Did Michael Irvin cost the Cowboys a Super Bowl?

[burmafrd]

more useless and rather intellectually lazy speculation. Bottom line is that the team was going downhill and nothing was going to stop that.

 

[Bizwah]

IIRC, Irvin himself said this. He felt he cost the team another Super Bowl.

I agree. I love the guy. I love how he turned his life around....but the distraction the next season, the fact that he missed five games due to suspension, and the fact that we passed on Randy because of him, cost us a realistic shot at another Super Bowl.

 

[BigStar]

IIRC, Irvin himself said this. He felt he cost the team another Super Bowl.

I agree. I love the guy. I love how he turned his life around....but the distraction the next season, the fact that he missed five games due to suspension, and the fact that we passed on Randy because of him, cost us a realistic shot at another Super Bowl.

Good point! That is an aspect I did forget about, and you're correct in that Irvin's "bust" did lead JJ to pass on Moss. Missing on Moss really cost the team any realistic chance of another SB while Aikman was still productive (bf back/concussion issues took over) Oddly enough, Irvin's injury in his final season also cost the team another shot (99). The Irvin/Ismail combo was showing to be a good duo and Aikman/Emmitt still being productive, etc. but we all know that didn't shake out as well.

 

[BrAinPaiNt]

Without question it cost us Moss.

 

[khiladi]

Leon Lett's suspension was a bigger factor in the 1996 season. Lett was having a great season that year (his stats didn't reflect it, but the defense played at a high level without Charles Haley and effectively, without a great pass rush). Without Lett, the run defense suffered big time against Carolina.

He was absolutely dominant that year.

 

[Risen Star]

I don't know. I'll ask him when I'm done thanking him for the 3 he gave us.

 

[JonJon]

Micheal Irvin' arrest during the 96 off season was the beginning of the end of the great 90's team. It lead to him missing the first 5 games and the Cowboys lost 3 of those games. The Cowboys had put together 3 straight 12-4 seasons leading up to this year and likely could have forced the Panthers to play on the road where the 2nd year expansion team wouldn't have been so comfortable. A win in that game would have led to a game with the Super Bowl bound Packers, a team that the Cowboys had owned in the playoffs for the 3 previous years.

It's possible that Irvin' birthday party cost a SB, then cost Barry Switzer his Job the next year because with a SB win he doesn't get fired the following year. That party also caused the Cowboys to pass on Randy Moss who would have still have had Troy Aikman for 3 more years and most definitely would have been a huge factor for the Cowboys in the next couple years while they still had a potent defense ranking in the top 10 in points allowed in 98 and 99. Passing on Moss also led to the deal for Joey Galloway as the Cowboys struggled to find a replacement for Irvin, a deal that used 2 first round picks for a guy that played one game his first year.

The laws of cause and effect certainly play a role in how life turns out. Maybe if he never got suspended, the Cowboys win 5 more suberbowls. Maybe we don't win any if the Cowboys never draft Irvin. Who's to say though?

 

[LucaBrasi]

The '96 offense couldnt score. I think that was more a product of the o-line deteriorating than Irvin's suspension. The Moss situation has been rehashed over and over. Irvin likely did cost them Moss or at least contributed to it. I seem to remember alot of Cowboys running afoul of the law and Jerry not wanting to take another chance at that time.

I do know the Cowboys would not have any rings from the 90's if Irvin wasnt on the team. So, I prefer to thank #88 for his contribution to 3 Super Bowls rather than dwell on if he cost the team one or not.

 

[Doomsday101]

Micheal Irvin' arrest during the 96 off season was the beginning of the end of the great 90's team. It lead to him missing the first 5 games and the Cowboys lost 3 of those games. The Cowboys had put together 3 straight 12-4 seasons leading up to this year and likely could have forced the Panthers to play on the road where the 2nd year expansion team wouldn't have been so comfortable. A win in that game would have led to a game with the Super Bowl bound Packers, a team that the Cowboys had owned in the playoffs for the 3 previous years.

It's possible that Irvin' birthday party cost a SB, then cost Barry Switzer his Job the next year because with a SB win he doesn't get fired the following year. That party also caused the Cowboys to pass on Randy Moss who would have still have had Troy Aikman for 3 more years and most definitely would have been a huge factor for the Cowboys in the next couple years while they still had a potent defense ranking in the top 10 in points allowed in 98 and 99. Passing on Moss also led to the deal for Joey Galloway as the Cowboys struggled to find a replacement for Irvin, a deal that used 2 first round picks for a guy that played one game his first year.

I think Irvin and some of the other things that were happening clearly hurt this franchise. In an off season that should have been celebrated instead the focus was on Irvin being busted, the white house that players were using and later on the death of Mark Tuinie from a drug overdose. I do think what was happening did cause Dallas to pass on Moss who had issues, at the same time the media and fans were hollering about the image of the Cowboys being ran through the mud.

I'm a big Irvin fan but what he did and how he acted going to court with the fur coat did have a negitive impact on this team

 

[Everson24]

There certainly are a lot of repercussions to that birthday party no doubt. Probably the biggest is the fact that we passed up Randy Moss in large part due to the Irvin fiasco. This did inevitably lead to us giving up two first round picks for Joey Galloway.

