Speak for Yourself hosts debate Michael Irvin’s latest Cowboys take

In case you missed it, Hall of Famer Michael Irvin recently went on a rant about his former team. The Dallas Cowboys legend said the team has not only lost a ton of talent in the offseason but also lacks the willpower and drive it takes to win games and go far. Yikes. The host of the FOX Sports show “Speak for Yourself” decided to debate the topic and give their input on what Irvin had to say.

Warning… if you’re a Cowboys fan, you may dislike a lot of the things you’re about to hear/read. On Tuesday, Emmanuel Acho, Joy Taylor, and Ric Bucher each took turns discussing whether they believe the Cowboys have enough talent to get to the Super Bowl in 2022. The consensus was a strong no. Here are a few quotes from throughout the full segment to start:

“I don’t think the Cowboys have enough talent to win the Super Bowl.” – Emmanuel Acho

“They don’t have the talent and, as Irvin said, they don’t have the heart or mentality that you need to go after a Super Bowl.” – Ric Bucher

“They do have the talent to win a Super Bowl. They do not have the coaching to win a Super Bowl. They are not going to win a Super Bowl. Y’all don’t even win playoff games.” – Joy Taylor

Wow. Strong statements. Let’s take a deeper look into why those broadcasters feel that way.

Hosts of Speak for Yourself debate Michael Irvin’s quote that the Cowboys don’t have enough talent to win the Super Bowl

Here’s why Acho isn’t buying into the 2022 Cowboys. The Dallas native said that in today’s NFL, in order for teams to succeed, they need to have multiple offensive threats. For example, the Chiefs had Tyreek Hill and Travis Kelce. The Bengals had Tee Higgins and Ja’Marr Chase. The Bucs had Rob Gronkowski, Mike Evans, and Chris Godwin. Now, that Cooper is gone, the Cowboys only have CeeDee Lamb. Acho argued that Dalton Schultz shouldn’t be expected to be a No. 2 catcher and won’t be. He also added that Michael Gallup’s future is a question mark coming off of surgery. In other words, Dallas is asking Dak Prescott to do something only Aaron Rodgers has done… win a Super Bowl with one good receiver (Devante Adams).

Bucher admitted that he himself drank the “Cowboys Kool-Aid” when the team had a great record last year. That was until he realized that they were losing to every quality team. He also made an analogy for Jerry Jones’s excuse to Cowboys fans when the owner said that the team will be great in 2022 because at this time last year they “didn’t have Micah Parsons.” Bucher said that is the equivalent of a broke person miraculously winning the lottery. Then, that person realizes they still don’t have enough money to pay their bills. So, instead of going out and getting a job, they just pray they win the lottery again. It’s a strange analogy, but it does make sense.

Taylor seemed the most frustrated about believing in the Cowboys in 2021. “I am hungover on Cowboys Kool-Aid. There’s not enough Advil in the world. I am not doing it again,” she said. Taylor pointed out that the team just doesn’t win, citing their mere four playoff wins since 1996. She also said that the reason that people buy into America’s Team is that it’s a beautiful stadium, a great brand, and a big show. But those things don’t win games.

Lastly, Acho added a brilliant analogy. He deemed the Cowboys “a good student in a bad school.” In other words, in the horrifically bad NFC East, the Cowboys are the best. But at some point, that student is going to get compared to good students at good schools (other divisions). On the other hand, the former NFL linebacker said the San Francisco 49ers are bad students at a good school. They went 2-4 in the division, but because they were at a talented “school,” they were able to stand their ground when they faced the rest of the league.

So, for the Cowboys, when it’s time for “standardized testing” (the playoffs), they realize who they really are. They’re just not good enough compared to the entire NFL.

Well, if you’re looking for people to buy into the Cowboys, don’t waste your time with these three.