Usually, it is never a good time to give the team from down Arlington this much attention, but with the NY Giants season right around the corner, let's get some Cowboys fans mad online. You could easily blame the fans for being the reason players on a franchise that hasn't been to a Super Bowl since the mid-90s are so overrated.
But, the national media also plays a big role. When a franchise gets so many eyeballs for being mediocre since the turn of the century, the players are going to get scrutinized even more than the average Joe. With that being said, let's break some Cowboys fans' hearts and show them their guys aren't as good as they think. Here are four in particular:
4. LB Leighton Vander Esch
Admittedly, linebacker Leighton Vander Esch is probably one of the guys on this team I hate the least. He is quiet, goes about his business and doesn't really give you any reason to hate him. But, I've seen Cowboys fans treat this guy like he is a Top 5 linebacker in the league, and he simply is not.
He had a monster rookie year, I'll give him credit where it's due. That year he had 140 total tackles, seven passes defended and two interceptions. Since then, his production hasn't even come close.
He has an injury history, missing 13 total games in 2019 and 2020, but as they say the best ability is availability. You could use the injuries as an excuse, but nowadays Vander Esch is a pretty one dimensional linebacker. He'll get tackles, but that’s it.
He doesn't offer much in terms of pass defense, only accounting for six passes defended and one interception since his rookie year, and he doesn't get after the quarterback with only 3.5 sacks and five quarterback hits for his entire career. Again you could attribute some of this to injuries, but Vander Esch isn't as elite as some fans make him out to be.