Micah Parsons on Cowboys’ defensive struggles vs. Eagles, “difficult” division future

PHILADELPHIA – Since Week 10, the Cowboys protection has been among the best within the league in producing stress and creating turnovers. In a 41-7 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday, they weren’t in a position to do both.

The Eagles offense, with backup quarterback Kenny Pickett and third-string quarterback Tanner McKee, put up 376 yards of offense and 41 factors. Philadelphia has been Dallas’ kryptonite on the defensive facet of the ball, scoring 75 factors on the Cowboys of their two video games this yr.

“We did not begin pretty much as good as we did in these final couple of video games,” Micah Parsons stated postgame. “Once you lose that turnover battle towards the highest staff within the NFL, that is form of like the end result. We did not play our model of soccer right this moment.”

A majority of the work for the Eagles offense got here on the legs of Saquon Barkley, who grew to become simply the ninth participant in NFL historical past to surpass 2,000 dashing yards in a single season with a 167-yard efficiency towards the Cowboys. Barkley additionally nicked up Parsons a bit on one in all his carries, leaving the star edge-rusher in some discomfort as he returned to the locker room.

“Saquon chipped me proper in my ribs,” Parsons stated. “It form of like shocked me just a little bit. It was only a good, not-anticipating rib shot, and it form of sored me up. However for essentially the most half, I am good and I am wanting ahead to ending the season sturdy.”

If the Cowboys do wish to end sturdy subsequent week towards the Commanders, they’re going to must get again to doing what that they had in earlier weeks: generate turnovers on protection and defend the ball on offense.

The Cowboys offense did not do its protection any favors Sunday afternoon, although, turning the ball over 4 instances with two Cooper Rush interceptions and fumbles from Rico Dowdle and Jake Ferguson. In flip, Philadelphia scored 24 factors off of the turnovers, hitting massive play after massive play, a serious cause why the Cowboys did not come out on the profitable finish of this sport in response to Parsons.

“Massive performs, whenever you have a look at their play, that they had two massive runs and three good deep pictures. Apart from that, we made them earn it,” Parsons stated. “In case you take away the scoreboard, it was about 5 performs that resolve this sport.”

Sitting at 7-9 with one sport left, this might be Parsons’ first dropping season in a Cowboys uniform. After three straight 12-5 information within the years prior, it definitely wasn’t what he or this staff anticipated.

“Yea, undoubtedly not what I envisioned, undoubtedly not what I hoped for coming off a devastating playoff loss,” Parsons stated. “And also you go into this season, and with the devastating accidents throughout the board, CeeDee [Lamb], Dak [Prescott], Tre[von Diggs], you possibly can’t catch a break.”

From right here, it does not get any simpler both, with a number of the main accidents to gamers like Diggs and DeMarvion Overshown doubtlessly retaining them out till afterward within the 2025 season. Getting their key playmakers again might be key to the Cowboys discovering themselves again atop the NFC East once more.

“One, we’ll must get wholesome,” Parsons stated when requested about how the Cowboys can get again to the highest of the division. “We have got three or 4 starters who aren’t coming again till mid-next season, so we acquired to plan for that, we acquired to get wholesome, we acquired to maintain coming collectively. It should be a troublesome level.”

The Eagles, who clinched the NFC East title with their victory right this moment, and the Washington Commanders have discovered their franchise quarterbacks going ahead, and the Giants have an opportunity to do the identical within the 2025 NFL draft. That is one thing that Parsons acknowledged could be a really troublesome problem to beat for the Cowboys heading into the subsequent few seasons.

“It should be a really troublesome subsequent couple of years,” Parsons stated.

Troublesome or not, Parsons continues to be going to present it his all, together with till the top of this season within the finale towards the Commanders subsequent week.

“In case you’re an ideal soccer participant, that is who you might be; it isn’t what you do. So I am not going to go forward and say I want the season was over,” Parsons stated. “You bought to understand these video games, these alternatives that we have now.”

“So with regards to how we’ll end it sturdy, I will nonetheless give my finest struggle to the Commanders. That is who I’m. I like this sport.”