The Dallas Cowboys haven’t hoisted a Lombardi Trophy since the 1995 team that won Super Bowl 30. Back then they were led by “The Triplets,” Hall of Famers Troy Aikman, Emmitt Smith and Michael Irvin, who were one of the all-time offensive trios. They also had Hall of Famers Deion Sanders and Charles Haley on defense. But since that time the Cowboys haven’t sniffed the Super Bowl.
In fact, they haven’t even advanced to the NFC Championship Game. But that still hasn’t stopped media pundits from making them contenders yearly. This in spite of their consistent failures when expectations are pinned on them.
The overhyping and infatuation with the Dallas Cowboys have made guys like ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith apply the phrase “accident waiting to happen” to the franchise. Smith isn’t the only media pundit who isn’t buying into the yearly hype. Pro Football Hall of Famer and FS1 analyst Shannon Sharpe is another one who isn’t falling for the “banana in the tailpipe.”
College Color’s Day! #Hailstate pic.twitter.com/jlX0WL7HqO
— Dak Prescott (@dak) September 3, 2021
During a recent “Undisputed” episode Sharpe tore into his co-host Skip Bayless, a die-hard Cowboys fan. A segment about the Cowboys lack of Super Bowl appearances in nearly 30 years got everyone’s juices flowing and Sharpe, or “Unk,” as he likes to be called, had a field day.
He went as far as to say that quarterback Dak Prescott has no pressure because the realistic expectations for Dallas should be for them to fall short again.
“They haven’t seen the Super Bowl unless it was on TV! So, there’s no pressure on Dak Prescott. Zero!“
Sharpe continued.
“They have the 11th-best odds this year. So what the booking houses are telling you, they’re not even top-ten favorites! They have the 11th best-odds. So what pressure? What move did they make in the offseason that says, you know what, this is the move that gets them closer?”
https://youtu.be/rYz7vfzisRc
Sharpe is correct in his assessment. The Cowboys traded their best wide receiver in Amari Cooper. Allowed guard La’el Collins to leave via free agency. Plus the injury to star left tackle Tyron Smith has put the team in scramble mode to find a replacement that they can trust. Mix in Mike McCarthy’s lack of leadership and that leaves some real holes for the Cowboys. But they’re still favored to win the NFC East, which is a terrible division.
Team’s Defense Will Be Asked To Do More
Even with $40 million quarterback Dak Prescott in tow, defensive coordinator Dan Quinn and his defense led by edge rusher DeMarcus Lawrence, 2021 Defensive Rookie of the Year Micah Parsons and cornerback Trevon Diggs will be asked to win more than a few games.
The defense took a huge leap last year under the defensive maestro who was also architect of the Seattle Seahawks’ “Legion Of Boom” defense from 2012-2016. While Prescott and the offense won’t exactly fall off a cliff, there will be some trial and error with that side of the ball, and until they get fully acclimated and healthy, the defense will have to hold down the fort.
Prescott Owns The NFC East (25-6)
In his six seasons as the starter of the Cowboys, Prescott has enjoyed immense success against division opponents. The former “Hail State” Bulldogs star is 25-6 against the division, but this season won’t be as easy. The Eagles are better after adding wide receiver AJ Brown and cornerbacks James Bradberry and Chauncey Gardner-Johnson. The Commanders added quarterback Carson Wentz, who’s a significant upgrade over anyone they’ve had under center since Kirk Cousins. Even the Giants upgraded, as they got a healthy and fully engaged Saquon Barkley back. All of Dallas’ division opponents also drafted well, so the gap is closing.
With all that being said, Sharpe saying there’s no pressure on Dak is a bit of an exaggeration, because there’s always pressure on the QB of the Cowboys. And especially when he’s making $40 million per season.
More TSL Stories:
