Two words. The two you see above at the top of the post, the title. That was the first thing - and only thing - that came to my mind when I found out who my crystal ball - aka CB2 - is forecasting to take home the Vince Lombardi Trophy at the end of the just underway 2026 NFL season. HELL NO!
There is no doubt the Dallas Cowboys, coming off of back-to-back losing seasons (for the first time since they had three 5-11 seasons in a row from 2000-2002) are primed to make a tremendous improvement this season. Prolific offense? Check. Solid defense? Well, that's a maybe, and a big one. But even if the Cowboys solve all of their previous problems, will it be enough for them to emerge victorious in Super Bowl 61 at SoFi Stadium, the home of the L.A. Rams and L.A. Chargers? I say, in two words: HELL NO!
I actually agree with CB2 that the Cowboys are going to be really good. But, as every Cowboys fan knows, there's always that history. A history most Cowboys fans know by heart. For those of you who don't follow the Cowboys you might not be as familiar with that history. So let's take a closer look at some that history - a history of failure that has lasted so long that everyone has now come to expect it.
A lot of us old-timers remember when the Cowboys were widely loved - and loathed - for their incredible success in the postseason. In the decade of the 1970's they played in the Super Bowl 5 times and won it twice. Two other seasons ended with defeats in the conference championship game. Later, in the first half of the 1990's, came the Troy Aikman era, where the Cowboys became the first franchise to win the Super Bowl three times in a 4-year span.
But ever since the last of those three, the 27-17 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers in the Super Bowl 30 at the end of the '95 season you need only one word to describe what Cowboys postseasons have looked like: UG-LEE!
The Cowboys have made 13 playoff appearances over the last 30 years, including 9 seasons in which they finished 1st in the NFC East, but have done next to nothing in those appearances - eliminated all 13 seasons with only a total of 5 victories. Worse yet, all of those 5 wins have come in the wild card round - i.e. the 1st round - meaning the Cowboys have not advanced past the 2nd round of the playoffs in 30 years. Now if you're a fan of the New York Jets, who've missed the playoffs 15 straight seasons now, maybe just making the playoffs at all sounds great, even if you don't have success in them. But if you're used to winning Super Bowls, a 5-13 record just doesn't cut it; and Cowboys fans are sick and tired of it.
That's the kind of ugly baggage the Cowboys are carrying around; but despite that CB2 says its O.K. to go ahead and put your money on the Cowboys to win it all anyway, because they're about to put all of that history in their rear-view mirror.
By the way this is the first time since the very first of my crystal balls' NFL predictions that they've picked the Cowboys - and 18 years later I'm still laughing. That year, CB struck out, as the Cowboys didn't even make the playoffs, let alone win the playoffs, finishing the 2008 season 9-7 after holding an 8-4 record with 4 games to go. Since then CB and CB2 have wisely avoided predicting a Dallas championship. But not this time. CB2 just couldn't help itself, believing all the hype and going all in on the Cowboys in 2026.
SB 61 will be the second Super Bowl to be played at SoFi in Inglewood, CA. In the first one 5 years ago, and as you probably remember, the Rams won the championship on their home field in SB 56. CB2 thinks the Rams will have a great chance to duplicate that feat this season - but will end up coming up short after being upset by the current defending champ Seattle Seahawks in their first playoff game after finishing with the league's best record during the regular season.
CB2 has the Rams at the top of a still very strong NFC, which will have no fewer than 10 teams finish with at least 10 wins (which means 3 of them will not make the playoffs). Only 5 AFC teams are forecast to reach double figure wins, including the Baltimore Ravens and Kansas City Chiefs, who will be back near the top after missing the playoffs in 2025 mostly thanks to injuries suffered by their quarterbacks.
Speaking of QB injuries, the Denver Broncos likely (arguably) would have won the AFC championship predicted by CB2 last season had their QB not missed the conference title game after being injured the previous week. CB2 likes the Broncos in the AFC again in 2026. With Bo Nix staying healthy this time, the Broncos will knock off the Bengals in the conference title game in Denver before biting the dust at the hands of the Cowboys. CB2 also has this mathematical-style sentence in its forecast: Super Bowl losers last season + much more difficult schedule this season = no playoffs for the Patriots.
