Michael IrvinSep 5, 2026
Irvin went game-by-game through the Cowboys' 2026 schedule and predicted a 13-4 finish, with losses to Houston, Philadelphia (Week 7), Seattle and the Giants in Week 17, and a season sweep of Washington.
Published in writing · Sports IllustratedRead the original
What Michael Irvin said
"13-4, y'all!"
- Where it was published
- Sports Illustrated
- The piece
- Michael Irvin Gives Game-By-Game & Final Record Predictions For Cowboys' 2026 Season
- The original
- Read the original
- Read it wrong?
- Tell us and we will look
- SaidSep 5
- PlayedSep 13–Nov 8
- GradedSep 15–Nov 8
Box score, by kind
HitCloseMissWaiting| Group | Hits | Close | Misses | Waiting | Calls |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Game Outcome Picks | 5 | 0 | 7 | 5 | |
| Season Win Totals | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
| All | 5 | 0 | 7 | 6 |
How each call scored
18 checkable claims — 17 game outcome picks and 1 season win total — each graded on its own rather than as one all-or-nothing call.
It names 5 players and teams, each linked to their own record.
12 of 18 have settled so far, averaging 41.7 out of 100, against 41.7 for a naive guess at the same calls.
Of the 1 unsettled call enough other pundits have weighed in on, this one lands above the rest of the room.
Each call is scored 0 to 100 against what happened, on its own, by the published methodology. The naive guess is what knowing nothing would have scored on the same calls; the gap, weighted by how hard the call was, is the skill.
Game Outcome Picks5 hits · 7 misses · 5 waitingShow ▸Hide ▾
- Cowboys 27–23Cowboys at Colts100Hit
100 − 0 naive = 100 × 2 difficulty = +200 skill
Think this is wrong?How this was scored
- won:
- DAL
- score:
- 27-23
- skill:
- 200
- they picked:
- DAL
- season:
- 2026
- accuracy:
- 100
- baseline:
- 0
- the naive pick:
- IND
- difficulty:
- 2
- weeks in the season:
- 18
- weeks left when called:
- 18
- Cardinals 33–30Cardinals at Cowboys0Miss
0 − 0 naive = 0 × 2 difficulty = 0 skill
Think this is wrong?How this was scored
- won:
- ARI
- score:
- 33-30
- skill:
- 0
- they picked:
- DAL
- season:
- 2026
- accuracy:
- 0
- baseline:
- 0
- the naive pick:
- DAL
- difficulty:
- 2
- weeks in the season:
- 18
- weeks left when called:
- 18
- Cowboys 38–21Cowboys at Eagles0Miss
0 − 0 naive = 0 × 2 difficulty = 0 skill
Think this is wrong?How this was scored
- won:
- DAL
- score:
- 38-21
- skill:
- 0
- they picked:
- PHI
- season:
- 2026
- accuracy:
- 0
- baseline:
- 0
- the naive pick:
- PHI
- difficulty:
- 2
- weeks in the season:
- 18
- weeks left when called:
- 18
- Cowboys 38–21Cowboys at Eagles100Hit
100 − 0 naive = 100 × 2 difficulty = +200 skill
Think this is wrong?How this was scored
- won:
- DAL
- score:
- 38-21
- skill:
- 200
- they picked:
- DAL
- season:
- 2026
- accuracy:
- 100
- baseline:
- 0
- the naive pick:
- PHI
- difficulty:
- 2
- weeks in the season:
- 18
- weeks left when called:
- 18
- Packers 23–13Cowboys at Packers0Miss
0 − 100 naive = −100 × 2 difficulty = −200 skill
Think this is wrong?How this was scored
- won:
- GB
- score:
- 13-23
- skill:
- −200
- they picked:
- DAL
- season:
- 2026
- accuracy:
- 0
- baseline:
- 100
- the naive pick:
- GB
- difficulty:
- 2
- weeks in the season:
- 18
- weeks left when called:
- 18
- Buccaneers 24–16Buccaneers at Cowboys0Miss
0 − 0 naive = 0 × 2 difficulty = 0 skill
Think this is wrong?How this was scored
- won:
- TB
- score:
- 24-16
- skill:
- 0
- they picked:
- DAL
- season:
- 2026
- accuracy:
- 0
- baseline:
- 0
- the naive pick:
- DAL
- difficulty:
- 2
- weeks in the season:
- 18
- weeks left when called:
- 18
- Cowboys 34–30Cowboys at Texans0Miss
0 − 0 naive = 0 × 2 difficulty = 0 skill
Think this is wrong?How this was scored
- won:
- DAL
- score:
- 34-30
- skill:
- 0
- they picked:
- HOU
- season:
- 2026
- accuracy:
- 0
- baseline:
- 0
- the naive pick:
- HOU
- difficulty:
- 2
- weeks in the season:
- 18
- weeks left when called:
- 18
- Ravens 34–31Ravens at Cowboys0Miss
0 − 0 naive = 0 × 2 difficulty = 0 skill
Think this is wrong?How this was scored
- won:
- BAL
- score:
- 34-31
- skill:
- 0
- they picked:
- DAL
- season:
- 2026
- accuracy:
- 0
- baseline:
- 0
- the naive pick:
- DAL
- difficulty:
- 2
- weeks in the season:
- 18
- weeks left when called:
- 18
- Cowboys 37–20Commanders at Cowboys100Hit
100 − 100 naive = 0 × 2 difficulty = 0 skill
Think this is wrong?How this was scored
- won:
- DAL
- score:
- 20-37
- skill:
- 0
- they picked:
- DAL
- season:
- 2026
- accuracy:
- 100
- baseline:
- 100
- the naive pick:
- DAL
- difficulty:
- 2
- weeks in the season:
- 18
- weeks left when called:
- 18
