Dallas Cowboys legend Michael Irvin couldn’t take on Sunday when his former team fell 44-24 to the Denver Broncos.
A longtime NFL commentator and Hall of Fame wide receiver, Irvin vented his disgust over Dallas’ defensive performance, where the Broncos moved up and down the field at will all day. Broncos quarterback Bo Nix had 247 yards passing and four touchdowns, and running back J.K. Dobbins and R.J. Harvey combined for 157 yards and two touchdowns.
“This CAN NOT be an @NFL defense that’s wearing the @dallascowboys helmets !!!!!!,” Irvin wrote on X.com.
Nix never took a sack, and the Broncos running game produced 179 yards overall. Denver finished with 426 total yards as a team. In addition, the Broncos made quick work of the Cowboys defense by doing all of that with a 26:28 time of possession, and Nix’s interception in the first quarter proved quite inconsequential.
Irvin saw better days from the sidelines with the Cowboys during the 1990s dynasty when the team won three Super Bowls and had a dominant defense. His play only complemented the defense and the offensive talent around him.
This season, the Cowboys have allowed 250 points in eight games, an average of 31.25 points per game. Dallas has given up 40 points twice this season and 30 or more points in five games this year.
The Cowboys already ranked 30th in total defense and gave up 404.5 total yards per game as of Sunday. That’s 1,938 yards passing, 989 yards rushing, and 24 touchdowns allowed amid the carnage.
Micah Parsons’ Absence Felt All Over
Dallas had a stronger defense more recently with former star linebacker Micah Parsons, whom the team traded before the season after a months-long contract dispute.
Parsons, a three-time All-Pro and four-time Pro Bowler, has left a gaping void in the Cowboys defense, and it can’t be ignored. Meanwhile, he has a solid season going for the Green Bay Packers with 6.5 sacks and nine tackles.
Nix had time to throw, receivers had huge openings to make plays, and Dobbins enjoyed plenty of running room amid his 15 carries for 111 yards. The Cowboys had no answers in the Mile High City.
Cowboys Offense Can’t Keep Up
While owner Jerry Jones has been under fire for the Parsons trade, Jones has made a clear investment in the offense in recent years with giant contracts for quarterback Dak Prescott and wideout CeeDee Lamb.
Both Prescott and Lamb made plays on Sunday, but it was far from enough as the Cowboys couldn’t catch the Broncos. Prescott went 19-31 for 188 yards, but he also threw two interceptions and took two sacks. Lamb caught seven passes for 74 yards, which included a 29-yard grab.
Dallas also ran for 108 yards and two touchdowns as a team, but running back Javonte Williams had limited success in his return to Denver. He scored both touchdowns but only mustered 41 yards on 13 carries as Dallas played from behind.
The Cowboys will need to regroup at 3-4-1 with a Week 9 primetime game on the horizon against the Arizona Cardinals. Fortunately, Arizona averages 21.9 points per game, which could give the Cowboys defense a chance to build some semblance of success and take pressure off the Cowboys offense.
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