THE 2026 NFL SEASON

The "No Frills" Fix Is In Style

So, I'm going to attempt another full season of NFL coverage, but it's going to be minimal and randomly updated. Mainly, it's going to be stuff I pull off of Twitter, sorry, X, so you can see what I mean rather than trying to figure out what in tarnations I'm talking about. I'll throw in commentary when needed, but to get started, here's a bunch of "bad calls" the league's officials have already botched two weeks into the season (presented in no specific order, and ignoring the extra second added on to the end of the Michigan game in the NCAA).

Actually, this "catch" was decided to not be a catch and not ruled a TD. And the following was determined not to be a first down.

The hit might have concussed him, but it wasn't "roughing the passer"...despite everything showing that it certainly should have been. Been a rough year for QB injuries already two weeks into the season, but while not wishing Jaxson Dart any ill will, it's great to have this nutjob back front and center in NYC:

WEEK 3ish

Looks like the KC Chiefs are back on the NFL's "good" list now that Mahomes is back to 100%.

WEEKS 4-5

My goodness is this league repetitive. Every week, bad calls, lackluster play, and certain teams always seems to get "the breaks." Five weeks in, and is there anything surprising? Three teams are terrible: Titans, Dolphins, and Chargers. Only the Chargers are a bit unexpected, but then again, what improvements were made that offered a glimmer of hope to their fans? As for the top teams, the only shocker are the 5-0 Vikings, considering they are succeeding without a competent QB...which is why even if they manage to continue to lead their division, they won't last long into the playoffs. Great defenses are fun, but only for so long. Here's some of the nonsense that has recently occurred:

WEEK 8ish

It's been a while since I posted, but really, has anything changed? My absence, however, should be excused. I can't exactly tell you why, but I was involved in a project which many of you, I believe, will enjoy. Unfortunately, you'll have to wait until the Spring to see it come to fruition.


In the meantime, here's more NFL garbage. The main thing I want to focus on is one play in the Bears-Seahawks game. Last year, if you recall, the Seahawks won the Super Bowl, Now, they are 4-4. The Bears, with the return of their possible "superstar in the making" QB Caleb Williams are 6-2. And don't forget, the Bears "need" a new stadium. The NFL loves to reward teams in need with success. Being a true legacy team in the league, the Bears are going to get their new stadium and perhaps a Super Bowl in the next season or so to coincide with that "need."


Which brings us to this play:

Was that really pass interference on the offense? In the subjective eye of the official, apparently yes. This single play, altered by the penalty, changed the course of this game. It didn't really seem like it at the time, but as things cascaded down from here, the Seahawks fate was sealed right here.


And that's the big thing about these "subjective" penalties called by the NFL's referees. The "when" matters more than anything. Not all penalties hold the same weight. A holding call on the first play of the game is rather meaningless. A holding call late in the fourth quarter on a touchdown play is game changing. That's what cannot be shown via analytics: the impact of when these types of calls are made. Penalties are not assessed in a vacuum. The residual outcome of each call is different. But no one can really chart this out. All you can do is sit back and take it (or, in my case, laugh at it).


This is the NFL in 2026. "Bad" calls made at the "right" time for certain teams which sways contests on a weekly basis. I'd post more, but you get the idea. Instead, I'll post a few oddities which recently occurred, starting with a two-fer in the Panthers-Packers game: