Gregg Rosenthal#39 of 87 NFL pundits · Sep 3, 2026
Rosenthal says Kirk Cousins is a solid bridge starter but that Fernando Mendoza should take over as the Raiders' starting quarterback around week four or five, after only about four or five Cousins starts. They also predict the Raiders win only five or six games.
Said on air or in an interview · The Rich Eisen Podcast (podcast)Hear the original
What Gregg Rosenthal said
our reading, beside the words we read it fromSo I think we'll only have to wait about four or five weeks till till we see Mendoza.
- Where it was said
- The Rich Eisen Podcast (podcast)
- The episode
- The NFL Report: Raiders Name Kirk Cousins Their Starting QB + AFC West Predictions
- The original
- Hear the original
- Read it wrong?
- Tell us and we will look
- 1Las Vegas Raiders to finish with 6 wins“I think it might be tough for them to win more than five or six games because of the out-of-division schedule”
- 2Fernando Mendoza to be 1st on the depth chart“So week four, week five, somewhere in that. Area makes a lot of sense to me... I think we'll only have to wait about four or five weeks till we see Mendoza.”
Box score
HitCloseMissWaiting| Verdict | Call | Kind | What happened | Score | Naive | Skill |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Las Vegas Raiders to finish with 6 wins1 | Season Win Totals | — | — | — | — | |
| Fernando Mendoza to be 1st on the depth chart2 | Depth Chart Calls | — | — | — | — | |
| 2 calls · 2 waiting | — | — | ||||
How each call scored
2 checkable claims — 1 depth chart call and 1 season win total — each graded on its own rather than as one all-or-nothing call.
It names 2 players and teams, each linked to their own record.
None of them have settled yet — they grade once their results are in.
Of the 2 unsettled calls enough other pundits have weighed in on, this one lands below the rest of the room on every one.
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 season81 calls from 53 pundits between 1 and 3. Gregg Rosenthal said 1. 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.
Their call against the room
winsTheir call against everyone else's, while this is still unsettled.
1Season Win TotalsLas Vegas Raiders
Las Vegas Raiders to finish with 6 wins
VerdictWaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
2Depth Chart CallsFernando MendozaLas Vegas Raiders
Fernando Mendoza to be 1st on the depth chart
VerdictWaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
Who this take is about
Others on the same people
Chris Broussard · Game Outcome Picks · Las Vegas Raiders · Hit 100
Broussard picked the Ravens to beat the Bills in a shootout, 38-34, took the Raiders to upset the Jets, and said Detroit would beat the Vikings.John Breech · Score Predictions · Las Vegas Raiders · Hit 95
Breech's Week 8 score predictions include Bengals over Titans, Raiders over Jets, Rams over Chargers and Patriots over Dolphins.Tyler Sullivan · Game Outcome Picks · Las Vegas Raiders · Hit 100
Sullivan's Week 8 upset alert column flags five favorites they expect to lose: they pick the Falcons over the Buccaneers, the Raiders over the Jets, the undefeated Vikings over the Lions, the Ravens (with Lamar Jackson returning) over the Bills, and the Browns over the Steelers.Ezekiel Trezevant · Game Outcome Picks · Las Vegas Raiders · Hit 100
Trezevant argues that if the Raiders are as improved as they appeared at 3-0, they should beat the Jets in Week 8 on the road and end their four-game losing streak.
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.