Jared Koch· Aug 14, 2026
Koch expects Houston to move forward with just C.J. Stroud and Davis Mills as their active quarterbacks once the regular season begins, with Stroud starting and Mills backing him up, while the team signs another arm to take preseason snaps and possibly compete for a 53-man roster spot.
“Stroud and Mills can certainly keep things afloat in the room by themselves, and will likely be the only two players who are activated on gamedays once the regular season arrives”
published in writing · Sports Illustrated · read the original →
2 checkable claims — 2 depth chart calls — each graded on its own rather than as one all-or-nothing bet.
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 2 unsettled calls enough other pundits have weighed in on, this one lands above the room on 1 and below it on 1.
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Who this take is about
2 checkable claims in this take
Each one is scored on its own against the published methodology. A pundit naming several outcomes is graded on each, not on all-or-nothing.
- Depth Chart CallsDavis MillsHouston TexansAug 14, 2026
Davis Mills to be 2nd on the depth chart
“Mertz was set to enter the year for Houston as their QB3 on the depth chart behind Stroud and Mills ... Stroud and Mills ... will likely be the only two players who are activated on gamedays once the regular season arrives”
Not settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
- Depth Chart CallsC.J. StroudHouston TexansAug 14, 2026
C.J. Stroud to be 1st on the depth chart
“Stroud and Mills can certainly keep things afloat in the room by themselves, and will likely be the only two players who are activated on gamedays once the regular season arrives, barring any other injuries that pop up.”
Not settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
What others said about the same people
- Colin CowherdGame Outcome Picks · Houston TexansMiss · 0Cowherd repeats his claim that Caleb Williams will be viewed as a top four or five quarterback by the end of the season, restates his preseason pick of the Ravens to win their division, and expects a angry Houston defense to beat Cincinnati on Sunday.
- Chris BroussardGame Outcome Picks · Houston TexansMiss · 0Brew stood by the Lions as division winners and playoff team, picked the Texans over Cincinnati, the Bears over Minnesota, the Patriots to beat Pittsburgh with a solid Drake Maye game, flagged Jacksonville over Denver as his upset alert, and said he still feels good about the Ravens winning the AFC.
- Greg JenningsGame Outcome Picks · Houston TexansMiss · 0Jennings 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.
- Nick WrightGame Outcome Picks · Houston TexansMiss · 0Wright stuck by his preseason call of a 12-5 Bills team that wins its division, picked the Jaguars to beat Denver outright, leaned Texans over Cincinnati, still has Atlanta as his deep sleeper, counts New England among his 14 playoff teams, and recalled pegging Washington for a 5-12 or 6-11 year with a bottom-six defense.
- John GranatoGame Outcome Picks · Houston TexansMiss · 0Despite the Texans' injuries at wide receiver, he picked Houston to beat Cincinnati in their upcoming game.
- Lance ZierleinGame Outcome Picks · Houston TexansMiss · 0Zierlein expected Nico Collins to sit out with his injury, and said that despite the tough matchup he had already submitted the Texans as his pick over Cincinnati.
More depth chart calls
The same kind of call, about other players and teams.
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- Matt SeveranceDepth Chart Calls · Deshaun WatsonHit · 100The 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.
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- Rich HribarDepth Chart Calls · Tua TagovailoaMiss · 0Hribar 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.
- Bradley LockerDepth Chart Calls · Carson WentzHit · 100PFF'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.
- Tyler SullivanDepth Chart Calls · Michael Penix Jr.Miss · 0In 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.