Simon Hunter· Aug 20, 2026

Simon Hunter breaks down the NFC East: he thinks Dallas is the value play to win the division and could reach a one seed, expects the Cowboys' floor is seven wins with ten or eleven possible, likes Caleb Downs as a Defensive Player of the Year candidate, ranks the Giants fourth in the division and Washington third, and thinks the Eagles' defense is the division's best unit.

“I don't see the Cowboys floor being lower than seven wins.”

said on air or in an interview · The Herd with Colin Cowherd (podcast) · read the original →

8 checkable claims — 2 season win totals, 1 award pick, 1 depth chart call, 1 division winner, 1 position group ranking, 1 power ranking and 1 seeding, byes and home field — each graded on its own rather than as one all-or-nothing bet.

It names 4 players and teams, each linked to their own record.

None of them have settled yet — they grade once their results are in.

Of the 3 unsettled calls enough other pundits have weighed in on, this one lands above the room on 1 and below it on 2.

Where this call stands in the room

Dallas Cowboys · 2026 season · wins

Simon Hunter — 10 winsthe room — 27 calls from 19 punditsmedian 10 wins

Every dot is a call somebody published on the same question. Where the dots land says where this take sits, not whether it is right — nothing here is settled yet. Hover a dot for the name and number; click it to read that take.

Their call against the room

wins

9They said

7The room (9 pundits)

Their call against everyone else's, while this is still unsettled.

Where do you stand? Pick this and every open claim on Picks →

Who this take is about

8 checkable claims in this take

Each one is scored on its own against the published methodology. A pundit naming several outcomes is graded on each, not on all-or-nothing.

Season Win Totals Washington CommandersAug 20, 2026
Washington Commanders to finish with 9 wins
“Can he play a minimum of sixteen games? If he stays healthy for that many, they can get to nine to eight, eight and nine.”
Not settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
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Season Win Totals Dallas CowboysAug 20, 2026
Dallas Cowboys to finish with 10 wins
“this could easily be a team that wins ten eleven games... I don't see the Cowboys floor being lower than seven wins.”
Not settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
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Division Winners Dallas CowboysAug 20, 2026
Dallas Cowboys to win the division
“once again, Cowboys plus two ten. They should be just like Eagles... So yeah to me the value right now, sitting on that Cowboy side.”
Not settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
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Seeding, Byes and Home Field Dallas CowboysAug 20, 2026
Dallas Cowboys to take the top seed
“this feels like a pretty safe bet to either be, you know, the seventh seed or when this division be a one or two seed”
Not settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
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Depth Chart Calls Stefon Diggs Washington CommandersAug 20, 2026
Stefon Diggs to be 2nd on the depth chart
“they went out got him a legit number two, a guy that you could say is just as good as mclauren”
Not settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
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Power RankingsAug 20, 2026
“So I actually have them still fourth in this division... they're fourth on the script here, but you think they're third in the division.”
Not settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
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Award Picks Caleb Downs Dallas CowboysAug 20, 2026
Caleb Downs to win Defensive Player of the Year
“I never give out safeties to win Defensive Player of the Year. He's in Dallas, they got primetime games. He could be a sexy name of throw a bet on.”
Not settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
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Position Group RankingsAug 20, 2026
“the best unit in this entire division is the Eagles defense, and it's not close”
Not settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
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What others said about the same people

Nate TiceScore Predictions · Dallas CowboysHit · 100
Tice picked the Bengals over the Texans in a low-scoring game, the Jaguars at Denver, the Bears over the Vikings, the Patriots over the Steelers and the Rams to edge the Giants, and his Hail Mary was the Cowboys scoring 40 on Washington. He also floated Abdul Carter as a possible All-Pro.
Geoff SchwartzGame Outcome Picks · Dallas CowboysMiss · 0
Filling in on the chips segment, Schwartz took Jacksonville to beat New England, the Bengals to beat the Steelers, and the Cowboys to beat the Ravens on the Brazil field.
Michael IrvinGame Outcome Picks · Dallas CowboysMiss · 0
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.
Jeff CavanaughGame Outcome Picks · Dallas CowboysMiss · 0
Jeff went game-by-game through the Cowboys schedule, initially arriving at 13-4 before flipping a game to settle on a 12-5 final record prediction, with Dallas beating the Giants, Commanders, Ravens, Buccaneers, Packers, Cardinals, Colts, 49ers, Titans, Eagles (home), plus wins to close, and losing to the Texans, Eagles (road), Seahawks and Rams.
Clarence HillGame Outcome Picks · Dallas CowboysMiss · 0
Clarence predicted an 11-6 Cowboys season, picking wins over the Giants, Commanders, Ravens, Packers, Cardinals, Colts and Titans while giving losses to Houston, Tampa Bay, both Eagles games, the 49ers, Seahawks and Rams.
Michael IrvinGame Outcome Picks · Dallas CowboysMiss · 0
Playing the game-by-game "win loss" exercise, Irvin picked the Cowboys to finish 13-4, with losses only at Houston, at Philadelphia, at Seattle and at home to the Giants in Week 17.

More season win totals

The same kind of call, about other players and teams.