Ranger pondering his predictions

Back in the preseason, we asked Rangers to predict the Free Jacks’ week-by-week record through the 2026 regular season. At the halfway mark, the standings in our little prediction contest look almost as chaotic as the actual season.

The Free Jacks are sitting at 1–4 through Week 6, which is not exactly what most of us had penciled in after three straight titles. The lone bright spot so far was the Week 5 win over Anthem RC, but the losses to California, Old Glory, Chicago, and Seattle have turned a lot of preseason confidence into cold, hard spreadsheet regret.

Leading the pack right now is MLRStats and NARugbyDB guru James Deeley, who has nailed 4 of the first 5 results. That is especially impressive because it required being considerably less optimistic than the rest of us.

Right behind, with 3 correct picks, are Beaver Paw, TBD, Ranger Jules, Ranger John, Ranger Bunny, Ray, Ranger Frank, freejack fitzy, Ross Parlon, and — importantly — Bozo6. Bozo6 may have been bracing for turbulence, correctly calling the Seattle loss and avoiding the full sunshine-and-rainbows trap.

Meanwhile, we have to give special attention to the TJRS Outriders: Uncle Phil, Diamond Dave, and Bozo6. Uncle Phil and Diamond Dave are both sitting at 2 correct, which puts them in the giant middle of the table: not buried, not bragging, just waiting for the second half to make them look wise. Bozo6, though, is currently the best of the call-out crew at 3 correct, proving that sometimes the weirdest-looking prediction sheet name is the one you should fear.

The most surprising misses? Almost everyone expected a home win over Old Glory DC. Instead, Old Glory came into New England and stole it 21–19. The Seattle result was another bracket-buster: most Rangers picked the Free Jacks at home, but Seattle walked away with a 27–11 win.

The most optimistic predictions belong to Ranger Muppet and Ranger Becca, who both called for a perfect 10–0 run. That dream lasted until Week 2, when California handed New England a 43–5 loss — officially a very rude way to start a prediction contest.

There is still plenty of season left, and that means plenty of room for redemption, collapse, chaos, and spreadsheet arguments. At the halfway mark, though, the Rangers who believed in a bumpy road are the ones wearing the crown.