game Outcome Picks	Falcons 29–20	0	100	−167
Houston Texans to make the playoffs³	Playoff Picks	—	—	—	—
“2026 NFL Power Rankings Week 7 — 32. Miami Dolphins ... 1. San…”⁴	Power Rankings	—	—	—	—
4 calls · 1 hit · 1 miss · 2 waiting			50	50

Game calls show that game’s closing betting line under their grade: a dated fact from nflverse, for context and never part of a grade. MissedTakes takes no bets and earns nothing from any sportsbook.

How each call scored

a naive guessbetter than naiveworse than naive

4 checkable claims — 2 game outcome picks, 1 playoff pick and 1 power ranking — each graded on its own rather than as one all-or-nothing call.

It names 3 players and teams, each linked to their own record.

2 of 4 have settled so far, averaging 50 out of 100, against 50 for a naive guess at the same calls.

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.

1Game Outcome Picks Pittsburgh Steelers
Pittsburgh Steelers to beat Saints
What happenedSteelers 16–10Steelers at Saints
100Hit · naive 0
100this call0a naive guess100better than naive1.67difficulty+167skill
Closing line (Oct 25): Steelers by 3 · favorite pick, Steelers 59%.
How this was scored
won:
PIT
score:
16-10
skill:
167
they picked:
PIT
season:
2026
accuracy:
100
baseline:
0
the naive pick:
NO
difficulty:
1.67
weeks in the season:
18
weeks left when called:
12
Think this is wrong?
2Game Outcome Picks San Francisco 49ers
San Francisco 49ers to beat Atlanta Falcons
What happenedFalcons 29–2049ers at Falcons
0Miss · naive 100
0this call100a naive guess−100worse than naive1.67difficulty−167skill
Closing line (Oct 25): 49ers by 2.5 · favorite pick, 49ers 58%.
How this was scored
won:
ATL
score:
20-29
skill:
−167
they picked:
SF
season:
2026
accuracy:
0
baseline:
100
the naive pick:
ATL
difficulty:
1.67
weeks in the season:
18
weeks left when called:
12
Think this is wrong?
3Playoff Picks Houston Texans
Houston Texans to make the playoffs
VerdictWaiting
Not settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
Think this is wrong?
4Power Rankings
“2026 NFL Power Rankings Week 7 — 32. Miami Dolphins ... 1. San Francisco 49ers”
VerdictWaiting
Not settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
Think this is wrong?
All
The take as a whole
the average of 2 settled calls, each counted once
50naive 50

The games in this take

every pundit’s pick on each

Who this take is about

Where do you stand on this one?Pick every open claim on Picks →

Others on the same people

Parker Hurley · Roster Spot Calls · Khalid Kareem · Miss 0
Hurley predicts the 49ers will release Khalil Kareem when Nate Hobbs is activated and cut Brandin Cooks when C.J. West returns, while arguing Sebastian Valdez won't be the one let go and no cornerback will be cut.
Bryan DeArdo · Trade and Signing Calls · Joey Porter Jr. · Miss 0
The piece predicts Joey Porter Jr. most likely stays with the Steelers through 2026, while listing possible trade destinations if they were moved.
Bobby Skinner · Trade and Signing Calls · Stefon Diggs · Miss 0
Skinner predicted Daniel Jones signs with and wins the starting job in Indianapolis, Milton Williams to New England, Lavonte David back to Tampa, Aaron Rodgers and Davante Adams to the Giants, DJ Reid to Arizona, Hassan Reddick to Washington and Justin Fields staying in Pittsburgh, plus alternates they had listed.
Pete Prisco · Score Predictions · Houston Texans · Close 55
Prisco gives score predictions for every Week 9 NFL game, picking the Bengals to rout the Falcons in Madrid, the Cowboys to rebound at Indianapolis, and the Jaguars to win in Baltimore without Lamar Jackson.
Jared Koch · Game Outcome Picks · Houston Texans · Hit 100
Koch predicts the Texans will beat the winless Chargers on the road in Week 9 by at least 10 points, with Houston's defense forcing a couple of turnovers to set up a multiple-score win.
AJ Hawk · Game Outcome Picks · San Francisco 49ers · Hit 100
Hawk said the Chiefs would beat the Jets, the Seahawks would beat the Cardinals, and the 49ers would beat the Raiders, even while taking the points with the underdogs in each case.

More game outcome picks

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

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.
Eva Geitheim · Game Outcome Picks · Washington Commanders · Hit 100
Geitheim picked the Commanders, Lions, Chiefs, Texans, Vikings, Jaguars, Colts, Panthers, Bills, Seahawks, Rams, 49ers, Bengals and Ravens in Week 10.
Conor Orr · Game Outcome Picks · New York Giants · Miss 0
Orr picked the Giants, Lions, Chiefs, Texans, Packers, Jaguars, Dolphins, Panthers, Bills, Seahawks, Rams, 49ers, Bengals and Chargers in Week 10.
Albert Breer · Game Outcome Picks · New York Giants · Miss 0
Breer picked all 14 Week 10 games straight up, favoring the Giants, Lions, Chiefs, Texans, Packers, Jaguars, Dolphins, Panthers, Bills, Seahawks, Rams, 49ers, Bengals and Ravens.
Mitch Goldich · Game Outcome Picks · New York Giants · Miss 0
Goldich picked the Giants, Lions, Chiefs, Texans, Packers, Jaguars, Dolphins, Panthers, Bills, Seahawks, Rams, 49ers, Bengals and Ravens in Week 10.
Matt Verderame · Game Outcome Picks · New York Giants · Miss 0
Verderame picked the Giants, Lions, Chiefs, Texans, Packers, Jaguars, Dolphins, Saints, Bills, Seahawks, Rams, 49ers, Bengals and Ravens in Week 10.