‘The Cowboys ARE Super Bowl contenders’: Why Dallas can win it all in 2026
The Sports Seriously NFL crew breaks down why the Cowboys could be legitimate Super Bowl contenders in 2026 and debates whether Von Miller was the missing piece.
Sports Seriously
At the risk of diluting the not-to-be-missed, cough, drama from next weekend, Week 2 of the modern NFL preseason is the new Week 3 – a time when many established vets get their final dress rehearsals ahead of the regular season and before many bottom-of-the-roster battles are largely settled in the exhibition finale. It also tends to be the decision nexus for teams in the throes of quarterback battles, though that seems to be something of an exception this year … Cleveland notwithstanding.
I wrote a week ago that the Browns would be silly to do anything other than start Shedeur Sanders this season. And to the degree he proved me right with Saturday’s showing against the Buffalo Bills, veteran Deshaun Watson then provided his own exclamation point with his performance on the field – and, perhaps more so, at the podium.
The goings-on in Cleveland provided the primary narrative of Week 2, but there were plenty of subplots elsewhere. Without further ado – even with one game to be played Sunday night (Seahawks at Titans), your winners and losers from the preseason’s penultimate weekend:
LOSERS
Deshaun Watson
Not good on the field. After starting the preseason openers and looking absolutely dispensable − albeit in his first game action in nearly two years − he followed Sanders and played with teammates lower on the depth chart Saturday against Buffalo. And while it’s important to note Watson was playing with backups, he probably also ought to be able to pick apart a reserve-laden defense, no? Instead, the Browns went three-and-out on his first two drives, and he threw an ugly interception on the third. After completing five of 12 passes for 36 yards, Watson essentially cemented the case … that he should be Cleveland’s QB2. At best.
Deshaun Watson (and the Browns)
Even worse at his press conference. I literally (and accurately) spelled out this debacle of a situation last weekend. Here’s your encore performance.
Probably frustrated and doubtless seeing what seems to be the clear writing on the wall, Watson added another regrettable chapter to his legacy, such as it is, by proceeding to bemoan his treatment by the crowd at Huntington Bank Field following Saturday’s outing.
“I think the whole world knows it has nothing to do with the performance − it’s a little more personal than that. So I think that’s a disrespectful thing. I’m going to keep whatever I feel with me and my family internally on how I feel about that, and just move on,” Watson said of being booed (again) by Cleveland fans.
“Last time I played on this field, I tore my Achilles, and that same fan base cheered when I got hurt. So what does that have to do with anything about performance? When a person gets hurt, especially in their own city, and they cheer.
“I feel like I get more love on road games than I do at home games.”
What Watson didn’t mention is that, after the Browns’ ill-considered trade for him in 2022 – they then disastrously gave him a five-year, fully guaranteed, widely derided $230 million contract – he’s very likely not employable in any other NFL city. Injuries and inconsistency have left him a shell of the player he was in Houston to start his career.
Of infinitely more import, Watson has never taken any responsibility nor shown any contrition despite facing 30 civil lawsuits from women accusing him of sexual misconduct prior to his arrival in Cleveland. Suspended by the NFL for 11 games in 2022 and fined $5 million, he reached confidential settlements with most of the women. (And to think that, earlier in training camp, Watson and Browns owner Jimmy Haslam entertained the asinine notion that QB might get an extension after this season – though, in their defense, ludicrous questions deserve ludicrous responses.)
Sucks to be booed at home, but Watson is fortunate that’s the extent of his hardship. Lie in the bed you made, pal.
Same to the Browns, who, barring what would be a highly unexpected turn of events, will basically be forced to carry Watson on their roster in some form this season in order to spread out the $86.2 million dead money charge affixed to him over the 2027 and 2028 salary caps. Cutting him prior to next year would accelerate all of that money onto the ’27 cap even though he’ll be a free agent at the end of this season. Yep, by adding multiple restructurings and voidable years to his albatross of a pact, Cleveland somehow managed to make the worst trade and contract ever … even more disastrous.
Fernando Mendoza
The No. 1 pick of the 2026 draft struggled in his second preseason game (but first start), misfiring on seven of 15 passes while throwing an 80-yard pick six.
“I came away with there’s a lot more learning to do, and although that maybe you may have had a lot of success at another level, this level is a whole step further and that the margins are so small, and that one tiny mistake can lead to catastrophe,” Mendoza said after his second exposure to NFL game action didn’t go quite as well as his first.
Catastrophic is an overstatement, “Nandolorian.” Better luck next week … if not the one after that.
Kirk Cousins
Despite Mendoza’s struggles against Houston’s reserves Thursday, first-year Raiders head coach Klint Kubiak – perhaps using something of a performative stance – still refused to name his veteran quarterback as the Raiders’ Week 1 starter. What’s a guy with 14 NFL seasons and nearly 300 TD passes have to do, Coach?
Pittsburgh Steelers’ QB succession plan
After promising preseason openers, youngsters Will Howard and Drew Allar looked far more mortal while combining to generate two turnovers and nary a point in a 17-0 loss to the New York Jets, who played quite a few defensive starters. This isn’t to suggest the Steelers should prematurely panic a year before they have to anoint a replacement for retiring Aaron Rodgers, who again took the night off. But Friday night was a reminder that Howard and Allar remain projects, albeit ones with potential … however untapped.
