Good morning! We have real pro football games one week from tonight in Seattle.
The 2026 NFL Season is upon us.
Glorious.
I’ve gotten a few inquiries, so let’s get right to the news. Yes, Bob McGinn is back. Yes, Jim Monos is back. Both will bring their exceptional football minds to Go Long again. Will be sure to outline exactly what you can expect out of a Go Long subscription this coming Monday. Thrilled for everything ahead.
McGinn is in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Monos scouted for the Eagles, Saints, Bills and is now a personnel man running the UFL.
Love getting their perspectives on everything to give you something different here.
Let’s take a moment to gaze into a crystal ball, eh?
Here’s how we see this season playing out.
Be sure to rifle off your own takes in the comments, too.
Thank you for making Go Long your home for independent pro football journalism once again this fall.
TYLER DUNNE
DIVISION WINNERS
AFC EAST: Buffalo
AFC NORTH: Baltimore
AFC SOUTH: Houston
AFC WEST: Denver
NFC EAST: Dallas
NFC NORTH: Detroit
NFC SOUTH: Tampa Bay
NFC WEST: Seattle
WILD CARDS
AFC: Cincinnati, New England, Kansas City
NFC: LA Rams, Minnesota, Green Bay
AFC DIVISIONAL ROUND: Baltimore, Buffalo, New England, Cincinnati
NFC DIVISIONAL ROUND: Detroit, Seattle, LA Rams, Minnesota
AFC CHAMPIONSHIP GAME: Baltimore over Buffalo
NFC CHAMPIONSHIP GAME: Detroit over Seattle
Super Bowl 61: Baltimore over Detroit
NFL MVP: Lamar Jackson, QB, Baltimore
NFL DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Will Anderson, Edge, Houston
FIVE BREAKTHROUGH PLAYERS: Boye Mafe, Edge, Cincinnati; Dallas Turner, Edge, Minnesota; Ja’Kobi Lane, WR, Baltimore; Dalton Kincaid, TE, Buffalo; Tate Ratledge, G, Detroit.
FIVE MOST DISAPPOINTING PLAYERS: Marvin Harrison Jr., WR, Arizona; Travis Kelce, TE, Kansas City; Mike Evans, WR, San Francisco; Sauce Gardner, CB, Indianapolis; Jalen Hurts, QB, Philadelphia.
NFL COACH OF THE YEAR: Jesse Minter, Baltimore
NFL OFFENSIVE ROOKIE OF THE YEAR: Jadarian Price, RB, Seattle
NFL DEFENSIVE ROOKIE OF THE YEAR: Rueben Bain, Edge, Tampa Bay
NFL MOST SURPRISING TEAM: Minnesota
NFL WORST TEAM: NY Jets
IN ORDER, FIVE COACHES ON THE THINNEST ICE: Aaron Glenn, NY Jets; Shane Steichen, Indianapolis; Mike LaFleur, Arizona, Dave Canales, Carolina, Todd Monken, Cleveland.
TOP FIVE TEAMS IN MOST YARDS GAINED: Detroit, Buffalo, LA Rams, Baltimore, Green Bay.
TOP FIVE TEAMS IN FEWEST YARDS ALLOWED: Houston, Seattle, Denver, Minnesota, Philadelphia.
NFL RUSHING LEADER: Jahmyr Gibbs, Detroit
NFL PASSER RATING LEADER: Josh Allen, Buffalo
NFL RECEIVING YARDS LEADER: Justin Jefferson, Minnesota
NFL SACK LEADER: Will Anderson, Houston
BOB MCGINN
DIVISION WINNERS
AFC EAST: New England
AFC NORTH: Baltimore
AFC SOUTH: Houston
AFC WEST: Denver
NFC EAST: Philadelphia
NFC NORTH: Detroit
NFC SOUTH: New Orleans
NFC WEST: Los Angeles
WILD CARDS
AFC: Buffalo, LA Chargers, Cincinnati
NFC: Seattle, San Francisco, Dallas
AFC DIVISIONAL ROUND: Buffalo, Denver, Houston, New England
NFC DIVISIONAL ROUND: Detroit, LA Rams, San Francisco, Seattle
AFC CHAMPIONSHIP GAME: Buffalo over New England
NFC CHAMPIONSHIP GAME: LA Rams over Seattle
SUPER BOWL 61: LA Rams over Buffalo
NFL MVP: Jahmyr Gibbs, RB, Detroit
NFL DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Fred Warner, LB, San Francisco
FIVE BREAKTHROUGH PLAYERS: Laiatu Latu, Edge, Indianapolis; Walter Nolen, DT, Arizona; DeMarvion Overshown, LB, Dallas; Tyler Shough, QB, New Orleans; Alijah Vera-Tucker, G, New England.
