Irvin: Cowboys physically there, but won't win until they get mentally right

Michael Irvin: Cowboys physically there, but won't win until they get mentally right


SPORTSDAYDFW.COM

Published: 03 February 2014 08:02 PM

Updated: 03 February 2014 11:24 PM


Former Dallas Cowboys Michael Irvin and Jay Novacek joined ESPN 1250 San Antonio during Super Bowl week. Here are some highlights from the interview.

On the difference between the early '90s Cowboys and now:

Irvin: “If we go down and score, I knew that there was no way Charles Haley was going to allow three third downs without getting a sack. That’s what kills me now. I’m like, ‘Come on defense. One big stop. One big defense on third down. One third down stop.’ Then it’s first down. … Charles Haley, as crazy as he is, I’m telling you he’s not going to let you have three (third down conversions) in any one drive. I don’t have to worry about that.”

Novacek: “The reason we were good and the reason we won Super Bowls is because we knew one of us was going to make a play at the correct time. That’s what we don’t see with the Cowboys now. They’re capable of it, but no one steps up and makes that play. We just knew it. You look in the huddle and I’m talking more offensively, but we saw it on defense all the time.”



On how close the Cowboys are to a Super Bowl:

Irvin: “The Cowboys: 8-8, and probably four or five of those game they lost by less than three points. How close are they physically? They’re there. It’s mentally. Can we make it unacceptable? It’s unacceptable to let that team make the next drive. It’s unacceptable for me, Jay (Novacek), Emmitt (Smith) to take the field needing a field goal or a touchdown and not come up with the play at that right moment. It’s unacceptable. When the Cowboys get that thing, that mentality that those things are unacceptable then they’ll win games. But they won’t before then.”

I don't even know if they are there physically from a talent standpoint, but they hit the nail on the head about no one stepping up to make a play. The few times the D did make a stop, the offense came up with nothing.

BipolarFan said:

I don't even know if they are there physically from a talent standpoint, but they hit the nail on the head about no one stepping up to make a play. The few times the D did make a stop, the offense came up with nothing.

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Which is odd because back in 2007-2009 or so, we used to be one of the better teams at scoring after turnovers.

And yet, there are still plenty of shit heads out there who think that we have the mental toughness and leadership to win.

Plan9Misfit said:

And yet, there are still plenty of shit heads out there who think that we have the mental toughness and leadership to win.

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What?

You don't think Romo is a leader? Huh?

How about Whitten! Not a leader? HA!

Ware? What is wrong with you!?

boozeman said:

What?

You don't think Romo is a leader? Huh?

How about Whitten! Not a leader? HA!

Ware? What is wrong with you!?

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Exactly. When your best players are the core of the gutless losers on the team, you have nowhere to go but down.

Wait, I forgot, those guys just aren't "vocal leaders". They lead in other ways. Not that we've ever seen what they are, but they must be present because people keep telling us so.

Plan9Misfit said:

Exactly. When your best players are the core of the gutless losers on the team, you have nowhere to go but down.

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I stop short at gutless. But they certainly aren't the "dawgs" Irvin is talking about.

All of our leaders are the same homogenous try hard grinders that frankly all think and act the same.

They are workers, not leaders. They can lead by working hard in practice, in the weight room, but when the shit hits the fan on the field, none of them are capable of stepping up.

That is a big reason that we get raped and violated by good football teams. For every "moral victory", we get a team like Seattle just basically kicking the shit out of us and we take it like a bunch of goobers.

Irvin's teams did not take shit from anyone. When they got their butts beaten, which was rare, they still had fight in them.

Real fight. Not this generic garbage "battling" Garrett talks about. I am talking James Washington's thug from Compton ass grabbing a tripod and threatening to hit a guy with it.

boozeman said:

I stop short at gutless. But they certainly aren't the "dawgs" Irvin is talking about.

All of our leaders are the same homogenous try hard grinders that frankly all think and act the same.

They are workers, not leaders. They can lead by working hard in practice, in the weight room, but when the shit hits the fan on the field, none of them are capable of stepping up.

That is a big reason that we get raped and violated by good football teams. For every "moral victory", we get a team like Seattle just basically kicking the shit out of us and we take it like a bunch of goobers.

Irvin's teams did not take shit from anyone. When they got their butts beaten, which was rare, they still had fight in them.

Real fight. Not this generic garbage "battling" Garrett talks about. I am talking James Washington's thug from Compton ass grabbing a tripod and threatening to hit a guy with it.

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I agree, you need that twinge of insanity but quite honestly how do you expect these guys to have that when Garrett walks and talks like a god damned robot about 90% of the time?

That team took their cues from Jimmy who wasn't afraid to blow up from time to time, Garrett just stands on the sideline with a blank look on his face, so what do you expect?

Simpleton said:

Garrett just stands on the sideline with a blank look on his face, so what do you expect?

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He claps real fast while leaning forward, and spits a lot too.

So we have that going for us, which is nice.

BipolarFan said:

I don't even know if they are there physically from a talent standpoint, but they hit the nail on the head about no one stepping up to make a play. The few times the D did make a stop, the offense came up with nothing.

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I wish we had a player with Dez Bryant's fire on this defense. Talk about a player with passion.

Garrett throws a challenge flag reall pretty.

It's poignant. Kind of like a slo-mo scene when a rose hits the ground as a warrior dies.

I'll go against the grain here.

I'm getting a bit sick and tired of these 90s players with their "should do this and do that", making comparisons to old teammates.

If you want to make a suggestion, be specific and say what a current player needs to do.

pdom said:

I'll go against the grain here.

I'm getting a bit sick and tired of these 90s players with their "should do this and do that", making comparisons to old teammates.

If you want to make a suggestion, be specific and say what a current player needs to do.

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Not real hard to figure out. If they're talking about Charles Haley and not allowing 3 straight 3rd down conversions, I hardly think it's about Miles Austin's frail hamstrings or Tony Romo throwing an ill-timed INT.

The 90's teams had Jimmy Johnson driving them to the point failure was not an option. The current group has been spoiled, literally, by Jerry's bullshit. They will never muster what it takes to be winners. It's not necessarily even their fault. The dysfunctional culture Jerry has created eventually grinds down every player that comes through the system.

Cowboysrock55 said:

I wish we had a player with Dez Bryant's fire on this defense. Talk about a player with passion.

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I wish we had Richard Sherman.

boozeman said:

I stop short at gutless. But they certainly aren't the "dawgs" Irvin is talking about.

All of our leaders are the same homogenous try hard grinders that frankly all think and act the same.

They are workers, not leaders. They can lead by working hard in practice, in the weight room, but when the shit hits the fan on the field, none of them are capable of stepping up.

That is a big reason that we get raped and violated by good football teams. For every "moral victory", we get a team like Seattle just basically kicking the shit out of us and we take it like a bunch of goobers.

Irvin's teams did not take shit from anyone. When they got their butts beaten, which was rare, they still had fight in them.

Real fight. Not this generic garbage "battling" Garrett talks about. I am talking James Washington's thug from Compton ass grabbing a tripod and threatening to hit a guy with it.

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I vividly remember those days. And I miss them. A lot.

Plan9Misfit said:

I vividly remember those days. And I miss them. A lot.

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You and me both.

Iamtdg said:

You and me both.

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And what's worse is that Jerry will never allow those days to happen again. Because he'll be damned if he has to give up control of his team again. #fuckingasshole

Iamtdg said:

I wish we had Richard Sherman.

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~pushes like button~