# Zack Kelberman: Kelberman expects veteran guard Calvin Throckmorton to start at center for Denver's preseason opener at Atlanta before undrafted rookie Gavin Ortega takes over, and doubts Quinn Meinerz will play center in that game. **Claimed:** Aug 12, 2026 **Pundit:** Zack Kelberman — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/pundits/zack-kelberman **Outlet:** Sports Illustrated — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/outlets/sports-illustrated **How it reached us:** published in writing **Original:** https://www.si.com/nfl/broncos/onsi/michael-deiter-season-ending-quad-injury One checkable claim, graded on its own against what actually happened. It names 2 players and teams, each linked to their own record. Nothing to score yet: this grades once the result is in. Of the 1 unsettled call enough other pundits have weighed in on, this one lands below the rest of the room. > It's possible, if not probable, that Throckmorton remains there for Friday's preseason opener at Atlanta before giving way to undrafted rookie C Gavin Ortega. *(their words, quoted for attribution)* ## The claims - **Calvin Throckmorton to be 1st on the depth chart** - Kind: Depth Chart Calls · About: Calvin Throckmorton, Denver Broncos - Verdict: not settled yet ## Who this take is about - Calvin Throckmorton — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/players/calvin-throckmorton - Denver Broncos — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/teams/broncos ## What others said about the same people - Greg Jennings on Denver Broncos: Jennings put the Cardinals up as his upset alert over Seattle, backed the Texans over Cincinnati and the Bears over Minnesota with chips, put two chips on Denver beating Jacksonville, and wrote a headline of the Packers beating the Jets; he also called the Bengals a playoff team and the Chiefs winners over Indianapolis. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/420d3e29-6224-43a2-8d68-b15c864838cd (scored 100) - Lance Sanderson on Denver Broncos: Sanderson thinks Denver cleans up its play on both sides of the ball and wins a close one. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/321608f8-aa29-4e5d-bde1-b61f037eeb04 (scored 88.1) - Bob Morris on Denver Broncos: Morris expects cleaner tackling and offensive rhythm to give Denver a close win. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/f55c74eb-160d-4e25-bffe-b80da0ffc07b (scored 90.48) - Keith Cummings on Denver Broncos: Cummings predicts Denver cleans things up and wins in overtime on a Wil Lutz field goal. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/8258d3ea-47e0-42b5-b7d4-ba8b87c5d3e2 (scored 90.48) - Carl Dumler on Denver Broncos: Dumler sees the Broncos bouncing back behind the run game and the home crowd, winning on a late field goal. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/5d678b42-fd27-46f9-9862-273c8ca6b771 (scored 90.48) - Chad Jensen on Denver Broncos: Jensen, leaning on Sean Payton and Bo Nix's track record, picks a low-scoring Denver win over Jacksonville. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/a8afb813-bddb-460a-ab61-73a99e5d643a (scored 88.1) ## More depth chart calls The same kind of call, about other players and teams. - Pat Fitzmaurice on Aaron Jones: In previewing the 10 most intriguing fantasy performers of Week 2, Fitzmaurice expects Atlanta's quarterback problems to persist with Tua Tagovailoa unlikely to play and Michael Penix Jr. not ready to return, flags Falcons slot corner Billy Bowman Jr. as a possible Week 2 returnee, and describes Aaron Jones as Minnesota's lead back and Kaelon Black as the clear backup to Christian McCaffrey in San Francisco. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/31adc8bb-8f15-453f-bbcf-cab44e29b8b3 (scored 100) - Matt Severance on Deshaun Watson: The CBS Sports preview backs Tampa Bay to beat Cleveland in the Bucs' Week 2 home opener, and states that Deshaun Watson — not Shedeur Sanders — will be Cleveland's starting quarterback in Week 2. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/944568ce-7205-409f-8354-a392016fd8bf (scored 100) - Rafael Zamorano on Deshaun Watson: Zamorano reports Watson will start Week 2 at Tampa Bay and suggests there's little reason to expect improvement, raising the possibility Watson's five-year contract never yields more than single-digit wins. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/d7d7e0a2-61e0-4525-970b-b01a2356f11b (scored 100) - Rich Hribar on Tua Tagovailoa: Hribar expects Tua Tagovailoa to be Atlanta's starting quarterback for Week 2 while Michael Penix stays out, with Penix's return closer to Week 4. He is unenthusiastic about the Falcons' offense either way and treats Bryce Young as a fringe fantasy starter. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/124ac755-a942-4382-8bad-177da7f8170d (scored 0) - Bradley Locker on Carson Wentz: PFF's unsigned adjusted power rankings after Week 1 of the 2026 season place the Bills first, the Rams second and the Dolphins last, with notes on quarterback situations in Seattle, Minnesota and Cleveland. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/a3716f21-0488-4fc8-a414-c25c2d781a6e (scored 100) - Tyler Sullivan on Michael Penix Jr.: In a Week 1 recap with no named byline, CBS Sports suggested Michael Penix Jr. would take over as Atlanta's Week 2 starter if healthy, called Ashton Jeanty's sophomore breakout imminent, and warned readers not to overlook San Francisco as NFC West winners. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/1000d8d0-5de1-405e-b8ce-255cde75a32d (scored 0) --- 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=zack-kelberman