Stephen A. Smith and the Dallas Cowboys have a Tom and Jerry relationship. He seems to despise them but also can’t stop talking about them. So, when the leading sports analyst released his power rankings after Week 1 of the NFL season, fans weren’t very surprised that the Cowboys were nowhere to be seen. But they did voice their reservations.
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Despite a flawless performance against a tough Browns defense, the Cowboys failed to crack the top five in Stephen A.’s rankings (via First Take). As a result, fans were left frustrated, once again labeling the analyst a “hater.”
Several fans also voiced their reservations about Stephen A. including the Ravens on the list despite their season-opening loss. They believe that the Cowboys should have occupied that spot instead.
Straight hating on Dem Boys !
— we dem boys (@Repikk1) September 10, 2024
Ravens on the Top 5 after a loss above the Cowboys who just took the Browns apart in Cleveland…
He don’t change do he?
— Charlie (@CH295777) September 10, 2024
Ravens over the Cowboys when Baltimore lost is criminal
— naynay (@naynayyparker) September 10, 2024
No no no. Dallas has to be in there.
— Lamar Aldridge (@LamarAldridge3) September 11, 2024
So, who did the sports analyst choose as his top 5? Going in ascending order, Stephen A. put the Ravens at fifth, despite their loss against the Chiefs.
He believes they are still the top team but ended up on the losing side because they faced the defending champions, arguably the best team in the league right now.
The Detroit Lions occupy the fourth spot, courtesy of their victory against the Rams. Smith, therefore, believes that their appearance in the NFC game wasn’t a fluke, and they are a solid football team.
Third place in the rankings went to the Philadelphia Eagles, who are coming off their win over a young Packers team. Even though Jalen Hurts didn’t have a great outing, Stephen A. found Saquon Barkley to be excellent.
Unsurprisingly, the San Francisco 49ers are the 2nd best team on his list, and deservedly so. The sportscaster feels the Niners have too much talent in their ranks and are a force to be reckoned with.
The reigning Super Bowl champs, the Chiefs, were the best team last week, as argued by Stephen A.
For him, they are poised to excel this season, having added some exciting new pieces like Xavier Worthy.
That said, not only did Smith leave the Cowboys out of the rankings, but he even questioned the franchise for paying Dak a massive contract.
Stephen A. questioned the Cowboys paying $60 million to Dak Prescott
The Dak saga that went through all the 2024 off-season ended early on the day of the Cowboys-Browns matchup. Jerry Jones finally decided to loosen his purse strings and paid his star QB. They agreed to a massive 4-year, $240 million contract extension, averaging $60 million a year, effectively making Prescott the highest-paid football player on the planet.
Like many, Stephen A. couldn’t fathom why the Cowboys decided to go this route. During an episode of The Stephen A. Smith Show, the analyst argued that the $60 million figure was too much, noting that Dak has only two playoff wins in eight seasons.
“I’m not threatened by the fact that he got his money based on his regular season work. But, the man hasn’t produced in the postseason. And I’m like you have got two playoff victories in eight years, man. $60 million? $60 million? Come on, man.”
Even though Stephen A. kept Dallas out of his top-five ranking and questioned the QB contract, the fact is that both Dak and the Cowboys consistently perform well in the regular season. The franchise has finished the last three seasons with a 12-5 record.
Prescott was even the runner-up in the MVP race last season, throwing for over 4500 yards. But playoffs are a different story, and not all blame can be placed on the QB.
Perhaps becoming the highest-paid QB will provide enough motivation to change that. They are still a good enough side to make a deep run in the postseason.
