Listen up, 12s, because Sports Illustrated just dropped their 2026 NFL preview, and it’s got a prediction that will have you ripping your hair out! Conor Orr, the writer for SI, is calling for our Seattle Seahawks to make it all the way to SoFi Stadium in February for the Super Bowl, only to lose to the Houston Texans. Seriously?
“Texas-Sized Goals” and How They See It
The Texans defense, led by Will Anderson Jr., is clearly getting a ton of hype. They are plastered all over SI’s September issue, with Anderson flanked by Danielle Hunter, Jalen Pitre, Derek Stingley Jr., and Azeez Al-Shaair on one cover. Another cover even has Anderson posing on top of the Post Oak Hotel with the Houston skyline behind him. The cover headline screams “Texas-Sized Goals,” and Anderson himself laid down the gauntlet with a quote, “We got to win the Super Bowl with it. That’s the mission.” Talk about confidence!
Sports Illustrated’s Questionable Crystal Ball for Houston
Here’s the thing, though, about Sports Illustrated and their Texans predictions: they often miss. This is actually the fourth time Houston’s football team has been on the cover of the magazine’s NFL preview issue. Back in ’79, Earl Campbell’s Houston Oilers were featured on the front, and they ended up losing a controversial AFC title game to the Pittsburgh Steelers. J.J. Watt got the spotlight in the 2015 issue, only for that Texans team to get shut out 30-0 by the Kansas City Chiefs in a wild-card playoff game. And in 2018, Deshaun Watson was on a regional cover of the NFL preview, and that team lost to the Indianapolis Colts in the wild-card round. So yeah, maybe SI’s crystal ball for Houston isn’t exactly 20/20.
So, while some fancy writer in a magazine thinks Houston has our number in the biggest game, history suggests they might be jumping the gun. Our Seahawks, with Sam Darnold, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Rashid Shaheed, and Cooper Kupp ready to roll, under Mike Macdonald and Brian Fleury, have a whole season to make this “prediction” look ridiculous. Let’s show them what real Emerald City football is all about when the season kicks off. We’re coming for that Lombardi, no matter what a magazine says.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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