The Dallas Cowboys enter every season with lofty expectations only to often fall short. Emmitt Smith thinks he knows why it keeps happening.
In a Q&A with Sportscasting.com, Smith said Dallas’ biggest issues aren’t related to talent. There’s plenty of it on the roster.
Rather, the team must improve from a mental standpoint.
“The thing that’s missing is not a talent thing with the Dallas Cowboys. It’s never been a talent thing with the Dallas Cowboys,” Smith said. “It’s always been an execution thing — execution from the standpoint of making the plays when you need to and not beating yourself. And I think our Dallas Cowboys — we keep beating ourselves.
“And sometimes, we have the tendency to take things for granted because we’re so talented. When you’re talented, you think your talent can overcome a lot of different things. But the game of football is more than just talent. As we would say, the game is 10% physical and 90% mental. I’m going to say that again — 10% physical and 90% mental.”
Interestingly, Smith’s comments are in line with what his former teammate Michael Irvin had to say this week.
Despite the fact the Cowboys lost major contributors like Amari Cooper, Randy Gregory and La’el Collins this offseason, Irvin thinks they still have the potential to achieve–if they improve their will to win.
Emmitt Smith says the Cowboys are lacking in the mental aspects of the game: "When you’re talented, you think your talent can overcome a lot of different things. But the game of football is more than just talent."
— Bobby Belt (@BobbyBeltTX) April 4, 2022
“They have lost talent. They are not a better team talent-wise,” Irvin said, via Clarence Hill of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. “This game doesn’t require skill. It requires will. If a team loses a little bit of skill but gains greater will, they call still do great things. If the Cowboys can take the disappointment of that defeat against San Francisco — beating you at home — if they can take that and internalize it in the offseason and come with less skill and more will and have a better season.”
After a disappointing 6-10 showing in 2020, the Cowboys improved to 12-5 in 2021, winning the NFC East for the fourth time since 2014.
However, they lost to the San Francisco 49ers in the Wild Card round, making it 26 consecutive seasons without a trip to the NFC Championship Game.
