Sunday night didn't go anywhere close to how the Dallas Cowboys or their fanbase had hoped. And for a team with arguably its highest expectations in recent memory, that's an obvious concern. But when it comes to the Cowboys, it almost feels like another year of "here we go again" regarding the hype surrounding a team with a talented roster and explosive playmakers on both sides of the ball. But even after a Week 1 loss to the rival New York Giants 28-20, former Cowboys wideout and current analyst Michael Irvin was sticking with his team.
So much so that Irvin went so far as to make an interesting comparison for this Cowboys team, referencing the Miami Heat and the "Big 3" of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh. Irvin got into a heated back-and-forth
with Stephen A. Smith on ESPN's First Take, pointing to the Heat trio as a group that "took time to get together and get it right" while supporting the Cowboys.
"I’ve seen greatness come together in Miami with LeBron, Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade," Irvin said. "It took time for them to get together and get it right! And so now these guys, the first game, you can't give them no time to get it right? I'm just trying to understand this!"
“I’ve seen greatness come together in Miami with LeBron, Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade. It took time for them to get together and get it right!” @michaelirvin88 tells everyone to not count out the Cowboys just yet 😭 pic.twitter.com/QTsfwXnVLR
— First Take (@FirstTake) September 14, 2026
Obviously, Irvin is right that it's too early to just deem the Cowboys overhyped, especially given the loss to a division rival with a new head coach, John Harbaugh, who looked impressive in the opener. However, the defensive struggles we saw on Sunday night need to be fixed quickly if the Cowboys want to be considered a legitimate contender in the NFC.
This article originally appeared on For The Win: Michael Irvin uses Heat's 'Big 3' to defend Cowboys after Giants loss
