The 2026 NFL (and Cowboys) Reset

[Bobhaze]

Each summer, during training camp and pre-season game time, fans and sports pundits look at the draft, FA signings, previous season performance, and upcoming season schedules then confidently predict how the NFL season will play out. It’s a tradition we all usually participate in.

Then the season starts and reality sets in.

After nearly 25% of the season - sunrise! - we have some surprises. Who had the giants leading the NFCE at 3-1? Who had the raiders at 3-1 after 4 games? Who had Cle at 3-1 and leading the AFC North? Who had the Texans and that (supposed) “great” defense starting 0-4? Who had the “mighty” rams fighting to be 2-2? The e-girls looking bad at 2-2? The list goes on….

I know - It’s way too early to say these surprise teams or trends are a lock. Things will change. But it’s not too early to recognize the NFL is always in a state of flux.

Truth is the NFL resets itself every year. And the Cowboys are also certainly also in a reset. Especially on defense.

The Cowboys defense is full of young players who will take some time to develop and learn the scheme that their 34 year old rookie DC is trying to implement. After 4 games it’s obvious this defense is still (to put it kindly) a long way from being good. But it can get better because the talent level is better than last year. But it may take weeks.

Here are the simple truths about what the Cowboys are so far:

• This is a team with a very good offense that needs to score 30 every week to win.
• This is team with a very young defense trying to find itself.
• Right now, this team is exactly what its record says it is - mediocre.

The NFL is in a reset like it does every year. And the Cowboys are certainly in one too. Our 2-2 record says exactly who we are so far. Good on offense, bad on defense. If the defense can improve as we go, we might be a playoff team. If not, the reset continues into 2027.

 

[big dog cowboy]

Right now, this team is exactly what its record says it is - mediocre.

While true, Dak hit Pickens at the end of the Baltimore game and we are 3-2. Really changes your perspective.

Say we beat TB and GB (as we should) over the next two games. Then we’d be 4-2. Does that suddenly mean we’ve turned things around and are now a much better team? No. But we’d be 4-2!!! And at the end of the day, that’s what matters. The season isn’t over, and a couple of wins can completely change the way things look. Right now we are in the middle of it and how you finish is more important.

 

[CWR]

Each summer, during training camp and pre-season game time, fans and sports pundits look at the draft, FA signings, previous season performance, and upcoming season schedules then confidently predict how the NFL season will play out. It’s a tradition we all usually participate in.

Then the season starts and reality sets in.

After nearly 25% of the season - sunrise! - we have some surprises. Who had the giants leading the NFCE at 3-1? Who had the raiders at 3-1 after 4 games? Who had Cle at 3-1 and leading the AFC North? Who had the Texans and that (supposed) “great” defense starting 0-4? Who had the “mighty” rams fighting to be 2-2? The e-girls looking bad at 2-2? The list goes on….

I know - It’s way too early to say these surprise teams or trends are a lock. Things will change. But it’s not too early to recognize the NFL is always in a state of flux.

Truth is the NFL resets itself every year. And the Cowboys are also certainly also in a reset. Especially on defense.

The Cowboys defense is full of young players who will take some time to develop and learn the scheme that their 34 year old rookie DC is trying to implement. After 4 games it’s obvious this defense is still (to put it kindly) a long way from being good. But it can get better because the talent level is better than last year. But it may take weeks.

Here are the simple truths about what the Cowboys are so far:

• This is a team with a very good offense that needs to score 30 every week to win.
• This is team with a very young defense trying to find itself.
• Right now, this team is exactly what its record says it is - mediocre.

The NFL is in a reset like it does every year. And the Cowboys are certainly in one too. Our 2-2 record says exactly who we are so far. Good on offense, bad on defense. If the defense can improve as we go, we might be a playoff team. If not, the reset continues into 2027.

Id expand on that and say teams "reset" throughout the year as well. I cant count how many times we've looked dominant in the beginning of the season only to have teams adjust and embarrass us later in the year. Its essential to be playing your best ball in December and forward. At that point most teams have you figured out, its just a matter of can they stop you.

