Rich Eisen#38 of 87 NFL pundits · Dec 17, 2025
Rich Eisen delivered their Week 16 NFL power rankings, keeping the Rams at No. 1 with the Broncos second and the Bears holding at 10, and also predicted James Cook wins the rushing title while expecting the Bears and Rams to win their upcoming home games.
Said on air, transcribed by us · The Rich Eisen Show (podcast)Hear the original
What Rich Eisen said
our reading, beside the words we read it fromJames Cook is gonna win the rushing title.
- Where it was said
- The Rich Eisen Show (podcast)
- The episode
- Hour 3: NFL Power Rankings, plus Gary Cole Talks ‘Office Space,’ ‘Talladega Nights’ and More
- The original
- Hear the original
- Read it wrong?
- Tell us and we will look
- SaidDec 17, 2025
- GradedAug 13, 2026
- 1Power Rankings“My week 16 power rankings presented by Sonos... I'm keeping the bears here at ten... And the Packers are down four spots to nine... Number eight, up one spot, I'm putting the Jacksonville Jaguars eighth... Number seven on the list though, up one spot, I'm putting the Texans... Number six, up one spot, the niners are here... Number five, down three spots. I'm keeping the Pats in my top five... Number four on the list, up two spots are the Buffalo Bills... Up one spot to three of the Seahawks... Up one spot of the Broncos at two... but I'm keeping the Rams at one.”
- 2James Cook to finish top 1 at his position, by rushing yards“James Cook is gonna win the rushing title.”
- 3Los Angeles Rams to beat Lions“the no change with the Rams being taking care of the lines at home”
- 4Chicago Bears to beat Cleveland Browns“the no changes with the Bears at home against the Cleveland Browns in the cold”
Box score
HitCloseMissWaiting| Verdict | Call | Kind | What happened | Score | Naive | Skill |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| “My week 16 power rankings presented by Sonos... I'm keeping the…”1 | Power Rankings | — | 83.03 | 41.21 | +48.93 | |
| James Cook to finish top 1 at his position, by rushing yards2 | Positional Finishes | Finished #1 | 100 | 0 | +117 | |
| Los Angeles Rams to beat Lions3 | Game Outcome Picks | — | 100 | 100 | 0 | |
| Chicago Bears to beat Cleveland Browns4 | Game Outcome Picks | — | 100 | 100 | 0 | |
| 4 calls · 4 hits · all settled | 95.8 | 60.3 | ||||
How each call scored
a naive guessbetter than naive4 checkable claims — 2 game outcome picks, 1 positional finish and 1 power ranking — each graded on its own rather than as one all-or-nothing call.
It names 4 players and teams, each linked to their own record.
All 4 have settled, averaging 95.8 out of 100, against 60.3 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.
“My week 16 power rankings presented by Sonos... I'm keeping the bears here at ten... And the Packers are down four spots to nine... Number eight, up one spot, I'm putting the Jacksonville Jaguars eighth... Number seven on the list though, up one spot, I'm putting the Texans... Number six, up one spot, the niners are here... Number five, down three spots. I'm keeping the Pats in my top five... Number four on the list, up two spots are the Buffalo Bills... Up one spot to three of the Seahawks... Up one spot of the Broncos at two... but I'm keeping the Rams at one.”
VerdictHit83.03Hit · naive 41.2183.03this call−41.21a naive guess=41.82better than naive×1.17difficulty=+48.93skillThink this is wrong?How this was scored
- skill:
- 48.93
- method:
- spearman
- season:
- 2025
- accuracy:
- 83.03
- baseline:
- 41.21
- difficulty:
- 1.17
- weeks in the season:
- 18
- teams ranked:
- 10
- weeks left when called:
- 3
2Positional FinishesJames CookBuffalo Bills
James Cook to finish top 1 at his position, by rushing yards
What happenedFinished #1called #1 · by rushing yards100Hit · naive 0100this call−0a naive guess=100better than naive×1.17difficulty=+117skillThink this is wrong?How this was scored
- skill:
- 117
- player:
- James Cook
- season:
- 2025
- zero credit this far off:
- 12
- accuracy:
- 100
- baseline:
- 0
- position:
- RB
- ranked by:
- rushing yards
- difficulty:
- 1.17
- the naive guess:
- where he finished last season
- weeks in the season:
- 18
- naive finish:
- 16
- actual finish:
- 1
- weeks left when called:
- 3
- predicted finish:
- 1
3Game Outcome PicksLos Angeles Rams
Los Angeles Rams to beat Lions
VerdictHit100Hit · naive 100100this call−100a naive guess=0better than naive×1.17difficulty=0skillThink this is wrong?How this was scored
- won:
- LAR
- score:
- 34-41
- skill:
- 0
- they picked:
- LAR
- season:
- 2025
- accuracy:
- 100
- baseline:
- 100
- the naive pick:
- LAR
- difficulty:
- 1.17
- weeks in the season:
- 18
- weeks left when called:
- 3
4Game Outcome PicksChicago Bears
Chicago Bears to beat Cleveland Browns
VerdictHit100Hit · naive 100100this call−100a naive guess=0better than naive×1.17difficulty=0skillThink this is wrong?How this was scored
- won:
- CHI
- score:
- 3-31
- skill:
- 0
- they picked:
- CHI
- season:
- 2025
- accuracy:
- 100
- baseline:
- 100
- the naive pick:
- CHI
- difficulty:
- 1.17
- weeks in the season:
- 18
- weeks left when called:
- 3
- All
The take as a whole
the average of 4 settled calls, each counted once
95.8naive 60.3
Who this take is about
Others on the same people
John Middlekauff · Draft Bust Calls · Caleb Williams · Miss 0
Middlekauff expects either Josh Allen or Lamar Jackson to win this year's MVP, calling them the two best players in the league. They are pessimistic on the Bears, forecasting six or seven wins and saying they'd bet Caleb Williams doesn't work out as a franchise quarterback. They also see Oklahoma's John Mattier as a first-round pick who'll be in the Heisman mix.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 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.