# Zachary Pereles: In a piece naming the hottest seat on all 32 teams, Pereles makes a handful of concrete forecasts: the Cowboys make the playoffs if their defense is merely average, Blake Miller starts at right tackle for the Lions, Jonah Savaiinaea is the Dolphins' starting right guard, and Kyler Murray is Minnesota's starter.

**Claimed:** Aug 18, 2026
**Pundit:** Zachary Pereles — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/pundits/zachary-pereles
**Outlet:** CBS Sports — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/outlets/cbs-sports
**How it reached us:** published in writing
**Original:** https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/nfl-hot-seat-2026-players-coaches-all-32-teams/

6 checkable claims — 5 depth chart calls and 1 playoff pick — each graded on its own rather than as one all-or-nothing bet.

It names 10 players and teams, each linked to their own record.

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

Of the 4 unsettled calls enough other pundits have weighed in on, this one lands below the rest of the room on every one.

> If Dallas is middle of the pack -- or really just mediocre -- defensively, it will be a playoff team.

*(their words, quoted for attribution)*

## The claims

- **Blake Miller to be 1st on the depth chart**
  - Kind: Depth Chart Calls · About: Blake Miller, Detroit Lions
  - Verdict: not settled yet
- **Kyler Murray to be 1st on the depth chart**
  - Kind: Depth Chart Calls · About: Kyler Murray, Minnesota Vikings
  - Verdict: not settled yet
- **Tua Tagovailoa to be 1st on the depth chart**
  - Kind: Depth Chart Calls · About: Tua Tagovailoa, Atlanta Falcons
  - Verdict: not settled yet
- **Dallas Cowboys to make the playoffs**
  - Kind: Playoff Picks · About: Dallas Cowboys
  - Verdict: not settled yet
- **Penei Sewell to be 1st on the depth chart**
  - Kind: Depth Chart Calls · About: Penei Sewell, Detroit Lions
  - Verdict: not settled yet
- **Jonah Savaiinaea to be 1st on the depth chart**
  - Kind: Depth Chart Calls · About: Jonah Savaiinaea, Miami Dolphins
  - Verdict: not settled yet

## Who this take is about

- Blake Miller — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/players/blake-miller
- Detroit Lions — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/teams/lions
- Kyler Murray — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/players/kyler-murray
- Minnesota Vikings — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/teams/vikings
- Tua Tagovailoa — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/players/tua-tagovailoa
- Atlanta Falcons — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/teams/falcons
- Dallas Cowboys — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/teams/cowboys
- Penei Sewell — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/players/penei-sewell
- Jonah Savaiinaea — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/players/jonah-savaiinaea
- Miami Dolphins — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/teams/dolphins

## What others said about the same people

- Ralph Vacchiano on Tua Tagovailoa: Vacchiano 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. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/6f782be9-64d3-47cf-b054-6566e14194d6 (scored 0)
- Mike Moraitis on DaRon Bland: Moraitis names five Cowboys he expects to be playing their final season opener in Dallas in 2026: George Pickens (likely tag-and-trade or departure), Malik Hooker, Luke Schoonmaker, DeMarvion Overshown and DaRon Bland. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/66b5ed7b-41bd-4f67-9b4d-16eae4675e67 (scored 100)
- Pat Fitzmaurice on Kyler Murray: Fitzmaurice 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. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/70a7844a-2fb6-44d7-814f-30ec9fbcc26d (scored 100)
- Pat Fitzmaurice on Kyler Murray: Fitzmaurice 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. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/0653fc24-437c-4aba-89ee-f1f417e1983d (scored 100)
- Steven Ruiz on Michael Penix Jr.: In 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. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/968b3764-11ef-41b5-a370-ff570b3219d1 (scored 0)
- Nathan Jahnke on Jalen Tolbert: PFF's preseason fantasy recap makes a large number of depth-chart, role and fantasy-value calls across the league, including Chig Okonkwo as a top sleeper tight end, Tre Tucker as the Raiders' top receiver, and various backfield hierarchies. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/760054fd-7815-4b86-a9e3-bc9bdb0a730b (scored 0)

## More depth chart calls

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

- Tyler Sullivan on Drew Lock: In 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. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/8a14b5e6-066b-457f-b409-a3ddbd512aca (scored 0)
- Mike Florio on Shedeur Sanders: Florio reports the Browns will start Deshaun Watson in Week 1 but predicts Shedeur Sanders will likely be the starting quarterback by Week 3. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/cf6258b2-b55f-4f50-84f9-24269a5a006a (scored 0)
- Paul Keren on Teven Jenkins: Keren says Teven Jenkins still projects as Cleveland's Week 1 starting right guard despite a push from KT Leveston, and that Carson Schwesinger and Quincy Williams will be the Browns' lead linebackers. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/86b36112-724c-4f9c-a4fd-cf74a38be8e4 (scored 0)
- Jared Dubin on Daniel Faalele: Dubin grades the Faalele trade, predicting Faalele has a decent chance to be Jacksonville's Week 1 starting right guard in competition with Wyatt Milum, and that Evan Neal's odds of making the Giants' 53-man roster improved while Jon Runyan and Francis Mauigoa hold the Giants' starting guard jobs. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/aae46267-fc6d-44c1-a96c-7355b3db857b (scored 0)
- Mike Moraitis on Ozzy Trapilo: Moraitis writes that although Braxton Jones has looked like the favorite, Ozzy Trapilo is likely to take over as the Bears' starting left tackle once he's healthy enough to play. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/cdfe5f0f-6783-4730-b9bb-d942e28b037a (scored 0)
- Noah Compton on C.J. Allen: After watching the Colts' eleventh training camp practice, Compton says rookie linebacker CJ Allen is still expected to start the regular-season opener, identifies Alec Pierce as the team's top receiver and Cam Taylor-Britt as the first cornerback behind the starting trio, and declares the kicking job Blake Grupe's to lose. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/98a8bd92-bcd8-4b5a-aad7-96ecd936662b (scored 0)

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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=zachary-pereles
