Lance Zierlein· May 22, 2026
Zierlein picked the Spurs to win their upcoming home games against Oklahoma City and said the series would be 3-1 after four games; he also suggested the Rockets should win a playoff series in 2026-27. He argued Matthew Stafford is the second-best quarterback in the NFL right now, expects Stafford out of the league by the third year, and predicted Ty Simpson will play no meaningful football for his first two Rams seasons. He also thinks Kansas City will regress and is confident in the Texans in the AFC.
“He's definitely ahead of Lamar Jackson. He's definitely ahead of Joe Burrow. He's definitely ahead of Pat Mahomes.”
said on air, transcribed by us · John and Lance — ESPN Houston (podcast) · read the original →
2 checkable claims — 1 depth chart call and 1 positional finishe — 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.
Where this call stands in the room
Ty Simpson · 2026 season12 calls from 9 pundits between 1 and 3. Lance Zierlein said 2. the room's median is 2. 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 record
positional finishTheir call against what actually happened last time. Not yet settled.
Where do you stand? Pick this and every open claim on Picks →
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.
Matthew Stafford to finish top 2 at his position, by passing yards
“Second best quarterback in the league right now. Yeah. Why not?... He's definitely ahead of Lamar Jackson. He's definitely ahead of Joe Burrow. He's definitely ahead of Pat Mahomes.”
Too vague to check — we could not tell what would count as right.
- Depth Chart CallsTy SimpsonLos Angeles RamsMay 22, 2026
Ty Simpson to be 2nd on the depth chart
“if Stafford stays healthy, will play no meaningful football for the first two years at the Rams”
Not settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
What others said about the same people
- Nick ShookRoster Spot Calls · Aaron DonaldHit · 100Shook unveiled his first NFL power rankings of the year, putting the Rams first, the Broncos second and the defending champion Seahawks only third, with the Dolphins last.
- Jared DubinScore Predictions · Los Angeles RamsMiss · 26Dubin picks the Rams, Texans, Ravens, Bengals, Packers, Cowboys and Broncos in Week 1 with exact scores, and says the Rams are his pick to win the Super Bowl this season.
- Jordan DajaniScore Predictions · Los Angeles RamsMiss · 12Dajani picks the Rams over the 49ers, Texans over Bills, Ravens over Colts, Bengals over Buccaneers, Vikings over Packers, Cowboys over Giants and Broncos over Chiefs in Week 1, with exact scores. He also predicts the Bills win the AFC East, the Cowboys win their division, and Caleb Downs wins Defensive Rookie of the Year.
- Jared DubinScore Predictions · Los Angeles RamsMiss · 26The unsigned CBS Sports preview picks the Rams to beat the 49ers 31-21 in the Week 1 game in Melbourne, and also names the Rams as its Super Bowl winner for the season.
- Mike FlorioScore Predictions · Los Angeles RamsMiss · 29Florio gives score predictions for every Week 1 game of the 2026 NFL season, including an opening-night upset by the Patriots in Seattle and narrow home wins for the Giants and Chiefs.
- Gilberto ManzanoGame Outcome Picks · Los Angeles RamsMiss · 0Manzano's Week 1 straight-up picks for all 16 games.
More depth chart calls
The same kind of call, about other players and teams.
- Tyler SullivanDepth Chart Calls · Drew LockMiss · 0In an unsigned Week 2 odds roundup, the piece states that with Sam Darnold hurt, Drew Lock will likely start at quarterback for Seattle against Arizona.
- Ralph VacchianoDepth Chart Calls · Tua TagovailoaMiss · 0Vacchiano ranks all 32 NFL teams entering the 2026 season, with the Rams first and Dolphins last. He also flags the Giants as a potential surprise team with a top-10 defense, and notes Deshaun Watson won Cleveland's QB job while Tua Tagovailoa starts Week 1 in Atlanta.
- Pat FitzmauriceDepth Chart Calls · Kyler MurrayHit · 100Fitzmaurice touts Kyler Murray as a value QB who will start Week 1 for Minnesota, Tyler Shough as the Saints' undisputed starter, and Juwan Johnson and Terrance Ferguson as late-round tight end targets.
- Pat FitzmauriceDepth Chart Calls · Kyler MurrayHit · 100Fitzmaurice expects Kyler Murray to be Minnesota's Week 1 starter and calls him one of the better quarterback values in 2026 drafts; he also views Jordan Love as a top-10 real-life quarterback but only a QB2 in fantasy.
- Steven RuizDepth Chart Calls · Michael Penix Jr.Miss · 0In a retrospective tiering of all 32 starting quarterbacks, Ruiz treats Michael Penix Jr. as the Falcons' Week 1 starter over Kirk Cousins, whom he places in his lowest tier.
- Mike FlorioDepth Chart Calls · Shedeur SandersMiss · 0Florio reports the Browns will start Deshaun Watson in Week 1 but predicts Shedeur Sanders will likely be the starting quarterback by Week 3.