Jerry Jones rebuts latest Stephen A. Smith Dak Prescott criticism
Well-known Dallas Cowboys hater Stephen A. Smith is back to talk more trash about America’s Team after their third loss of the season.
The Cowboys lost in frustrating and ugly fashion to the Green Bay Packers on Sunday. Blowing a 14-point lead and losing in overtime is certainly worth criticism, but you never know what you’re going to get from Smith on “First Take.”
On Monday, he was surprisingly calm. He wasn’t yelling and screaming and saying how this is the worst team in the league. However, Smith had a very specific bone to pick with the Cowboys this time around.
It wasn’t penalties. It wasn’t the run defense — in fact, he made sure to say he felt Micah Parsons was the best player on the team. It wasn’t playcalling. It was quarterback Dak Prescott.
On Monday’s episode of “First Take,” Smith went on about how Dallas has not gotten their money’s worth out of the 29-year-old franchise QB. Smith also called Prescott the “weak link” of the team. Here’s his argument:
"“Micah Parsons is the star of the Cowboys. Everybody says ‘no, no, no it’s the quarterback.’ Hell no. You’ve got to prove it when you’re the quarterback of the Dallas Cowboys, that you’re the star. Because there’s an elevated level on responsibility that comes your way.And we have seen the Cowboys come up short time and time and time again. Now, we could throw it on other parts when you didn’t pay Dak Prescott. But when the brother’s got $95 million over the last two years. You got to show up. And you damn sure can’t have the backup looking better than you. The backup’s QBR is over nine points better than Dak Prescott’s for crying out loud.So it’s not that Dak Prescott can’t play. It’s not that he’s not a damn good talent. But with that money comes expectations. I’m going to say this. Jerry Jones has not gotten his money’s worth out of Dak Prescott. I’m going to say that. Because the Dallas Cowboys go where Dak Prescott takes them.”"
For once, this is actually a civilized and well-put point from the ESPN personality. The Cowboys do rely on Prescott to be far better than he was against the Packers. In Week 10, he threw two interceptions and was 1-for-5 on third and fourth down attempts in the fourth quarter and overtime.
They need him to always be the guy he was in Week 8 against the Chicago Bears every week, and he just wasn’t in a big game that really mattered on the road.
"With that money comes expectations. ... Jerry Jones has not gotten his money’s worth out of Dak Prescott.”
— First Take (@FirstTake) November 14, 2022
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Jerry Jones fights back on Stephen A. Smith’s latest criticism of the Cowboys and Dak Prescott
So is Prescott the weak link on this team?
Cowboys owner Jerry Jones would argue otherwise. When he did his weekly appearance on 105.3 The Fan, the radio hosts asked Jones if he agreed with Smith’s take and the answer was an adamant no.
"“That’s not correct. Dak brings us a separator. … If you were constructing the possibility of competing for a Super Bowl, I would start on this team right there with Dak.“Dak brings us a seperator. Now, does that mean Dak’s going to win every game or make every comeback or every key situation? Of course not. But by the same token, if you were constructing the possibility of competing for a Super Bowl, I would start on this team right there with Dak. He’s that integral to us really being able to have the year we want to have.”"
For practically his entire career, fans and analysts have questioned whether Prescott is a true, stellar franchise quarterback. For once, a good chunk of Cowboys Nation will likely agree with Smith. The reality is that quarterbacks need to be able to win big games and come up big in overtime moments.
No. 4 gets another chance to prove himself against an 8-1 Vikings team this Sunday. Hopefully, Prescott doesn’t give the ESPN personality any more negative material for his shows.