FIVE MOST DISAPPOINTING PLAYERS: Abdul Carter, Edge, NY Giants; Travis Hunter, CB-WR, Jacksonville; Ashton Jeanty, RB, Las Vegas; Will Johnson, CB, Arizona; Malik Willis, QB, Miami.
NFL COACH OF THE YEAR: Kellen Moore, New Orleans
NFL OFFENSIVE ROOKIE OF THE YEAR: Jadarian Price, RB, Seattle
NFL DEFENSIVE ROOKIE OF THE YEAR: Caleb Downs, S, Dallas
NFL MOST SURPRISING TEAM: New Orleans
NFL WORST TEAM: Arizona
IN ORDER, FIVE COACHES ON THE THINNEST ICE: Aaron Glenn, NY Jets; Shane Steichen, Indianapolis; Todd Bowles, Tampa Bay; Dan Quinn, Washington; Zac Taylor, Cincinnati.
TOP FIVE TEAMS IN MOST YARDS GAINED: LA Rams, Dallas, Buffalo, Chicago, Detroit.
TOP FIVE TEAMS IN FEWEST YARDS ALLOWED: Houston, Seattle, Minnesota, Denver, LA Rams.
NFL RUSHING LEADER: Jahmyr Gibbs, Detroit
NFL PASSER RATING LEADER: Joe Burrow, Cincinnati
NFL RECEIVING YARDS LEADER: Ja’Marr Chase, Cincinnati
NFL SACK LEADER: Aidan Hutchinson, Detroit
JIM MONOS
DIVISION WINNERS
AFC EAST: Buffalo
AFC NORTH: Baltimore
AFC SOUTH: Houston
AFC WEST: Denver
NFC EAST: Dallas
NFC NORTH: Detroit
NFC SOUTH: Tampa Bay
NFC WEST: Seattle
WILD CARDS
AFC: Pittsburgh, Kansas City, LA Chargers
NFC: LA Rams, Green Bay, Philadelphia
AFC DIVISIONAL ROUND: Buffalo, Houston, Baltimore, Denver
NFC DIVISIONAL ROUND: Green Bay, Seattle, Dallas, Detroit
AFC CHAMPIONSHIP: Denver over Baltimore
NFC CHAMPIONSHIP: Green Bay over Dallas
SUPER BOWL 61: Denver over Green Bay
NFL MVP: Lamar Jackson, QB, Baltimore
NFL DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Patrick Surtain II, CB, Denver
FIVE BREAKTHROUGH PLAYERS: Mike Washington Jr, RB, Las Vegas; Colston Loveland, TE, Chicago; Luther Burden, WR, Chicago; Armand Membou, OT, NY Jets; Josaiah Stewart, Edge, LA Rams.
FIVE MOST DISAPPOINTING PLAYERS: Shedeur Sanders, QB, Cleveland; Bryce Young, QB, Carolina; CJ Stroud, QB, Houston; Drake Maye, QB, New England; DeVonta Smith, WR, Philadelphia.
NFL COACH OF THE YEAR: Sean Payton, Denver
NFL OFFENSIVE ROOKIE OF THE YEAR: Jeremiyah Love, RB, Arizona
NFL DEFENSIVE ROOKIE OF THE YEAR: Caleb Downs, S, Dallas
NFL MOST SURPRISING TEAM: Dallas
NFL WORST TEAM: Arizona
IN ORDER, FIVE COACHES ON THE THINNEST ICE: Todd Bowles, Tampa Bay; Todd Monken, Cleveland, Matt LaFleur, Green Bay; Dan Quinn, Washington; Aaron Glenn, NY Jets.
TOP FIVE TEAMS IN MOST YARDS GAINED: Dallas, Rams, Chicago, Buffalo, Detroit
TOP FIVE TEAMS IN FEWEST YARDS ALLOWED: Houston, Denver, Minnesota, Seattle, LA Chargers
NFL RUSHING LEADER: Jonathan Taylor, Indianapolis
NFL PASSER RATING LEADER: Josh Allen, Buffalo
NFL RECEIVING YARDS LEADER: Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Seattle
NFL SACK LEADER: Brian Burns, NY Giants
2026 NFL Season Preview Features to date…
Would be a welcome season outcome as a lions fan.
Bills vs. Lions is the Super Bowl that America wants and needs.