CBS analyst Pete Prisco is going way out on a limb with his Super Bowl call, and he’s putting the Jacksonville Jaguars in the big game against the Dallas Cowboys in Super Bowl LXI.
That’s the kind of prediction that gets people talking, especially with the NFL season about to get rolling. The league opens with the Los Angeles Rams and San Francisco 49ers meeting in Australia, and the Rams are being viewed as the team to beat right now with Aaron Donald back in the fold. Still, Prisco’s pick sends the spotlight somewhere else entirely.
For Dallas, the case starts with the offense. The Cowboys made solid moves this offseason, and Caleb Downs is their headlining draft pick, one who should have a strong rookie season.
Dak Prescott is coming off a huge 2025, when he threw for 4,552 yards and 30 touchdowns. With George Pickens and CeeDee Lamb together, Dallas has what should be one of the league’s best receiver duos again.
The concern is the other side of the ball. Dallas ranked 23rd against the run in rushing yards allowed and tied for the most rushing touchdowns allowed with 24. That’s the part that could keep this team from turning all that offensive firepower into a real playoff run.
Prisco’s Jaguars pick is built on a team that already showed plenty under Liam Coehn. Jacksonville won 13 games last season, and the offense looks loaded for Trevor Lawrence with Jakobi Meyers, Brian Thomas Jr., and Parker Washington in the mix. Lawrence also topped 4,000 passing yards last season, which is part of why this group is being talked about as elite.
The Cowboys, meanwhile, are getting the kind of praise that usually comes with a big “if.” If Prescott, Pickens, and Lamb stay healthy, the offense has top-10 written all over it and even the upside to crack the top five. Dallas finished first in passing yards last season, Prescott was fourth in passing touchdowns, and he ranked fifth in EPA/PLAY.
That’s the foundation of the belief in Dallas. The question is whether the defense can rise enough to match it.
The Jaguars’ path is different. They’re in a conference packed with Super Bowl contenders, including the Buffalo Bills, Denver Broncos, and Baltimore Ravens.
Prisco isn’t forecasting another 13-win season, but he does think Jacksonville should win its division unless the Texans figure them out and take it. The bigger question is what Lawrence does when the playoffs arrive.
And that’s where the Cowboys land too. The talent is there.
The production is there. The missing piece has been getting over the postseason hump.
Prisco’s prediction says both teams can finally put it all together. We’ll see if the season agrees.
In Other News...
Jaguars Cuts Are Already Creating A Post-Roster Debate
The Jaguars move to get down to 53 players and fill out the practice squad with 17 signings brought the usual late-August churn, but it also left a few familiar names in circulation. Jacksonville kept several players it waived in the organization, while former Jaguars such as Chuma Edoga, DeeJay Dallas, Patrick Herbert and Jalen Hunt quickly found new landing spots, either on other teams practice squads or as free agents.
Yasir Abdullah drew the sharpest reaction because Atlanta claimed him for its 53-man roster, a reminder that the waiver wire can turn a depth decision into a loss almost immediately. Elsewhere, other ex-Jaguars surfaced with clubs like the Ravens, Vikings and Chargers, which only adds to the conversation around which moves were simple numbers games and which ones might linger if Jacksonville needs help later in the season. [Read more 🡒]
Jaguars Face An Early Travis Hunter Dilemma They Cant Ignore
Travis Hunter arrived in Jacksonville with the kind of rare profile that can reshape a roster, and the Jaguars did not draft him second overall to treat him like an ordinary rookie. He has already made it clear he wants to play both wide receiver and cornerback full time, which is part of what made him such a tantalizing pick in the first place. But his first season also offered a reminder that special talent still has to survive the grind of an NFL year, with injury limiting how much he could actually impact the game on either side of the ball.
Liam Coen is already signaling the balancing act ahead. The Jaguars plan to fold Hunter into the offense in a measured way, using him in specific packages rather than turning him loose as a full-time weapon, while also being careful with how they handle his recovery and overall workload. For Jacksonville, the appeal is obvious, but so is the risk, and the early question around Hunter is no longer whether he can be used everywhere at once. It is how far the Jaguars are willing to go before they ask him to do even more. [Read more 🡒]
Jaguars Could Have One More Tough Roster Decision Before Week 1
James Gladstone has already been busy reshaping the Jaguars roster, striking two recent trades involving quarterback Quinn Ewers and tight end Hunter Long. Those moves fit a broader pattern of a front office that appears willing to keep adjusting as the team gets closer to Week 1, especially with the roster still taking shape around injuries and overall depth.
Walker Little is one name worth watching if Cole Van Lanen comes back from injury and the offensive line picture becomes clearer. Jacksonville also could look outside the building for help, with New Orleans linebacker Pete Werner mentioned as a possible target if the Jaguars want to shore up that spot, making the next few days feel like a final round of roster sorting before the opener. [Read more 🡒]