# Ralph Vacchiano: Vacchiano says the Saints, whom he had already called the NFC's biggest surprise of the season, are good enough to win the weak NFC South, though not yet a championship contender. **Claimed:** Sep 21, 2026 **Pundit:** Ralph Vacchiano — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/pundits/ralph-vacchiano **How it reached us:** published in writing **Original:** https://www.foxsports.com/stories/nfl/nfl-fallout-week-2-justin-herbert-overrated-now-hes-hurting-chargers 2 checkable claims — 1 division winner and 1 surprise team call — each graded on its own rather than as one all-or-nothing bet. None of them have settled yet — they grade once their results are in. > The Saints probably aren't a championship contender yet, but they're good enough to finish on top of the weak NFC South. *(their words, quoted for attribution)* ## The claims - **New Orleans Saints to win the division** - Kind: Division Winners · About: New Orleans Saints - Verdict: not settled yet - **New Orleans Saints to beat expectations** - Kind: Surprise Team Calls · About: New Orleans Saints - Verdict: not settled yet ## Who this take is about - New Orleans Saints — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/teams/saints ## What others said about the same people - Jake Ciely on Romeo Doubs: On a Fantasy Pros free-agency show, Jake Seely gave his projected 2026 landing spots for a long list of free agents, including Aaron Rodgers to Minnesota, Daniel Jones back to Indianapolis, Malik Willis to Miami, Alec Pierce to the Raiders, Mike Evans to the 49ers, Deebo Samuel to Pittsburgh, Kenneth Walker to Arizona, Breece Hall to Kansas City and Kyle Pitts and Dallas Goedert re-signing with their current teams. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/9c205f56-6491-4dfc-8372-f92cf488d31f (scored 0) - Cynthia Frelund on Shedeur Sanders: In her first mock draft for 2025, Frelund has the Titans taking Travis Hunter first overall rather than a quarterback, and Shedeur Sanders going ninth to the Saints; she also says her simulations have Hunter off the board no later than third overall. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/2d86f5ad-6457-40a4-85e1-c1dee383b13a (scored 0.29) - Rich Hribar on Derek Carr: Hribar published his 2023 fantasy football quarterback tiers, ordering 41 quarterbacks into eight tiers that reflect how he prioritizes drafting the position, with Josh Allen, Jalen Hurts and Patrick Mahomes in the top tier as the trio most likely to finish as the overall QB1. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/9d1e15ad-f96d-457c-ad9f-25882182e28b (scored 100) - Doug Joubert on Daniel Carlson: Joubert expects Daniel Carlson to win the Saints' place kicker job, as reflected in the site's final 53-man roster projection. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/a033fb58-794c-40be-88ea-bc10e06f0617 (scored 100) - Ross Jackson on Spencer Rattler: Ross Jackson gives his final preseason 53-man roster projection for the New Orleans Saints, naming who makes the initial roster at every position group, who starts on injured reserve or the practice squad, and who the five starting offensive linemen and kicker will be. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/b43691e9-1673-4236-ba12-7d60ad3b95f5 (scored 100) - Ross Jackson on Chris Rumph II: Ross Jackson lays out his early defensive 53-man roster projection for the 2026 Saints, naming five edge rushers, four interior defensive linemen, five cornerbacks, five linebackers and five safeties, plus his kicker, punter and long snapper, and sends Mike Heldman, Chris Rumph and Jackson Sirmon to the practice squad. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/43240125-25d4-4060-bbc1-fa62fe5cd6d9 (scored 0) ## More division winners The same kind of call, about other players and teams. - Daniel DiBerardinis on Atlanta Falcons: Danny D predicts Sonny Styles goes in the top ten (maybe top five), doesn't think Ty Simpson goes before late first round, says Kenyon Sadiq lands with the Rams at 13, and picks the Falcons to win the NFC South while naming the Bengals an AFC bounce-back team. He also gives a Final Four of Michigan, Florida, Purdue and Arizona with Michigan winning. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/8a8e0b7c-9f1c-4c13-8138-1332d73b9b02 (scored 0) - Colin Cowherd on New York Giants: Cowherd projects the NFC East with the Giants winning the division ahead of Philadelphia, Washington and Dallas, pegging the Cowboys as a six- or seven-win team. He also expects Malik Willis to land a big free-agent deal, Kayvon Thibodeaux to be moved, and Baltimore to lose Isaiah Likely, and he floats the Rams reaching on Ty Simpson late in round one. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/cd243624-9451-4824-a8a4-7b468d681c8f (scored 0) - Colin Cowherd on Los Angeles Chargers: Cowherd unveiled his top 10 NFL teams entering next season, with Seattle first, the Rams second and the Chiefs tenth, and separately picked the Chargers to win the AFC West. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/78de302a-c2f9-41b4-8897-87943ca44caa (scored 0) - Colin Cowherd on Baltimore Ravens: Cowherd likes Jacksonville, Chicago and Pittsburgh (with DK Metcalf back) in the wild-card round, ranks the league's head coaches with McVay first and Ben Johnson seventh, and predicts Lamar Jackson has about two strong years left. He also names the Rams as a possible team to draft a receiver and floats next year's draft having seven first-round quarterbacks. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/432d7268-d5b1-49f6-9435-12c9442d3023 (scored 0) - Danny Parkins on Baltimore Ravens: Parkins lays the points with the Eagles and Cowboys, takes Baltimore to beat Pittsburgh and win the AFC North, picks Carolina over Tampa Bay and Seattle over San Francisco, and says he'd probably pick the Rams to come out of the NFC. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/23bf1e09-f607-4b9a-bdb4-888da7992c89 (scored 0) - Rich Eisen on Jacksonville Jaguars: Eisen forecast the Week 18 results and the entire wild-card field: Buccaneers over Panthers but Carolina still gets in as the 5 seed when Atlanta beats New Orleans, 49ers over Seahawks, Ravens over Steelers, Jaguars beating Tennessee to win the AFC South, and six wild-card matchups (Seahawks-Panthers, Bills-Jaguars, Texans-Ravens, Packers-Bears, Chargers-Patriots, Rams-Eagles), with Houston upsetting Baltimore. He also tabbed Saints rookie Tyler Shough as a possible Offensive Rookie of the Year. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/34345186-876a-4c4b-9567-9c289a6cbace (scored 100) --- 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.thegoodapps.co/methodology We summarize what a pundit said and quote a short span for attribution; we never republish their article. If this is wrong, tell us: https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/corrections?pundit=ralph-vacchiano