 

[Bobhaze]

While true, Dak hit Pickens at the end of the Baltimore game and we are 3-2. Really changes your perspective.

Say we beat TB and GB (as we should) over the next two games. Then we’d be 4-2. Does that suddenly mean we’ve turned things around and are now a much better team? No. But we’d be 4-2!!! And at the end of the day, that’s what matters. The season isn’t over, and a couple of wins can completely change the way things look. Right now we are in the middle of it and how you finish is more important.

Big Dog, my take on the Cowboys at this point is because the defense is still a mess trying to figure it out, our offense must score on almost every possession.

Unfortunately that puts enormous pressure on the offense. There will be a few times we run into a defense that can get a few stops. Which then puts us in danger.

Until that dilemma is fixed, we will remain a mediocre football team.

 

[Kwyn]

While true, Dak hit Pickens at the end of the Baltimore game and we are 3-2. Really changes your perspective.

Say we beat TB and GB (as we should) over the next two games. Then we’d be 4-2. Does that suddenly mean we’ve turned things around and are now a much better team? No. But we’d be 4-2!!! And at the end of the day, that’s what matters. The season isn’t over, and a couple of wins can completely change the way things look. Right now we are in the middle of it and how you finish is more important.

Similarly we would have definitely lost the Houston game if we don’t convert on South down. Really changes your perspective.

Those two plays, and having a single play determine the outcome is mediocrity.

I’m hopeful. The season is young. But I have no illusions about how tight this season will be.

 

[shabazz]

Each summer, during training camp and pre-season game time, fans and sports pundits look at the draft, FA signings, previous season performance, and upcoming season schedules then confidently predict how the NFL season will play out. It’s a tradition we all usually participate in.

Then the season starts and reality sets in.

After nearly 25% of the season - sunrise! - we have some surprises. Who had the giants leading the NFCE at 3-1? Who had the raiders at 3-1 after 4 games? Who had Cle at 3-1 and leading the AFC North? Who had the Texans and that (supposed) “great” defense starting 0-4? Who had the “mighty” rams fighting to be 2-2? The e-girls looking bad at 2-2? The list goes on….

I know - It’s way too early to say these surprise teams or trends are a lock. Things will change. But it’s not too early to recognize the NFL is always in a state of flux.

Truth is the NFL resets itself every year. And the Cowboys are also certainly also in a reset. Especially on defense.

The Cowboys defense is full of young players who will take some time to develop and learn the scheme that their 34 year old rookie DC is trying to implement. After 4 games it’s obvious this defense is still (to put it kindly) a long way from being good. But it can get better because the talent level is better than last year. But it may take weeks.

Here are the simple truths about what the Cowboys are so far:

• This is a team with a very good offense that needs to score 30 every week to win.
• This is team with a very young defense trying to find itself.
• Right now, this team is exactly what its record says it is - mediocre.

The NFL is in a reset like it does every year. And the Cowboys are certainly in one too. Our 2-2 record says exactly who we are so far. Good on offense, bad on defense. If the defense can improve as we go, we might be a playoff team. If not, the reset continues into 2027.

Ive been broken recording that 2027 is the 1st foreseeable year to " making a run"

And of course that predicated on marked and tangible improvement during this current season.

If the last few weeks of the season still look like this on defense, the next thing I'll be posting is 2028.

 

[BigD5]

While true, Dak hit Pickens at the end of the Baltimore game and we are 3-2. Really changes your perspective.

Say we beat TB and GB (as we should) over the next two games. Then we’d be 4-2. Does that suddenly mean we’ve turned things around and are now a much better team? No. But we’d be 4-2!!! And at the end of the day, that’s what matters. The season isn’t over, and a couple of wins can completely change the way things look. Right now we are in the middle of it and how you finish is more important.

Man you are terrible with numbers.
If dak hit Pickens we would be 3-1. If we then beat the Bays we would be 5-1