Ryan Clark goes in on Dak Prescott, Cowboys chances to win Super Bowl

The Dallas Cowboys’ defense has been one of the more dominant units in football this season. But ESPN analyst Ryan Clark said the offense has to step up if Dallas wants to make a run at a Super Bowl.

Clark, speaking on ESPN’s Get Up on Monday, spoke about how great the Cowboys’ defense has been this season. That said, he also expressed his disappointment in the offense — specifically with quarterback Dak Prescott. He said Prescott and the offense have to improve if Dallas wants to be playing in February.

.@Realrclark25 says Dak Prescott is holding the Cowboys back from being Super Bowl contenders.

"This Dak Prescott, the guy playing football now, CANNOT win a championship! They cannot be a Super Bowl team with No. 4 playing at the level he's playing at." pic.twitter.com/CKUNVEPMOf

— Get Up (@GetUpESPN) December 13, 2021

“Early on in this season, we thought the offense was going to carry this team,” Clark said. “We thought Dak Prescott was going to play at an MVP level and this is why this team would be a championship contender. But when you think about what Micah Parsons is doing, the things that Dan Quinn has added to this defense, the defense is now becoming the reason why this team could win football games. … You have a Defensive Player of the Year candidate in Micah Parsons, you also have that in Trevon Diggs. And now that you’ve got Randy Gregory and also DeMarcus Lawrence back healthy, you could rush the passer in so many ways.

“But the bottom line is this. The Dallas Cowboys are judged by championships. It’s been a quarter century since they’ve had an opportunity to win one. This Dak Prescott, the guy playing football now, cannot win a championship. They cannot be a Super Bowl team with No. 4 playing at the level he’s playing at. So if that doesn’t change, we’ll be having the same conversation we’ve had for years about the Cowboys. They’ll be sitting home watching the Super Bowl with us.”

The Cowboys defeated the Washington Football Team 27-20 on Sunday thanks in large part to a great defensive effort. They forced three fumbles, including a scoop and score in the first quarter, and intercepted Washington quarterback Taylor Heinicke once.

Quinn has done quite a job turning the Cowboys defense around. Dallas leads the NFL with 20 interceptions, including nine from Diggs. As Clark said, the defense is a huge reason why the Cowboys are in first place in the NFC East and continue to be a part of the Super Bowl conversation.

With Sunday’s win, Dallas moved to 9-4 to extend its lead over the Washington Football Team in the NFC East. The Cowboys will take on the New York Giants Dec. 19 at 1 p.m. ET.