# Nick Shook: Shook's Week 1 2026 preseason NFL power rankings, ordering all 32 teams with the Rams first and the Dolphins last, plus assorted team- and player-level expectations embedded in the blurbs. **Claimed:** Aug 12, 2026 **Pundit:** Nick Shook — https://missedtakes.co/pundits/nick-shook **How it reached us:** published in writing **Original:** https://www.nfl.com/news/nfl-power-rankings-rams-enter-preseason-on-top-seahawks-at-no-3-patriots-outside-top-10 11 checkable claims — 7 depth chart calls, 2 surprise team calls, 1 playoff pick and 1 power ranking — each graded on its own rather than as one all-or-nothing bet. It names 15 players and teams, each linked to their own record. None of them have settled yet — they grade once their results are in. Of the 7 unsettled calls enough other pundits have weighed in on, this one lands above the room on 1 and below it on 6. > There's no better time than now to sort out the order of power in the NFL. *(their words, quoted for attribution)* ## The claims - **Kyler Murray to be 1st on the depth chart** - Kind: Depth Chart Calls · About: Kyler Murray, Minnesota Vikings - Verdict: not settled yet - **Fernando Mendoza to be 2nd on the depth chart** - Kind: Depth Chart Calls · About: Fernando Mendoza, Las Vegas Raiders - Verdict: not settled yet - **Kirk Cousins to be 1st on the depth chart** - Kind: Depth Chart Calls · About: Kirk Cousins, Las Vegas Raiders - Verdict: not settled yet - **Patrick Mahomes to be 1st on the depth chart** - Kind: Depth Chart Calls · About: Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs - Verdict: not settled yet - **New Orleans Saints to beat expectations** - Kind: Surprise Team Calls · About: New Orleans Saints - Verdict: not settled yet - **Houston Texans to make the playoffs** - Kind: Playoff Picks · About: Houston Texans - Verdict: not settled yet - **Blake Miller to be 1st on the depth chart** - Kind: Depth Chart Calls · About: Blake Miller, Detroit Lions - Verdict: not settled yet - **Dallas Cowboys to beat expectations** - Kind: Surprise Team Calls · About: Dallas Cowboys - Verdict: not settled yet - **Rank 1 Los Angeles Rams ... Rank 32 Miami Dolphins** - Kind: Power Rankings - Verdict: not settled yet - **Malik Willis to be 1st on the depth chart** - Kind: Depth Chart Calls · About: Malik Willis, Miami Dolphins - Verdict: not settled yet - **Tyler Shough to be 1st on the depth chart** - Kind: Depth Chart Calls · About: Tyler Shough, New Orleans Saints - Verdict: not settled yet ## Who this take is about - Kyler Murray — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/kyler-murray - Minnesota Vikings — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/vikings - Fernando Mendoza — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/fernando-mendoza - Las Vegas Raiders — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/raiders - Kirk Cousins — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/kirk-cousins - Patrick Mahomes — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/patrick-mahomes - Kansas City Chiefs — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/chiefs - New Orleans Saints — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/saints - Houston Texans — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/texans - Blake Miller — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/blake-miller - Detroit Lions — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/lions - Dallas Cowboys — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/cowboys - Malik Willis — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/malik-willis - Miami Dolphins — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/dolphins - Tyler Shough — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/tyler-shough ## What others said about the same people - Chris Simms on Kansas City Chiefs: Simms went through the entire Week 3 slate with straight-up winners and predicted final scores, taking Jacksonville, Buffalo, Cincinnati, Detroit, Houston, Carolina, Kansas City, Seattle, the Giants, Baltimore, New Orleans, Minnesota, San Francisco, Denver and Philadelphia. He also expected Zay Flowers and Puka Nacua to sit, Kyler Murray to play, and said Marvin Harrison Jr. projects as no better than a good No. 2 or high-end No. 3 receiver. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/662b7ba3-1bf6-4ad0-9f93-9f2ab83143fd (scored 100) - Connor Rogers on Detroit Lions: Rogers picked Detroit, Houston, Carolina, Kansas City, Seattle and the Giants to win their Week 3 games, saying the Chiefs win by two touchdowns and the Giants by a field goal. