ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith Sneers at Chris Russo for Predicting Dallas Cowboys Will Win Division Despite Dak Prescott Injury

ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith sneered at his colleague Chris “Mad Dog” Russo on Wednesday for predicting that the Dallas Cowboys will win the NFC East despite losing starting quarterback Dak Prescott to injury.

Prescott is expected to miss between six and eight weeks after having surgery on his right thumb, which he injured during the Cowboys’ 19-3 loss to the Buccaneers on NBC’s Sunday Night Football.

During Wednesday’s First Take, panelist Marcus Spears predicted the Eagles would win the division. Russo, citing the Eagles almost losing to the Detroit Lions on Sunday, said he’s “not convinced that the Eagles are some juggernaut in the East.”

Russo said that “Dallas has a good defense” and that running back Ezekiel Elliott “looked pretty good last week in short little display, he played well.” Elliott had 10 carries for 52 rushing yards.

Russo remarked that backup quarterback Cooper Rush is “not a disaster as the backup quarterback. He’s not Jake Fromm.” Fromm was on the New York Giants last year and was ridiculed for doing a quarterback sneak at the Giants’ 2-yeard line on second down and 11 during a January game.

With the Cowboys upcoming schedule, Russo rhetorically asked why the Cowboys “can’t go 10-7.”

“Dallas still has a very good chance to win the NFC East,” he added.

Smith, laughing, ridiculed Russo for saying the Cowboys have “a very good chance” to win their division.

“You said ‘very good chance,’” said Smith, snickering.

“First of all, I don’t even want to listen to you,” said Smith, who told Russo he needs to “pipe down.”

Smith mocked Spears for saying that, as Smith yelled, “we don’t have to talk about the [Washington] Commanders or the Giants or the Eagles.”

“All we gotta do is talk about the Cowboys,” continued Smith, laughing. “You don’t need any other ammunition. Let’s count the ways!”

Smith went on to blast the Cowboys for having CeDee Lamb as their number-one wide receiver in place of Amari Cooper, who was traded to the Cleveland Browns in March. He also noted that the Cowboys lost wide receiver Cedrick Wilson, who signed with the Miami Dolphins, also in March.

Regarding Elliott, “the workload has dissipated over the last couple of years and, oh by the way, Tyron Smith, who obviously has been a security blanket for Dak Prescott because he’s protecting him better than anybody else, okay, this brother can’t stay healthy to save his life.” Smith noted Smith, an offensive lineman, hasn’t played a full season since 2016.

“Bottom line is this. There’s a whole bunch of stuff to look at the Cowboys and go like this: they’re thin. They’re not healthy. And their primary weapons are gone,” said Smith.

Watch above via ESPN.

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