I don't believe Micheal Irvin getting arrested cost us a Super Bowl, but I do think it accelerated our downward spiral that led to Jerry hiring Bill Parcells.

 

[big dog cowboy]

There certainly are a lot of repercussions to that birthday party no doubt. Probably the biggest is the fact that we passed up Randy Moss in large part due to the Irvin fiasco. This did inevitably lead to us giving up two first round picks for Joey Galloway.

I don't believe Micheal Irvin getting arrested cost us a Super Bowl, but I do think it accelerated our downward spiral that led to Jerry hiring Bill Parcells.

As painful as it is to read that you are probably right. But hey, we did get Greg Ellis.

 

[OhSnap]

Might as well blame him for the current playoff drought as well. I'm sure he had something to do do with Romos back and why is he getting a pass on the RW11 trade?

I'm not blaming him for anything just wondering how big of an impact his non football related actions had on the following season and the years after when the Cowboys needed a receiver.

 

[jazzcat22]

A lot more was invloved than Irvin, many other players had issues too over several years. Free Agency hurt the most from 93 to 96.
What cost us a possible SB, was the arm bar Sanders had on Irvin, that wasn't called, then Switzer's arguing, and I think he bumped a ref, so instead of a 1st down or even a TD, they were moved back 15 yards.
Troy Aikman said that was the best and most competitive game he ever played in.

 

[Risen Star]

A lot more was invloved than Irvin, many other players had issues too over several years. Free Agency hurt the most from 93 to 96.
What cost us a possible SB, was the arm bar Sanders had on Irvin, that wasn't called, then Switzer's arguing, and I think he bumped a ref, so instead of a 1st down or even a TD, they were moved back 15 yards.
Troy Aikman said that was the best and most competitive game he ever played in.

I think in many ways that might have been the best game of Troy's career.

 

[links18]

more useless and rather intellectually lazy speculation. Bottom line is that the team was going downhill and nothing was going to stop that.

Its called counter-factual history and it isn't intellectually lazy at all

 

[links18]

It would have been very hard to beat GB at Lambeau in January. We got man handled there the following season 45-17 or something.

 

[OhSnap]

I dont think there is any way to know OP.

If we werent good enough to beat Carolina even at their place we prob werent good enough to have won the Super Bowl that year.

If we win 2 of the first 5 games with Irvin playing we're in position to be 13-3 by beating the Commanders in the last game of the season forcing Carolina and GB to beat the Cowboys at home in the playoffs. They were both very good teams that year but home field would have been huge especially for the game against the Packers who the Cowboys had already beat once that year.

 

[OhSnap]

It would have been very hard to beat GB at Lambeau in January. We got man handled there the following season 45-17 or something.

If we win 2 of the first 5 games with Irvin playing we're in position to be 13-3 by beating the Commanders in the last game of the season forcing Carolina and GB to beat the Cowboys at home in the playoffs. They were both very good teams that year but home field would have been huge especially for the game against the Packers who the Cowboys had already beat once that year.

 

[xwalker]

I don't know. I'll ask him when I'm done thanking him for the 3 he gave us.

Yep, you take the bad with the good. He was the unquestioned emotion leader of the Super Bowl winning teams.

Micheal Irvin' arrest during the 96 off season was the beginning of the end of the great 90's team. It lead to him missing the first 5 games and the Cowboys lost 3 of those games. The Cowboys had put together 3 straight 12-4 seasons leading up to this year and likely could have forced the Panthers to play on the road where the 2nd year expansion team wouldn't have been so comfortable. A win in that game would have led to a game with the Super Bowl bound Packers, a team that the Cowboys had owned in the playoffs for the 3 previous years.

It's possible that Irvin' birthday party cost a SB, then cost Barry Switzer his Job the next year because with a SB win he doesn't get fired the following year. That party also caused the Cowboys to pass on Randy Moss who would have still have had Troy Aikman for 3 more years and most definitely would have been a huge factor for the Cowboys in the next couple years while they still had a potent defense ranking in the top 10 in points allowed in 98 and 99. Passing on Moss also led to the deal for Joey Galloway as the Cowboys struggled to find a replacement for Irvin, a deal that used 2 first round picks for a guy that played one game his first year.

I don't know. I'll ask him when I'm done thanking him for the 3 he gave us.

Yep, you take the bad with the good. He was the unquestioned emotional leader of the Super Bowl winning teams.

Keep in mind that Irvin and all the other party guys were contained when Jimmy was the coach. I would blame the Head Coach at the time for Irvin's issues.

I'm convinced that the Erik Williams car wreck cost the Cowboys the 1994 Super Bowl. Again, that probably wouldn't have happened if Jimmy was still around. Those guys felt some limits to their debauchery when Jimmy was around but had no limits with the likes of Switzer.

 

[WPBCowboysFan]

If we win 2 of the first 5 games with Irvin playing we're in position to be 13-3 by beating the Commanders in the last game of the season forcing Carolina and GB to beat the Cowboys at home in the playoffs. They were both very good teams that year but home field would have been huge especially for the game against the Packers who the Cowboys had already beat once that year.

Very possible and maybe even likely, but if we were serious contenders we should have beaten Carolina no matter where that game was played IMO.