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/83d1e88b-95a0-45ba-83d3-f86297170c6c (scored 100) - Chris Long on Detroit Lions: Long liked the Rams over the Broncos on Sunday night even without Puka Nacua, and expected the Bills to beat the winless Chargers in Buffalo. He also backed the Bengals over the Steelers, expected an angry Detroit team to handle the Jets, and still thought both the Lions and Vikings could win the NFC North. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/3df9ea25-e57f-4fd7-b20c-c910a1c3633a (scored 100) - Steven Ruiz on Las Vegas Raiders: Previewing Week 3, Ruiz picked the Ravens to beat the Cowboys in Brazil, Jacksonville over New England in a low-scoring game, an upset by the Broncos over the Rams, the Raiders over the Saints, the Eagles over the Bears, the Lions over the Jets, and his Hail Mary that Houston beats Indianapolis by two touchdowns. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/a30ff469-4972-4c48-855b-ba984e4de9d0 (scored 100) - Nate Tice on Detroit Lions: Tice matched his guest on every Week 3 game, picking the Ravens over the Cowboys, the Jaguars over the Patriots in a close game, the Broncos to upset the Rams, the Raiders over the Saints, the Eagles over the Bears and the Lions over the Jets. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/b8378e16-ea5c-4107-a883-28aaf0e71134 (scored 100) - Sam Monson on Minnesota Vikings: Monson picked the Chargers to beat the Bills outright (jokingly crediting Buffalo's gray 'Nickel City' jerseys), took the Vikings to win outright in Tampa, and said Seattle would destroy Washington. He also reiterated his Super Bowl pick of Denver over the Rams, called the Dolphins destined for the No. 1 overall pick, and said the Saints are a worst-to-first candidate in the NFC South. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/0b810ffd-fd93-4ea2-a208-b1353dea5fb0 (scored 100) ## More depth chart calls The same kind of call, about other players and teams. - Pat Fitzmaurice on Jonah Coleman: In his Week 3 waiver column, Fitzmaurice makes several depth-chart calls around injuries: Jonah Coleman leading Denver's backfield, Marcus Mariota taking over in Washington, Michael Penix Jr. starting once healthy, and Malik Washington serving as Miami's top receiver, plus availability expectations for Detroit's injured safeties. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/2cbd48f6-15ea-4aa5-84bc-bcc50d94d09a (scored 0) - Fox Sports on Michael Penix Jr.: Fox Sports states that a healthy Tua Tagovailoa will serve as Atlanta's backup quarterback in Week 3, with Michael Penix Jr. handling the starting duties against Green Bay. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/a90e69a8-707f-43e9-a63e-cdb3e7bd0829 (scored 100) - Matt Severance on Deshaun Watson: The CBS Sports preview backs Tampa Bay to beat Cleveland in the Bucs' Week 2 home opener, and states that Deshaun Watson — not Shedeur Sanders — will be Cleveland's starting quarterback in Week 2. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/944568ce-7205-409f-8354-a392016fd8bf (scored 100) - Rafael Zamorano on Deshaun Watson: Zamorano reports Watson will start Week 2 at Tampa Bay and suggests there's little reason to expect improvement, raising the possibility Watson's five-year contract never yields more than single-digit wins. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/d7d7e0a2-61e0-4525-970b-b01a2356f11b (scored 100) - Rich Hribar on Tua Tagovailoa: Hribar expects Tua Tagovailoa to be Atlanta's starting quarterback for Week 2 while Michael Penix stays out, with Penix's return closer to Week 4. He is unenthusiastic about the Falcons' offense either way and treats Bryce Young as a fringe fantasy starter. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/124ac755-a942-4382-8bad-177da7f8170d (scored 0) - Tyler Sullivan on Michael Penix Jr.: In a Week 1 recap with no named byline, CBS Sports suggested Michael Penix Jr. would take over as Atlanta's Week 2 starter if healthy, called Ashton Jeanty's sophomore breakout imminent, and warned readers not to overlook San Francisco as NFC West winners. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/1000d8d0-5de1-405e-b8ce-255cde75a32d (scored 0) --- 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.co/methodology We summarize what a pundit said and quote a short span for attribution; we never republish their article. 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