Hard to believe considering the important role that ESPN has played in the history of the NFL–in particular the recent history–but in all the time that the network has been kicking around, it has never been the home of the Super Bowl. That honor has long gone to more traditional networks, with ESPN spending plenty of time talking about the Super Bowl but hardly ever actually hosting the game. That changes this year, however, and play-by-play man Joe Buck says he thinks the game’s viewership will get a boost–he is picking the Cowboys to represent the NFC, going up against the Buffalo Bills.
That would make Super Bowl 61 a rematch, of sorts, of Super Bowl 28 back in 1994, when the Cowboys delivered to Buffalo a heart-breaking fourth straight loss in the Big Game. The Cowboys won it again two years later in Super Bowl 30, but neither team has even been back to the NFL’s championship game since.
But this week at an event for the network and its new slate, Buck made his prediction, as relayed by Judy Battista of NFL Network, who wrote on Twitter/X: “Joe Buck predicts Cowboys-Bills in the Super Bowl and I can’t even imagine. There is not enough time from now to then to hype that game.”
‘No Sleep for 2 Weeks’ if Cowboys Reach Super Bowl
Now, that could just be wishful thinking on the part of the network, which is making the aim of this Super Bowl to be the most-watched in the history of the league. Every network sets that as its aim, of course, but with its wide reach and multiple broadcasts, ESPN does have a hope of achieving it. Adding the Cowboys to the mix surely would push it over the top.
As RJ Ochoa of the Blogging the Boys site noted, “None of us would sleep for two weeks if the Cowboys made the Super Bowl. I don’t think we can truly fathom what it would be like in modern times.”
Cowboys Banking on Defensive Overhaul
The Cowboys will, no doubt, be an improved team. Dallas invested heavily in its defense this offseason after ranking as the worst defense in the NFL in 2025, hoping that new personnel and young, new defensive coordinator Christian Parker can push the defense into something around average or slightly above. With a potent offensive attack, that might be all it takes to get the Cowboys, who were 7-9-1 even with that brutal D, back into contention.
In addition to using six of their eight draft picks on defensive players, the Cowboys also signed safeties Jalen Thompson and PJ Locke, cornerback Cobie Durant and defensive lineman Otito Ogbonnia, and traded for defensive end Rashan Gary and linebacker Dee Williams. Along with new safety/slot corner Caleb Downs–taken with the No. 11 pick–those players are probable starters in 2026, giving the Cowboys as many as seven news defensive starters./
ESPN Pushing Super Bowl Hard
Will that be enough to get the Cowboys to the Super Bowl? They’ve got to get back to the playoffs first, of course, and quarterback Dak Prescott will need to throw off the weight of his past postseason disappointments–he is 2-5 in the playoffs. It’s a lot to ask. But it’s only May, so it can’t hurt to believe in the best-case scenario.
ESPN is certainly amped up for the possibility. As Front Office Sports’ Mike McCarthy wrote this week: “During Disney’s upfront presentation Tuesday, ESPN set an ambitious goal for itself. NFL Live host Laura Rutledge declared ESPN wants to set the record for most-watched Super Bowl of all time when it broadcasts the 61st edition of the Big Game on Feb. 14, 2027.”
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