Cooper Rush and Jack Strand
It would be a lengthy stretch to say that either the Atlanta Falcons’ journeyman backup or undrafted free agent, respectively, were seriously in the mix to be the team’s QB1 in 2026. But they looked great Saturday, combining to complete 22 of 28 passes for 297 yards and a TD in a 34-6 road rout of the Indianapolis Colts. But no sooner had Saturday’s game ended than first-year coach Kevin Stefanski announced that 2024 first-rounder Michael Penix had been cleared for contact and would practice Monday in a belated bid to beat out Tua Tagovailoa for the starting gig. Tough break for Coop and Jack, if good news overall in the ATL.
Jayden Daniels
One incompletion under serious duress and one ugly jailbreak of a sack as the Washington Commanders QB1 went three-and-out in his brief cameo at Detroit on Saturday. Here’s hoping a new-look offense, one stripped indefinitely of injured LT Laremy Tunsil, looks much better when the real games start.
WINNERS
Shedeur Sanders
Even before Watson’s multiple meltdowns, Sanders legitimately showed enough Saturday to render him the winner of the Browns’ QB1 competition … to the extent it ever made any sense to start Watson or anyone else in 2026. Sanders completed nine of 11 passes for 74 yards against Buffalo, including an 8-yard TD to Luke Floriea for Cleveland’s only points. He was also picked off on a slightly underthrown pass, albeit one that also could have been a completion given it deflected off the receiver’s hands. Again, a young, talented roster should have always been moving forward with Sanders – whether to determine if he’s the long-term answer here behind center, or if a team with multiple first-round draft picks in 2027 needs to pick another passer.
“Quite simply, he’s outplayed Deshaun Watson,” NFL Network chief draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah said of Sanders. “This is a young team, he’s a young quarterback – let these guys grow together. What does that mean for Deshaun Watson? I don’t know that there’s a home for him there if he’s not the starter.”
Jonathon Brooks
The Carolina Panthers’ third-year running back scored his first NFL TD in Friday night’s win at Jacksonville, an important milestone even if it doesn’t officially count. A hugely talented player, Brooks tore an ACL near the end of the 2023 season at the University of Texas, an injury that likely knocked him out of the first round of the 2024 draft. Taken in Round 2, he reinjured the knee in his rookie year and ultimately missed the entire 2025 season. But Brooks has been the talk of Panthers camp and has a shot to take over the RB1 role as Chuba Hubbard deals with a hamstring injury.
Bo Nix
The Denver Broncos’ third-year quarterback looked solid in his first game action since breaking his ankle in the team’s divisional-round playoff win over the Bills in January – an injury that likely cost the Broncos a trip to Super Bowl 60. Nix completed six of nine passes for 76 yards, including a 21-yard TD to RB RJ Harvey, on Friday. A nice step forward for a player and team that should be right back in the Lombardi mix this season.
Jets defense
Two picks in a game? After the NYJ didn’t swipe a single pass during the 2025 season? And No. 2 overall draft pick David Bailey looking like the game-wrecking pass rusher he’s been projected to be? Gang Green’s fans would certainly like to see a competitive team … if not so competitive that it costs them Arch Manning in next year’s draft.
San Francisco 49ers wide receivers
Injuries have once again dogged the Niners in training camp – particularly at wideout. Mike Evans, Christian Kirk and Ricky Pearsall, projected as the club’s top three wide receivers this spring, have all battled various issues with Pearsall (knee) already out for the season. But the backups have been showing up, especially so against the Los Angeles Chargers on Thursday night. Rookie sensation De’Zhaun Stribling and veteran KhaDarel Hodge finished with four catches for 46 yards apiece amid limited action. Jacob Cowing, who missed all of last season with a hamstring injury, returned a punt 83 yards for a TD. Take that, substation.
Jaxson Dart
No visit to the blue medical tent at Miami on Saturday … because the New York Giants’ second-year QB didn’t play. Take the W, buddy.
Kickers
How about Green Bay Packers rookie Trey Smack connecting on all seven of his kicks in Denver – including a 4-for-4 showing on field goals, two beyond 50 yards. He even got a social media shoutout from his most accomplished teammate. Smack his hit all seven of his FG tries this summer, including four from at least 50 yards.
The Indianapolis Colts’ Spencer Shrader, who got off to a strong start last season before wrecking his knee in Week 5, made a strong claim to reclaim his job Saturday – hitting field goals from 48 and 53 yards.
The Kansas City Chiefs’ Harrison Butker hit from 48, 58 and 69 yards – all in the second quarter – Saturday, the 69-yarder longer than Cam Little’s official league record by 1 yard. (It’s also fine for Butker that this performance didn’t truly count, given he also missed a FG and PAT in a 16-15 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.)
And after a rough preseason opener, when he misfired on three FGAs, the New England Patriots’ Andy Borregales was true on all four of his kicks (1 FG, 3 PATs) on Saturday night.
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