It is at this point I must apologize. CB2, as usual, cranked out its comprehensive forecast for the 2026 NFL season on Labor Day, a couple of days ahead of the start of the season, including its predictions of the crazy and bizarre happenings during the final week of the regular season. But I haven't taken the time to digest it all yet.
I have to say that a lot of the time it's been a disappointing and depressing last 14 months for me personally - what with family health problems and also the awful turn for the worse the country has taken since we fell for his lies and decided it would be a good idea to elect as president a man who cares about nothing else expect making and spending money for himself. Too many times I find myself just shaking my head and wondering what the hell is going on - and hoping the day comes sooner rather than later things will change and get better and we can get back to being proud of our country again.
Depression and disappointment and all, I'm still going to try to keep the House of Dread open. But the forecast this year will be much abbreviated compared to seasons past. I'm sorry, but that's the way it is right now.
Last year in the post titled "Say it isn't so" CB2, in picks made entirely before the season started, picked the correct winner in 152 of the 272 regular season games, a win percentage of .559 and a total that was 5 fewer wins than in the 2024 forecast.
The regular season picks for 2026 are on the sheets below. And then the final standings and playoff predictions will follow.
AFC EAST
- BUF 9-8
- NE 8-9
- NYJ 5-12
- MIA 3-14
- BAL 12-5
- CIN 11-6
- PIT10-7
- CLEV 6-11
- HOU 13-4
- JAC 6-11
- IND 6-11
- TENN 3-14
AFC WEST
- DEN 12-5
- KC 12-5
- LAC 6-11
- LV 3-14
Conference tiebreaker: Broncos clinch #2 seed due to better record than Ravens in games vs. conference opponents (DEN 10-2, BAL 9-3)
NFC EAST
- DAL 12-5
- NYG 10-7
- PHIL 10-7
- WASH 4-13
NFC NORTH
- MINN 11-6
- DET 10-7
- GB 10-7
- CHI 9-8
I just had to include this .....
CB2: With 3 teams still alive for division title and 4-way tie possible heading in to Week 18, Lions blow their chance for crown at Lambeau Field, where already-eliminated Packers hold on for 26-20 victory after Jameson Williams, trying for his 3rd TD of the 4th quarter, has Jared Goff pass in end zone bounce off his hands on 1st goal and into hands of Javon Bullard with 17 seconds on clock for game-sealing INT. Lions' loss means winner of Bears-Vikings game at Minny wins division, and Vikings take 26-25 lead with 43 seconds to play on Jordan Addison's 2nd TD catch in less than a minute. Zavion Thomas takes ensuing kickoff return 100 yards to the house for Bears, but TD is nullified by holding penalty. Then on 4th and 24 Caleb Williams hits Luther Burden with deep pass for 45-yard gain, putting Bears in FG range with 3 seconds to play. But Cairo Santos doinks 38-yard FG attempt off left upright on final play, giving Vikings the victory and the division crown and eliminating Bears from playoff race.
NFC SOUTH
- NO 10-7
- CAR 8-9
- TB 8-9
- ATL 5-12
NFC WEST
- LAR 14-3
- SF 13-4
- SEA 11-6
- ARIZ 2-15
Conference tiebreaker: Giants clinch #7 seed due to head-to-head victory over Lions (Week 16)
.
Again .....
AFC
BUF 9-8 BAL 12-5 HOU 13-4 DEN 12-5
NE 8-9 CIN 11-6 JAC 6-11 KC 12-5
NYJ 5-12 PIT 10-7 IND 6-11 LAC 6-11
MIA 3-14 CLEV 6-11 TENN 3-14 LV 3-14
NFC
DAL 12-5 MINN 11-6 NO 10-7 LAR 14-3
NYG 10-7 DET 10-7 CAR 8-9 SF 13-4
PHIL 10-7 GB 10-7 TB 8-9 SEA 11-6
WASH 4-13 CHI 9-8 ATL 5-12 ARIZ 2-15
.
PLAYOFFS
ROUND 1
- DEN over PIT
- CIN over BAL
- BUF over KC
- DAL over NYG
- SEA over MINN
- SF over NO
- CIN over HOU
- DEN over BUF
- SEA over LAR
- DAL over SF
- DEN over CIN
- DAL over SEA
- DAL 34 DEN 24 (MVP: CeeDee Lamb)
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