- Cowboys 37–20Commanders at Cowboys100Hit
100 − 100 naive = 0 × 2 difficulty = 0 skill
Think this is wrong?How this was scored
- won:
- DAL
- score:
- 20-37
- skill:
- 0
- they picked:
- DAL
- season:
- 2026
- accuracy:
- 100
- baseline:
- 100
- the naive pick:
- DAL
- difficulty:
- 2
- weeks in the season:
- 18
- weeks left when called:
- 18
- Giants 28–20Cowboys at Giants100Hit
100 − 100 naive = 0 × 2 difficulty = 0 skill
Think this is wrong?How this was scored
- won:
- NYG
- score:
- 20-28
- skill:
- 0
- they picked:
- NYG
- season:
- 2026
- accuracy:
- 100
- baseline:
- 100
- the naive pick:
- NYG
- difficulty:
- 2
- weeks in the season:
- 18
- weeks left when called:
- 18
- Giants 28–20Cowboys at Giants0Miss
0 − 100 naive = −100 × 2 difficulty = −200 skill
Think this is wrong?How this was scored
- won:
- NYG
- score:
- 20-28
- skill:
- −200
- they picked:
- DAL
- season:
- 2026
- accuracy:
- 0
- baseline:
- 100
- the naive pick:
- NYG
- difficulty:
- 2
- weeks in the season:
- 18
- weeks left when called:
- 18
- —Waiting
Not settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
- —Waiting
Not settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
- —Waiting
Not settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
- —Waiting
Not settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
- —Waiting
Not settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
Season Win Totals1 waitingShow ▸Hide ▾
Dallas Cowboys to finish with 13 wins
“Irvin has the Cowboys finishing with a 13-4 record overall, with two of those losses coming against divisional opponents.”
—WaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
The games in this take
every pundit’s pick on each- Cowboys at GiantsGiants 28Cowboys 2032 calls →
- Commanders at CowboysCowboys 37Commanders 2017 calls →
- Ravens at CowboysRavens 34Cowboys 3125 calls →
- Cowboys at TexansCowboys 34Texans 3031 calls →
- Buccaneers at CowboysBuccaneers 24Cowboys 1628 calls →
- Cowboys at PackersPackers 23Cowboys 1336 calls →
- Cowboys at EaglesCowboys 38Eagles 2131 calls →
- Cardinals at CowboysCardinals 33Cowboys 3017 calls →
- Cowboys at ColtsCowboys 27Colts 2317 calls →
- 49ers at CowboysKickoff Nov 15, 202641 calls →
- Titans at CowboysKickoff Nov 22, 20264 calls →
- Cowboys at SeahawksKickoff Dec 8, 20266 calls →
- Cowboys at RamsKickoff Dec 20, 20269 calls →
- Jaguars at CowboysKickoff Dec 28, 20265 calls →
Who this take is about
Others on the same people
Sam Monson · Game Outcome Picks · New York Giants · Miss 0
Monson picked every Week 10 game, taking the Giants, Lions, Packers, Panthers, Colts, Texans, Bills, Chiefs, Jaguars, Seahawks, Rams, Cowboys, Bengals and Ravens, and also suggested the Chargers' only likely wins the rest of the way come against the Jets and Dolphins.Pete Prisco · Score Predictions · New York Giants · Miss 36
Prisco picks the Giants to beat the Commanders 23-14 on Thursday night and the Lions to beat the Patriots 30-24 in Munich.Jared Dubin · Score Predictions · New York Giants · Close 43
Dubin picks the Giants to beat the Commanders 20-14 on Thursday night and takes the Packers over the Vikings 17-14 in a low-scoring Week 10 game.Jared Dubin · Score Predictions · New York Giants · Close 43
Dubin picks the Giants to beat the Commanders at home on Thursday night, projecting a 20-14 final score.Pete Prisco · Score Predictions · New York Giants · Miss 36
Prisco picked the Giants to beat the Commanders at home in the Thursday night Week 10 game, 23-14, citing New York's dominant front seven containing Jayden Daniels.Jared Dubin · Score Predictions · New York Giants · Close 43
Dubin predicted final scores for seven Week 10 games, taking the Giants over the Commanders, the Lions, Chiefs, Packers, 49ers, Bengals and Ravens to win their respective matchups.
More game outcome picks
The same kind of call, about other players and teams.
Eva Geitheim · Game Outcome Picks · Washington Commanders · Hit 100
Geitheim picked the Commanders, Lions, Chiefs, Texans, Vikings, Jaguars, Colts, Panthers, Bills, Seahawks, Rams, 49ers, Bengals and Ravens in Week 10.Gilberto Manzano · Game Outcome Picks · Washington Commanders · Hit 100
Manzano picked the Commanders, Lions, Chiefs, Browns, Packers, Jaguars, Dolphins, Saints, Bills, Seahawks, Rams, 49ers, Bengals and Ravens in Week 10.Brooke Cersosimo · Game Outcome Picks · Buffalo Bills · Hit 100
Picks the Bills over the Vikings.Gennaro Filice · Game Outcome Picks · Minnesota Vikings · Miss 0
Picks the Vikings to beat the Bills.Moe Moton · Game Outcome Picks · Buffalo Bills · Hit 100
Picks the Bills to win.Pamela Maldonado · Game Outcome Picks · Buffalo Bills · Hit 100
Picks the Bills to win.