Then listen to Dave. He probably knows his work isn't as good as the rest of the team.
I worked on a team where I was Dave. The manager tried to avoid uncomfortable talks by making very indirect statements involving me, to my team. and my teammates would never, ever talk to me about my work. They all talked about it, though. Avoiding it created a _lot_ of resentment.
Getting laid off that team was, to date, the best thing I've experienced in my career. Talk to Dave. Listen to him. Practice the conversation with someone else, first.