Hondo Carpenter#14 of 87 NFL pundits · Nov 10, 2026

Carpenter reports the Cousins trade and states that Fernando Mendoza will take over as the Raiders' starting quarterback, with Aidan O'Connell as their backup, beginning with Sunday's game against the Seahawks.

Published in writing · Sports IllustratedRead the original

Waiting3 calls, none settled yet

—Average accuracynothing settled yet

—A naive guessthe same calls, no knowledge

0 of 3Settled3 still waiting

#14Hondo Carpenter’s rankof 87 ranked NFL pundits

What Hondo Carpenter said

our reading, beside the words we read it from

Aidan O'Connell will now be the backup to the new starter: the 2026 NFL Draft No. 1 overall pick and the youngster NFL executives ranked the best QB prospect in the last four years, Fernando Mendoza.

Hondo Carpenter, the lead quote · each call’s own words are below

Where it was published: Sports Illustrated
The piece: Raiders Trade Kirk Cousins to Vikings: Here Are the Details
The original: Read the original
Read it wrong?: Tell us and we will look

1Availability Calls“Mendoza will start this Sunday versus the defending Super Bowl Champions, the Seattle Seahawks, and a new era of Raiders football begins.”
2Fernando Mendoza to be 1st on the depth chart“Aidan O’Connell will now be the backup to the new starter: ... Fernando Mendoza. ... Mendoza will start this Sunday versus the defending Super Bowl Champions, the Seattle Seahawks”
3Aidan O'Connell to be 2nd on the depth chart“Aidan O’Connell will now be the backup to the new starter”

Box score

HitCloseMissWaiting

Call	Kind	What happened	Score	Naive	Skill
“Mendoza will start this Sunday versus the defending Super Bowl…”¹	Availability Calls	—	—	—	—
Fernando Mendoza to be 1st on the depth chart²	Depth Chart Calls	—	—	—	—
Aidan O'Connell to be 2nd on the depth chart³	Depth Chart Calls	—	—	—	—
3 calls · 3 waiting			—	—

How each call scored

3 checkable claims — 2 depth chart calls and 1 availability call — each graded on its own rather than as one all-or-nothing call.

It names 3 players and teams, each linked to their own record.

None of them have settled yet — they grade once their results are in.

Of the 1 unsettled call enough other pundits have weighed in on, this one lands below the rest of the room.

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 season

Hondo Carpenter — 1the room — 81 calls from 53 punditsmedian 1

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.

1Availability Calls Fernando Mendoza Las Vegas Raiders
“Mendoza will start this Sunday versus the defending Super Bowl Champions, the Seattle Seahawks, and a new era of Raiders football begins.”
VerdictWaiting
Not settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
Think this is wrong?
2Depth Chart Calls Fernando Mendoza Las Vegas Raiders
Fernando Mendoza to be 1st on the depth chart
VerdictWaiting
Not settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
Think this is wrong?
3Depth Chart Calls Aidan O'Connell Las Vegas Raiders
Aidan O'Connell to be 2nd on the depth chart
VerdictWaiting
Not settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
Think this is wrong?

Who this take is about

Where do you stand on this one?Pick every open claim on Picks →

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.
Connor Rogers · Game Outcome Picks · Las Vegas Raiders · Hit 100
Rogers picked straight-up winners across the Week 8 slate, siding with the Bills over the Ravens, the Lions, Steelers, Jaguars, Bengals, Falcons, Raiders, Broncos, Rams, Patriots, Commanders and the Bears in Seattle.
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.
Richard Sherman · Game Outcome Picks · Las Vegas Raiders · Hit 100
Sherman kept their top five unchanged in concept but shuffled it to 49ers, Bills, Vikings, Chiefs, Bears, and made Week 8 picks across the slate, including Seattle over Chicago 27-17 and a begrudging Lions pick over Minnesota.

More depth chart calls

The same kind of call, about other players and teams.

Jeremy Brener · Depth Chart Calls · Drew Lock · Hit 100
Brener picked the Seahawks to beat the Cardinals in Week 9 by a multi-score margin, giving a final score of 27-13, and expressed confidence Seattle would be fine with Drew Lock starting at quarterback.
Jeremy Brener · Depth Chart Calls · Jalen Milroe · Miss 0
Brener suggests Seattle may turn to rookie-contract quarterback Jalen Milroe for their first career start in Week 9 against the Cardinals, with Sam Darnold ruled out and Drew Lock dealing with an elbow injury.
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.
Zachary Pereles · Depth Chart Calls · Shedeur Sanders · Hit 100
Pereles writes that if Deshaun Watson can't clear concussion protocol in time, the Browns would likely turn to second-year quarterback Shedeur Sanders to start Week 9 against the Saints.
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.
Garrett Podell · Depth Chart Calls · Carson Beck · Miss 0
Podell argues the Cardinals have maxed out with Jacoby Brissett and that rookie Carson Beck should be ramped up to replace them as starter, targeting Week 8 at Dallas for Beck's regular-season debut.