'Choke!'? Deion Reveals 'Big-Time' Problem: Cowboys 'Don't Do Their Jobs!'
FRISCO - In our conversations with Deion Sanders in recent years following the modern Dallas Cowboys' early playoff ousters, "Coach Prime'' often circles back to the same explanation of why "America's Team'' keeps falling short.
What he's told us: "They just aren't built for the moment. Back when the Cowboys were the Cowboys, you never doubted if Troy Aikman was going to show up. Or the offensive line, Emmitt (Smith), Michael (Irvin), Moose (Daryl Johnston), (Charles) Haley, (Tony) Tolbert, (Leon) Lett, Deion (Sanders) or (Darren) Woodson.
"You never doubted if those guys were going to show up in the big games. You don't know what you are going to get, nowadays. You really don't and that's a problem."
Deion even used the word "choked'' with us. And now?
Dallas followed up another 12-win season with a first-round playoff loss to the Packers, and Sanders - the Hall of Fame legend now coaching at Colorado - is trying to again pound home his point.
"Big-time players making big-time plays in big-time games. That's what I think the main issue is," Sanders said on RG3 and The Ones. "I've been on every side of this thing, so I know you can dial it up. But if they don't do their jobs, it ain't gonna work ...''
The Cowboys obviously have "stars,'' at least by reputation. Led by Dak Prescott and Micah Parsons and CeeDee Lamb, they're sending seven players to the Pro Bowl and have nine All-Pros. No roster in the NFL is as glitzy. No team employs more supposed "big-time players.''
But Deion reiterated his central point.
"They don't do their jobs,'' he said.
