What has stopped America’s Team from winning a championship in the last 30 years? No, we cannot always have Jerry Jones as the answer. After 1995, years kept passing by, head coaches and players kept changing, but they could not get another Lombardi. It’s not that the team didn’t have a good roster or skilled coaches after 1995. You see, Dallas made it to the playoffs a couple of times, and they’ve had a strong roster throughout the years. So their Super Bowl drought is a tough discussion for their fans, but former Cowboys‘ legendary player Michael Irvin has now shared his thoughts on this.

Irvin joined Joy Taylor, Keyshawn Johnson, and Paul Pierce on a Fox Sports talk show, Speak. The crew discussed the pressure on Dallas Cowboys players to deliver for their new HC, Brian Schottenheimer, and more. It was then that the former WR got real about the problems the Cowboys have as a team. Michael Irvin pointed out what the team was missing. In a strong message to Dak Prescott and Co., Irvin said:

“What I need out of them is to come together as a family and play like they’re trying to represent, ‘We made this choice.‘” (referring to choosing Brian Schottenheimer as the head coach).” Play like Michael Irvin did for Jimmy Johnson.

“All the past years Dallas has had the players with the skill, but I’ve always complained that I didn’t see the collective will. This, I hope it helps them become and have that collective will, become a tighter family, get all of that Demarcus Lawrence and Michael Parsons arguing out the locker room, and let’s get on one common goal, and that’s winning for our coach because we put him in a pressure-tight situation.”

And what about the QB’s injury that kept him away from the gridiron last season? Irvin expressed his hope. He said, “I’m not worried about Dak’s health. I think he’ll be right. And he’ll have one of his better years. He usually bounces back off of an injury and stuff like that. I like the fact that Dak has talked about it. He said, ‘I’m going to participate in some of the offseason stuff right now.‘” No doubt Prescott would be eager to prove his skills once again. As per Irvin, the quarterback needs to regroup his energy for Coach Schottenheimer. All for the Cowboys win. 

No doubt Irvin respects his coach Jimmy Johnson a lot. Under his leadership, the Cowboys captured back-to-back Super Bowl victories in 1993 and 1994, earning their status as “America’s Team” during an era defined by greatness. During his appearance on the Fanatics View podcast on April 2, Michael Irvin opened up about the profound impact Johnson had on the Cowboys. Holding back tears, Irvin said, “Jimmy took it off the football field,” reflecting on how Johnson’s leadership extended far beyond football. The coach, indeed, instilled discipline, belief, and resilience in players who often came from challenging backgrounds.

Irvin expects a similar bond between Schottenheimer and Dak Prescott & Co. to end the 30-year drought. But what would make the Cowboys go the extra mile for their coach? Because a Mike McCarthy-like treatment of the newly promoted head coach can blow off the playoff chances this season, as well.

A family affair: Can the Cowboys’ unity lead to playoff success?

When the Cowboys were looking for a new head coach after Mike McCarthy left, a lot of people wanted Deion Sanders to step in. But when the team announced that they were promoting Brian Schottenheimer to the position, many did not welcome the decision. Michael Irvin was one of them. But now that Schottenheimer is the coach, Irvin wants the team to work together as a family to deliver results for the new head coach.

In the very beginning of the Fox Sports talk show, Speak, the former Cowboys player started with stating: “Nobody had Coach Schottenheimer getting an opportunity to be a head coach, let alone be the Dallas Cowboys head coach. And as conversations have gone on, I’ve heard from people that he’s so charismatic, real good at talking with people and everything. So I want this to be the moment,” he stated. No doubt he wants to see the Cowboys in prime form like they were back in the ’90s. Lack of effort can lead to another disaster.

However, Keyshawn Johnson raised an interesting question during the show. The former WR pointed out that if the team didn’t give that extra effort for McCarthy, why would they suddenly do it for Schottenheimer? “When you think about it, they didn’t put that extra effort in for Mike McCarthy. Now, why would I, right now, today, believe that they’re going to put in extra effort for Schottenheimer, who was on McCarthy’s staff? Why?” The question is valid, though.

“Now all of a sudden you’re going to go an extra mile for Schottenheimer? Two miles for Schottenheimer? Three miles for Schottenheimer? You’re going to just go overboard for him? I mean, I don’t necessarily see that,” said Keyshawn. Translation: The Cowboys’ 2025 season is in jeopardy even before the first game, but we will need to wait and see how things look once the season starts.

It looks like America’s team is at a crossroads with doubts about their commitment and will. So this season, Dak Prescott and Co. and Brian Schottenheimer will have to make sure to silence the doubters. Otherwise, along with the players, it could turn out to be a pretty bad season for the rookie HC if the team fails again.