Stephen A. Smith had little sympathy for the Dallas Cowboys after their embarrassing overtime loss to the Arizona Cardinals. The ESPN analyst questioned the team’s leadership, defensive effort, and overall mentality following Sunday’s 33-30 defeat.
Dallas blew a 14-point fourth-quarter lead at AT&T Stadium. The loss marked the first time in the NFL franchise’s history that the Cowboys surrendered a 14-point lead in the fourth quarter.
Smith did not hold back during Monday’s episode of First Take.
“Cowboys trash. Cowboys are trash. I mean, let’s just get that out the way right now. What a pathetic performance,” Smith said.
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He highlighted Dallas’ defensive collapse, pointing to the 331 yards Arizona gained in the second half. The Cardinals also converted 63% of their third-down attempts and scored 30 second-half points.
Smith was particularly frustrated with the Cowboys’ inability to stop Tyler Allgeier. The Cardinals running back finished with 147 rushing yards on 11 carries, averaging 13.4 yards per attempt.
Stephen A. Smith questions Cowboys’ leadership and defensive approach
Beyond the defensive problems, Smith questioned the leadership within Dallas’ locker room. He criticized Dak Prescott for delivering familiar postgame comments without showing enough accountability.
“See, this is the problem with the Dallas Cowboys more so than anything else. They’re devoid of leadership,” Smith said.
He argued that the team needed players who would demand better performances from their teammates. Smith also questioned whether the Cowboys felt enough pressure after repeated disappointments.
The analyst then turned his attention to the defensive coaching staff. He called for changes at defensive coordinator and suggested Jerry Jones made a mistake by not hiring Rex Ryan.
Smith believes Dallas needs a more demanding voice who can hold players accountable.
“The losses don’t hurt enough because life is real comfortable in Big D,” he said, and later added, “Everything’s going to be all right. No, it ain’t. They are trash. They are horrible. They are pathetic.”
The Cowboys have now fallen to 3-5. Their latest collapse has raised fresh questions about the team’s direction and ability to compete this season.
