“They put Dak Prescott in harm’s way”: Michael Irvin details how 49ers rattled Cowboys QB in 42-10 bully job
Dak Prescott has seen the amount of criticism skyrocket over the past couple of seasons. At times, Fox analyst Skip Bayless has severely criticized the quarterback. However, speaking on Undisputed, Cowboys legend Michael Irvin claimed that the quarterback was set up to fail against the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday Night Football. Here's how he put it:
“I don’t see Dak as an average QB. I see Dak as an above-average QB. I see him as someone you can win a Super Bowl with. When you start talking about the talent Dak has around him and the things they’re trying to do."
He continued, explaining that the 49ers had a perfect game plan that exploited the Cowboys' weaknesses:
"San Francisco came up and pressed that talent. They said, ‘Dak, we’re not gonna allow you to get the ball out of your hands quickly.’ And what they did was put Dak in harm’s way because their O-line didn’t hold down well. And he needs some better talent outside.”
CeeDee Lamb letting Dak Prescott down through five weeks
The NFL regular season is at about the one-third milestone and Dak Prescott's top receiver CeeDee Lamb has been unable to consistently dominate in games. In four of the five games this season, he's been held to just four catches. Aside from the Week 2 showing against the New York Jets where he had 11 catches for 143 yards, his production hasn't lived up from a domination standpoint.
Of course, at his current pace, he will easily eclipse the 1,000-yard mark by the end of the season. However, he has just one touchdown on the season and hasn't proven to be much in the clutch for Dak Prescott. With the team's back against the wall, he was unable to give Prescott a clear and obvious target against the Arizona Cardinals and the San Francisco 49ers.
As it stands, the receiver, while extremely talented, isn't on many shortlists as a top-five receiver in the NFL. For an offense to be able to explode, it needs its top wideout to be that good. Simply look at the Los Angeles Rams with and without Cooper Kupp.
Kirk Cousins has also enjoyed an explosive offense in the era of Justin Jefferson. Put simply, while talented and coveted, Lamb hasn't been able to take over the game enough for Prescott to win with his arm. After Sunday's loss, will Mike McCarthy open up the playbook for his quarterback and the receiver a bit more earlier in games?
If any of the above quotes are used, please credit Undisputed and H/T Sportskeeda.