The Dallas Cowboys fell short to the Miami Dolphins on Sunday. There are more questions than answers to diagnosing the problem for the Cowboys’ defense.
Micah Parsons vs. Penalties
One of the issues with winning on the road comes down to penalties.
Micah Parsons said the team is “fighting with their back against the wall” when playing on the road.
Starting with the penalties that aren’t getting called in games, especially on holding calls happening to Parsons.
He hasn’t shied away from talking about this issue all season, but considering there were clear examples in this game, it continues to be a topic of discussion.
“It’s mind-blowing, the things that are getting called and the positions that we get put in,” Parsons said. “We just gotta learn how to fight the adversity. I know a lot of it is BS, but these are football plays, but it’s the world we live in. We got the star on our helmet.”
He discussed the roughing the passer penalty he got in the second quarter that led to the Dolphins’ only touchdown of the day, saying the referee told him he intended to “punish the quarterback.”
Parsons said he didn’t understand the call since it wasn’t a late hit and he didn’t lead with his feet or head.
“I don’t know how you make that call,” Parsons said. “I don’t see no justification.”
The third-year veteran said both situations are equally frustrating since they are getting penalties called on them but not against them during games.
Overall, he said the team just needs to figure out how to win games.
Meanwhile, the Cowboys are second in the NFL with 108 total penalties, 47 of which are on the defense.
Neutralizing the Miami Dolphins’ Offense
The team’s run defense remains one of the biggest questions, especially without Johnathan Hankins.
On the Dolphins’ final drive of the game, they ran the ball on 3rd-and-2, attacking what has been a weak point for the Cowboys.
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Parsons didn’t think the run defense was an issue in this game, as the unit allowed 91 rushing yards in 26 attempts. He also pointed out the five tackles for loss and four quarterback hits.
“I wouldn’t say that’s the weakness at all. I think we stopped the run pretty well and did what we were supposed to do,” Parsons said.
As for the passing attack from Tua Tagovailoa, he racked up 293 passing yards against the defense.
However, the defense only allowed one touchdown from Tagovailoa to Raheem Mostert during the game.
“Coming into the game, I think everybody knows they’re going to get some big plays, some big opportunities with the weapons they have, and I thought we did a great job containing them,” Parsons said.
With two Cowboys losses coming in the last two weeks, the defense needs to adjust with the postseason around the corner.
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