Michael Irvin: Cowboys stars didn't 'show up and play' in playoff loss to 49ers

Much has been said and written about the Dallas Cowboys in the days following their 23-17 playoff loss to the San Francisco 49ers. 

Head coach Mike McCarthy came under fire following the loss, but had "very positive conversations" about his future with team owner and general manager Jerry Jones after McCarthy signed off on what could go down as the single most-controversial decision of the postseason tournament. 

Per Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk, Cowboys legend and Pro Football Hall of Famer Michael Irvin pointed a finger at the team's stars for this past Sunday's defeat during an appearance on the "Stacking the Box" podcast. Specifically, he called out quarterback Dak Prescott, running back Ezekiel Elliott, and wide receiver CeeDee Lamb. 

Prescott completed 23-of-43 passes for 254 yards with a touchdown, an interception, and a 69.3 passer rating against the Niners. Elliott contributed 31 rushing yards on 12 carries, and Lamb added one catch for 21 yards. Irvin clearly wasn't pleased with that type of production. 

"Every team you look at, the stars of the team showed up and played," Irvin said about last weekend's games. "You can’t win in this game if your stars don’t show up and play. It’s Dak Prescott, 69 passer rating. Ezekiel Elliott, 31 rushing yards. CeeDee Lamb, 21 yards on one reception."

"The Playmaker" added: 

"They had the star players playing like role players. That’s why they’ve got their butts sitting at home."