It’s that time of the season when everyone in Dallas sets championship aspirations for themselves. With the Cowboys’ training camp in full swing, Jerry Jones is doing his best to hype up the squad. And while some analysts believe in the roster they have, the fanbase and critics like Stephen A. Smith don’t.
Advertisement
The Cowboys certainly don’t have a bad depth chart. There are solid stars on both sides of the ball in Dak Prescott, CeeDee Lamb, Micah Parsons, and Trevon Diggs. But they play in a tough division in the NFC East. The Philadelphia Eagles just won the Super Bowl, and the Washington Commanders are an exciting up-and-coming team. Additionally, the New York Giants made some interesting offseason changes.
Despite the tough landscape, some analysts like Louis Riddick think that the Cowboys can win the NFC East if things fall their way. He’s not completely confident in them, but he believes it’s not a ridiculous take to have. Specifically, he gave them an “outside chance” while discussing it on First Take this morning.
However, upon hearing Riddick’s claim, Stephen A. Smith refuted it with a funny comment about his hair.
“Give them an outside chance, absolutely. I’ve got an outside chance of moving my hairline forward, 2 feet forward, as long as I go to Club for Men or something,” Smith joked.
It’s not a surprising reaction from Stephen A. He is the self-proclaimed biggest hater of the Cowboys. He’s curated his entire NFL brand around making fun of the team and its fan base. It’s been an ongoing joke for him ever since he was hired by ESPN in 2003.
“I have an outside chance of moving my hairline forward.”
—@stephenasmith on the Cowboys having a chance to win the NFC East pic.twitter.com/aoS5wg6e41
— First Take (@FirstTake) July 30, 2025
That’s why Smith remained seemingly pessimistic about Dallas’ chances this season. He laughed off Riddick’s claim and then took the time to blast George Pickens for a recent comment about how the Cowboys are synonymous with Super Bowls.
“George Pickens is 24 years old. How would you know? You weren’t even born yet! You weren’t even conceived yet. He’s talking about how they’re synonymous with Super Bowls, or whatever. We’re supposed to believe that you sat back and read your history on the Dallas Cowboys? Please,” Smith said.
It’s a good and hilarious point that the famed sports personality made. The Cowboys haven’t made a Super Bowl or an NFC Championship Game in 30 years. The team used to be equated with championships in the 90s, but ever since then, they’ve struggled to recapture that glory. Despite this, Jerry Jones has somehow managed to keep the team synonymous with Lombardi Trophies for some.
That’s why Smith believes the fall of Jones & Co. is coming once reality hits the fanbase: we just need to be patient.
“It’s coming, the fall. I promise you that. You see Jerry Jones last week? He was getting booed by the fans at training camp, and he’s talking about, ‘Wait until you see these guys out here right now.’ What do you mean, wait until we see it? In practice?” Smith questioned.
Jones made a speaking appearance at the Cowboys’ training camp this past week. But fans could hardly hear him say anything with the “Pay Micah” chants drowning him out. The chants later turned into boos.
Can Dallas win the NFC East, though? The simple answer is probably not. Although anything is possible, especially in the NFL. We see an unexpected division winner yearly nowadays. Last year, it was the LA Rams who subverted all expectations and won the NFC West.
All in all, it just doesn’t seem like the Cowboys have enough firepower to keep up with the Eagles and Commanders. They have a coach in his first year, their best defensive player is in a contract standoff with ownership, and their QB has struggled to stay healthy the past 3 years.
The vibes are bad in Dallas. Don’t bite the bait that Jones or Riddick is casting. Fall in line with Smith and doubt them until they prove us otherwise.
