Tyler Sullivan#27 of 87 NFL pundits · Aug 17, 2026
A preseason overreaction piece: Kirk Cousins, not rookie Fernando Mendoza, will start Week 1 for the Raiders; 49ers second-rounder De'Zhaun Stribling could be the most productive rookie receiver in 2026 and the team's top target; Cam Ward's rough preseason isn't a real problem; Drew Allar isn't yet Pittsburgh's 2027 starter; and D.J. Moore will boost Buffalo's offense.
Published in writing · CBS SportsRead the original
What Tyler Sullivan said
our reading, beside the words we read it fromWhen accounting for the situation that he's in, Stribling could rival being the most productive wideout in his rookie class in 2026.
- Where it was published
- CBS Sports
- The piece
- NFL preseason Week 1 overreactions: Do Titans have Cam Ward problem? Niners have OROY candidate at WR
- The original
- Read the original
- Read it wrong?
- Tell us and we will look
- SaidAug 17
- PlayedSep 13
- GradedSep 18
- 1Kirk Cousins to be 1st on the depth chart“Raiders will start Fernando Mendoza in Week 1 — Overreaction ... head coach Klint Kubiak even acknowledged recently that the QB1 job for Week 1 is Cousins' to lose.”
- 2De'Zhaun Stribling to finish top 1 at his position, by receiving yards“De'Zhaun Stribling may have the most productive season among all rookie WRs — Overreaction or reality: Reality”
- 3Drew Allar to be 2nd on the depth chart“Drew Allar is the future QB1 in Pittsburgh — Overreaction ... it's far too early to pencil him in as QB1 in 2027”
- 4De'Zhaun Stribling to be 1st on the depth chart“it's not out of the realm of possibility that Stribling emerges as the top target for Brock Purdy in the receiver room”
- 5Fernando Mendoza to be 2nd on the depth chart“thrusting him up to QB1 after that performance would be premature ... the best way to usher a young quarterback into the NFL is to have him begin the season behind an established veteran”
Box score
HitCloseMissWaiting| Verdict | Call | Kind | What happened | Score | Naive | Skill |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kirk Cousins to be 1st on the depth chart1 | Depth Chart Calls | — | 100 | 0 | +200 | |
| De'Zhaun Stribling to finish top 1 at his position, by receiving yards2 | Positional Finishes | — | — | — | — | |
| Drew Allar to be 2nd on the depth chart3 | Depth Chart Calls | — | — | — | — | |
| De'Zhaun Stribling to be 1st on the depth chart4 | Depth Chart Calls | — | — | — | — | |
| Fernando Mendoza to be 2nd on the depth chart5 | Depth Chart Calls | — | — | — | — | |
| 5 calls · 1 hit · 4 waiting | 100 | 0 | ||||
How each call scored
a naive guessbetter than naive5 checkable claims — 4 depth chart calls and 1 positional finish — each graded on its own rather than as one all-or-nothing call.
It names 7 players and teams, each linked to their own record.
1 of 5 have settled so far, averaging 100 out of 100, against 0 for a naive guess at the same calls.
Of the 3 unsettled calls enough other pundits have weighed in on, this one lands above the room on 2 and below it on 1.
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
Fernando Mendoza · 2026 season53 calls from 41 pundits between 1 and 3. Tyler Sullivan said 2. 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.
1Depth Chart CallsKirk CousinsLas Vegas Raiders
Kirk Cousins to be 1st on the depth chart
VerdictHit100Hit · naive 0100this call−0a naive guess=100better than naive×2difficulty=+200skillThink this is wrong?How this was scored
- club:
- LV
- week:
- 1
- skill:
- 200
- player:
- Kirk Cousins
- season:
- 2026
- claimed:
- he starts
- accuracy:
- 100
- baseline:
- 0
- position:
- quarterback
- reported:
- named the starter
- naive slot:
- 2
- settled by:
- a confirmed report from the crawl (reported outcomes)
- difficulty:
- 2
- the naive guess:
- he keeps the job he had last season
- weeks in the season:
- 18
- weeks left when called:
- 18
2Positional FinishesDe'Zhaun StriblingSan Francisco 49ers
De'Zhaun Stribling to finish top 1 at his position, by receiving yards
VerdictWaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
3Depth Chart CallsDrew AllarPittsburgh Steelers
Drew Allar to be 2nd on the depth chart
VerdictWaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
4Depth Chart CallsDe'Zhaun StriblingSan Francisco 49ers
De'Zhaun Stribling to be 1st on the depth chart
VerdictWaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
5Depth Chart CallsFernando MendozaLas Vegas Raiders
Fernando Mendoza to be 2nd on the depth chart
VerdictWaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
The game in this take
every pundit’s pick on eachWho this take is about
Others on the same people
Logan Lazarczyk · Trade and Signing Calls · Kirk Cousins · Hit 100
Ahead of the trade deadline, they float three Raiders moves: shipping Kirk Cousins to Minnesota if the Vikings offer a second-round pick, selling Maxx Crosby to Dallas for a first-rounder plus, and acquiring Jaguars receiver Brian Thomas Jr. for a second- or third-round pick.Tom Pelissero · Trade and Signing Calls · Kirk Cousins · Hit 100
Pelissero laid out the Giants' quarterback situation with Jameis Winston starting, said Jayden Daniels likely won't be back when Washington plays the Giants and that Caleb Williams is unlikely to play Monday night, and floated Joey Porter Jr. landing in Dallas and Kirk Cousins being traded in-season.Alex Curry · Trade and Signing Calls · Kirk Cousins · Hit 100
Curry expects Fernando Mendoza to be taken No. 1 overall by the Raiders and to be thrown into the starting lineup immediately, and they say Kirk Cousins will be released by Atlanta within weeks.
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.