Cowboys: Micah Parsons points out bleak reality following loss to Packers
The Green Bay Packers knew exactly what they wanted to do when they played the Dallas Cowboys in Week 10. Run the ball, run the ball, and then run the ball some more. 34 out of 37 designed run plays by the Packers came on early downs. They threw the ball only 14 times in […]
The Green Bay Packers knew exactly what they wanted to do when they played the Dallas Cowboys in Week 10. Run the ball, run the ball, and then run the ball some more.
34 out of 37 designed run plays by the Packers came on early downs. They threw the ball only 14 times in those situations. Knowing about Micah Parsons and the Cowboys' unrelenting pass rush, Aaron Rodgers and Matt LaFleur decided to make it a non-factor as much as possible.
If Dallas has a great pass defense, Green Bay refused to let it play. At the half, Rodgers had only six pass attempts against 18 rush attempts by his running backs.
Their plan worked as the Cowboys allowed both Aaron Jones and A.J. Dillon to average at least five yards per rush attempt. Slowly but surely, the Packers attacked Dan Quinn's defense inside and outside and exploited the already-known weakness of this unit.
While this loss will live in the heads of Cowboys fans for a while, Micah Parsons understands it's a serious issue that must be fixed now. Otherwise, the team's pass defense won't matter going forward.
"We've got to be accountable. We've got to hold our gaps. We've got to come downhill," said Parsons after the game. "It's going to keep happening until we stop it. Period."
"We can rush as much as we want but until we put these flames out on this running-the-ball stuff, we're never going to be as good as we need to be," added the Cowboys' star pass rusher who played linebacker for the most part with Anthony Barr being inactive.
"It's hard to lose a 14-point lead. Period," "That's just unacceptable for the team we're trying to be."
Obviously, Parsons has a point regarding the Cowboys' defense. But unfortunately, the run defense isn't the only issue that cost the team the win at Lambeau. Let's review.
Not even a 14-point lead allowed them to finish the game as one of the best pass rushes in the NFL. Nine penalties cost the Cowboys 83 yards. In the first half, the offense turned the ball over twice in back-to-back drives (one of which was right after the defense strip-sacked Rodgers at the Packers' 10-yard line).
Not to mention, Rodgers made the most out of an injured secondary in the second half and targeted DaRon Bland and Kelvin Joseph for multiple big gainers as Christian Watson emerged as a new nightmare in the Cowboys-Packers rivalry.
The Cowboys will be forced to turn around and face the Minnesota Vikings on the road next Sunday. It's almost poetic that their biggest strength is running the football.
Dallas knows what it has to fix.
Featured image via Dan Powers/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin / USA TODAY NETWORK