Breaking down Michael Irvin’s ranking of Dak Prescott over Patrick Mahomes

If they were to ever invite me on the show, I’d call this segment Re-Dak-ulous.

When it comes to sports talk shows like First Take or anything to do with Skip Bayless, we’re used to hot takes that are more accurately described as asinine things to say. Some people do so because it gets us talking about them, which brings eyeballs which equals advertising dollars. The formula here isn’t hard to understand. But sometimes we hear something so crazy, we just have to give in.

On Monday, former Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Michael Irvin decided to give his sales pitch on why Dak Prescott is the most like Tom Brady—e.g. the one likeliest to be the GOAT—among the game’s current crop of quarterbacks outside of Brady. That means he’s loyal to Prescott over Patrick Mahomes, Russell Wilson, Lamar Jackson, and Aaron Rodgers among others.

Check out the full take below before we offer up our interpretation:

Let’s break down exactly what Irvin says, a few lines at a time:

Irvin: “This man right here is the most like Tom Brady we have in the National Football League and that’s Dak Prescott. He can win any kind of way he needs to win a football game.”

Analysis: “He can win any kind of way he needs to win a football game…” on Madden? We’re not sure here if there’s a multi-verse component to what Irvin is discussing—maybe some other version of the Dak that we know—because Dak has a 29-24 record combined over the last four full seasons. He’s also 1-2 in the postseason, although he hasn’t even made it that far since 2018.

Irvin: “He can do it late…”

Analysis: We’re assuming he meant to say that Dak can show up too late.

Irvin: “…He can beat you throwing the ball all over the field. He can just lead his group and raise his group. He’s an emotional leader from the quarterback position.”

Analysis: By emotional leader, we’re pretty sure this means the probability of Prescott crying after losing meaningful games in and out of the NFC East over all these seasons.

Irvin: “Remember ye this. Remember ye this…”

Analysis: We’re not sure why Irvin is invoking King James language here, except that it likely means his take was relevant somewhere back several centuries ago.

Irvin: “Tom knows how to… reach down inside a kid and pull out his king. Dak has that same ability—those Schultzes, those Jarwins—he can reach inside those kids and pull out their king.”

Analysis: We’re not sure about anyone reaching inside another person here, but we agree with Irvin here. Dak Prescott has the incredible ability to get any mid-twenties tight ends around him to reach deep and come up with 500 to 600 yards in a given season. It’s really inspiring.

Irvin: “He’s not just great shoulders down. He’s great shoulders up. He’s great right in the middle, right there in the heart. That’s why people play for him. You need that in the National Football League and that’s why I say he’s the most like the GOAT in the National Football League. And now his play is matching absolutely. Simply the best.”

Analysis: [Shakes head] Sure, Mike. Sure.