# Ralph Ventre: Ventre expects Shane Buechele to serve as Buffalo's third quarterback behind Josh Allen and Kyle Allen, Frank Gore Jr. to be the team's RB4, and suggests Greg Dortch may take over as the Bills' punt returner. **Claimed:** Aug 31, 2026 **Pundit:** Ralph Ventre — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/pundits/ralph-ventre **Outlet:** Sports Illustrated — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/outlets/sports-illustrated **How it reached us:** published in writing **Original:** https://www.si.com/nfl/bills/onsi/transactions-buffalo-bills-practice-squad-tracker-who-joining-team-s-16-player-reserve-unit 3 checkable claims — 3 depth chart calls — each graded on its own rather than as one all-or-nothing bet. It names 4 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. > He'll be the Bills' third quarterback with only Josh Allen and Kyle Allen on the 53-man roster. *(their words, quoted for attribution)* ## The claims - **Shane Buechele to be 3rd on the depth chart** - Kind: Depth Chart Calls · About: Shane Buechele, Buffalo Bills - Verdict: not settled yet - **Frank Gore Jr. to be 4th on the depth chart** - Kind: Depth Chart Calls · About: Frank Gore Jr., Buffalo Bills - Verdict: not settled yet - **Greg Dortch to be 1st on the depth chart** - Kind: Depth Chart Calls · About: Greg Dortch, Buffalo Bills - Verdict: not settled yet ## Who this take is about - Shane Buechele — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/players/shane-buechele - Buffalo Bills — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/teams/bills - Frank Gore Jr. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/players/frank-gore-jr - Greg Dortch — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/players/greg-dortch ## What others said about the same people - Tyler Sullivan on Buffalo Bills: Sullivan picks the Bills 31-27 over the Lions and the Eagles to beat the Titans 27-17. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/a81fc2f3-5937-4fe2-b19f-098cffc7a412 (scored 85.71) - Jordan Dajani on Buffalo Bills: Dajani picks the Bills 36-30 over the Lions and the Texans to beat the Bengals 27-23 in Houston. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/6937b9aa-572a-4449-821a-32af833332f6 (scored 90.48) - Jared Dubin on Buffalo Bills: Dubin picks the Bills to win a shootout over the Lions 35-32 and takes the Patriots to beat the Steelers 21-13. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/cd11d340-9a85-435f-ba75-832fd87185ab (scored 83.33) - John Breech on Buffalo Bills: Breech picks the Bills to beat the Lions 38-31 on Thursday night, floats the game as a Super Bowl preview, and takes the Cardinals to upset the Seahawks 20-17 in Week 2. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/f42c4080-99e0-449b-b2fa-05e18ce6f922 (scored 92.86) - Pete Prisco on Buffalo Bills: Prisco picks the Bills 36-30 over the Lions and has the Jaguars upsetting the Broncos 23-20 in Denver. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/41f7100c-a241-4e65-b1d3-78bdcbe1e16e (scored 90.48) - Jared Dubin on Buffalo Bills: Unsigned CBS Sports preview of Bills-Lions picks Buffalo to win a high-scoring Thursday night game 35-31, and expects Larry Borom to step in as Detroit's starting right tackle for the injured Blake Miller. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/ffa356f2-a1ca-4bd2-88cf-02bc5f2d829e (scored 85.71) ## More depth chart calls The same kind of call, about other players and teams. - Rich Hribar on Malik Willis: Hribar previews the Week 1 Dolphins-Raiders game, calling Malik Willis a strong floor-based QB2 for fantasy, noting Kirk Cousins is the Raiders' starter and not a Week 1 streamer in 1QB leagues, and listing expected defensive starters for both teams. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/0ff48079-418b-4d5a-9eb2-6e66b0e6f6e1 (scored 100) - Randy Gurzi on Jadarian Price: Gurzi suggests the Seahawks could sign three free agents — safety Donovan Wilson, guard Kevin Zeitler, and running back Kareem Hunt — if weaknesses show up after Week 1. He also notes Trevon Diggs starting on the practice squad and describes Seattle's projected backfield roles. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/350eed1b-4675-4a2d-aaf5-812e20678283 (scored 100) - Tyler Sullivan on Malik Willis: An unsigned CBS Sports preseason review grading all 32 teams, which along the way stakes out a number of depth-chart calls for Week 1 and beyond — including Deshaun Watson opening as Cleveland's starter, Fernando Mendoza taking over as Las Vegas' QB1 by season's end, and Minnesota's Murray-Wentz-McCarthy quarterback order. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/054d7c3e-baca-4414-b3dd-72c4eced2725 (scored 100) - Warren Sharp on Kirk Cousins: Sharp argues Raiders rookie No. 1 overall pick Fernando Mendoza is not ready to play, predicting he won't start Week 1 or Week 2 and that Kirk Cousins will be the Week 1 starter, with Mendoza sitting behind him for a long stretch. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/f6c6fdb0-ba07-4779-bdb0-bed9dfc089c6 (scored 100) - Greg Auman on Malik Willis: Auman states Malik Willis will be Miami's Week 1 starting quarterback and the player the Dolphins build their season around, despite having only six career starts. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/4954ba44-5b36-43a2-9dcf-26538ad31e26 (scored 100) - Carter Bahns on Kirk Cousins: The newsletter says Shedeur Sanders' preseason Week 2 start may have won him the Browns' starting quarterback job over Deshaun Watson, and that Kirk Cousins will lead the Raiders' offense in Week 1. It also asserts Florida is the best college basketball team heading into 2026-27. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/551a6c15-18a9-488d-a1c2-52e7643735cd (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-ventre