Steve Young believes Cowboys’ ‘America’s Team’ mentality has ‘corrupted’ them – NBC Sports Bay Area & California

Even after all these years, former 49ers quarterback Steve Young gets excited when he talks about the Dallas Cowboys.

The San Francisco legend and three-time Super Bowl champion is certainly well aware of the rivalry between the 49ers and Cowboys after playing in three straight NFC Championship games against Dallas in the 1990s. While the Cowboys’ status as “America’s Team” has continued over the years, Young doesn’t believe he’s doing Dallas any favors.

With the final chapter of this historic rivalry set to begin in Week 5, NBC Bay Area’s Young Raj Mathai tells why he believes the Cowboys are putting more weight on the upcoming “Sunday Night Football” game than the 49ers.

“The Cowboys constantly think they’re the greatest. I mean, it’s amazing,” Young told Matthai in an exclusive interview. Like, “I got a star on my helmet.” I’m great!” You say, “No, you’re not! You’re not.” And I think one of the problems they have as an organization — and it’s hard to overcome — is that they’re great when they wear the helmet.

“But they’re not, and it’s hard to actually have the right that you think you already have. I think that’s spoiled them a little bit. It’s hard. It makes it complicated, because everyone is totally deserving, [whereas] Cowboys show up and say, “Well, we’re cowboys.” Well, no one cares.”

Young admitted he was “overestimating” the way the Cowboys viewed themselves but made his main point, saying Dallas had too much top-tier talent this century with little to show for it. The team didn’t do that It reached the NFC title game Since their last Super Bowl win at the conclusion of the 1995 NFL season, though, there have been players like Zack Martin, Dez Bryant, Tony Romo, DeMarcus Ware, and Jason Witten, among countless others.

Now, after back-to-back playoff losses to the 49ers, the Cowboys’ stars, including quarterback Dak Prescott and pass rusher Micah Parsons, are eager for revenge.

“What I’m saying is they’ve had a lot of talent for a lot of years and they haven’t lived up to the talent,” Young continued, noting that many expect the 49ers to have a successful season. “I don’t know the Cowboys. We should, but we don’t. So I think, for me, this game is about the Cowboys. Because they need to live up to the talent they’ve had for years.”

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