The Dallas Cowboys blew out the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday afternoon, and Cowboys legend Michael Irvin couldn’t wait to rub it in the face of ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith.
😳😳😳@stephenasmith 😩😩😩We will snatch your CHAIN off your neck and your HEART out of your chest!!! WE DEM BOYZ @dallascowboys #COWBOYSNATION pic.twitter.com/t9x0jwIPpM
— Michael Irvin (@michaelirvin88) November 21, 2022
“WE DEM BOYZ,” Irvin tweeted on Monday morning after the Cowboys 40-3 victory. They dominated the game in every facet and look like a Super Bowl contender.
When the Cowboys win 😔 @stephenasmith pic.twitter.com/0ENh47gc1t
— First Take (@FirstTake) November 21, 2022
Irvin appeared on ESPN’s “First Take” to do his full on performative bit.
This is what makes “First Take” and these debate shows popular among a certain segment of fans. They tune in to watch Smith get clowned or for Smith to clown Irvin. They step on the set with their cowboy hats and boots on and do a full on sketch comedy routine.
It’s so beautiful to see a sane, objective WR in that chair on @nflnetwork like @ESanders_10 — rather than a hat pathetic delusion @dallascowboys cheerleader @michaelirvin88. Isn’t it amazing how AFTER a Dallas loss he suddenly can’t be in-studio? I’d expect more from a HOFer😉
— Stephen A Smith (@stephenasmith) November 20, 2022
Through 10 games the Cowboys are 7-3 and in second place in the NFC east behind the Philadelphia Eagles. They are in third place in the conference but own the tiebreaker against the Vikings.
The Cowboys head into their annual Thanksgiving Day game looking healthy and have a deep playoff run in their sights. Team owner and general manager Jerry Jones thinks they are legit contenders.
“A resounding yes. Yes. Unequivocally,” Jones said. “I think we’ve had adversity. We very easily could have more adversity. … Yes, I think if we use the experience of what we’re having in the season, then we’re going to be playoff ready. But I sure do think that what I see out here right now is the team like that you could go get a Super Bowl with.”
The Cowboys are ranked second in defensive DVOA. Micah Parsons and the pass rush are leading the way. The Cowboys lead the NFL with 42 sacks entering “Monday Night Football.” They’re tied with the New England Patriots and Tennessee Titans with 106 pass pressures, per Pro Football Reference. They lead the NFL with a 28.6 percent pressure rate.
As a result of all that pressure, Cowboys opponents average an NFL-low 174.5 passing yards per game and just 5.6 yards per passing play, the third-lowest figure in the NFL.
You know what you need to make a deep playoff run? A defense that can put pressure on the quarterback.
The Cowboys are only ranked 12th in offensive DVOA. But remember, quarterback Dak Prescott missed a chunk of time with an injury.
Prescott completed 88 percent of his passes and Tony Pollard became the first Cowboys running back with 100 receiving yards and 50 rushing yards in the same game since Emmitt Smith in 1993. Pollard and Ezekiel Elliott both scored two touchdowns each on Sunday.
Reinforcements could be on the way to help their offense after Thanksgiving.
Free agent wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. will be visiting the Cowboys as well as his old team the New York Giants. If OBJ signs with the Cowboys, that gives Prescott and head coach Mike McCarthy a proven weapon.
The Cowboys last won the Super Bowl in 1995. It’s been a drought for the storied franchise and their arrogant fan base. But things could be lining up for a magical run.
If it does happen you’d best believe Irvin and Smith will be doing their part on television to make a spectacle of it.
