Ralph VacchianoAug 18, 2026
Vacchiano argues the Bills are better and could be the class of the AFC, expects James Cook to repeat their league-leading rushing production behind an intact offensive line, and views D.J. Moore as Buffalo's top receiver ahead of Keon Coleman and Khalil Shakir.
Published in writing · Fox SportsRead the original
What Ralph Vacchiano said
our reading, beside the words we read it fromAnd since his offensive line returns intact after a dominant season last year, there's absolutely no reason to think Cook can't do it again.
- Where it was published
- Fox Sports
- The piece
- Super Bowl Expectations Are Real In Buffalo, But New Bills HC Joe Brady Is Ready
- The original
- Read the original
- Read it wrong?
- Tell us and we will look
- 1James Cook to finish top 1 at his position, by rushing yards“announced his presence last season as one of the best backs in the NFL when he led the league with 1,621 rushing yards ... there's absolutely no reason to think Cook can't do it again.”
- 2D.J. Moore to be 1st on the depth chart“They did add D.J. Moore ... The drop-off from him to the next two receivers — Keon Coleman and Khalil Shakir — is sharp, though.”
Box score
HitCloseMissWaiting| Verdict | Call | Kind | What happened | Score | Naive | Skill |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| James Cook to finish top 1 at his position, by rushing yards1 | Positional Finishes | — | — | — | — | |
| D.J. Moore to be 1st on the depth chart2 | Depth Chart Calls | — | — | — | — | |
| 2 calls · 2 waiting | — | — | ||||
How each call scored
2 checkable claims — 1 depth chart call and 1 positional finish — 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.
None of them have settled yet — they grade once their results are in.
Of the 2 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
D.J. Moore · 2026 season5 calls from 5 pundits between 1 and 1. 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.
Their call against the record
positional finishTheir call against what actually happened last time. Not yet settled.
1Positional FinishesJames CookBuffalo Bills
James Cook to finish top 1 at his position, by rushing yards
VerdictWaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
2Depth Chart CallsD.J. MooreBuffalo Bills
D.J. Moore to be 1st on the depth chart
VerdictWaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
Who this take is about
Others on the same people
Pete Prisco · Score Predictions · Buffalo Bills · Close 76
Prisco picked the Bills to win 21-14 at Minnesota.John Breech · Score Predictions · Buffalo Bills · Close 76
Breech picked the Bills to beat the Vikings on Monday night by a score of 24-17.Jordan Dajani · Score Predictions · Buffalo Bills · Close 62
Dajani picked the Bills to edge the Vikings 24-23.Jared Dubin · Score Predictions · Buffalo Bills · Close 74
Dubin picked Buffalo to win a low-scoring Monday night game in Minnesota, 20-14.Tyler Sullivan · Score Predictions · Buffalo Bills · Close 76
Sullivan picked the Bills to beat the Vikings 24-17.
More depth chart calls
The same kind of call, about other players and teams.
Michael Moore · Depth Chart Calls · Shedeur Sanders · Hit 100
In a Week 9 injury roundup, Moore forecast which banged-up fantasy contributors would play or sit: Deshaun Watson, Garrett Wilson, David Montgomery, Mike Evans, Deebo Samuel, TreVeyon Henderson and Terrance Ferguson are expected out, while Travis Kelce, Saquon Barkley, Michael Wilson, Christian Watson and Emeka Egbuka should play. They also expect Shedeur Sanders and Drew Lock to start at quarterback.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.