Why Cowboys' Mike McCarthy, Mike Zimmer disagree with Micah Parsons' reasoning for blowout loss towards Saints

FRISCO, Texas —  The Dallas Cowboys had been served some “humble pie” within the phrases of linebacker Eric Kendricks after their 44-19 loss towards the New Orleans Saints. 

It is a honest metaphor for his or her efficiency for the reason that Dallas protection was solely the fifth since 2000 to permit a crew to attain a landing on every of their first six drives to start out the sport. Saints five-time Professional Bowl operating again Alvin Kamara, together with new Saints offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak and his Shanahan tree offense, led the cost. Kamara went off for 180 yards from scrimmage (115 speeding on 20 carries and 65 receiving on two catches) to associate with 4 touchdowns (three speeding and one receiving), which now stands as essentially the most scrimmage touchdowns ever in a Saints street sport. 

Cowboys three-time All-Professional edge rusher Micah Parsons known as Kamara “the principle focus” throughout the week, and regardless that many across the NFL world are declaring that Dallas has a scheme concern with Shanahan tree offenses, citing postseason losses towards Kyle Shanahan’s 49ers (2021 and 2022) and Matt LaFleur’s Green Bay Packers (2023), Parsons does not suppose the disappointing efficiency towards Kamara and the Saints had something to do with scheme. Worse, he felt it needed to do with the protection’s effort. 

“To me, it had nothing to do with the scheme,” Parsons stated Sunday. “I assumed [defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer] known as a fairly good sport. There was a person (protection) play we had in a display (Kamara’s 57-yard receiving landing), however on the finish of the day, that is life. No play goes to be an ideal name. On the finish of the day, I imagine we simply obtained outplayed. Whoever performed on that area, everybody did not play to 100%, and that is simply me being accountable and saying the reality. Everybody, all of us obtained to play higher. There’s some performs I want that I had again schematically, issues that I want I used to be in a special place. On the finish of the day, I imagine I nonetheless go on the market and do 100 (p.c effort). I simply really feel like there’s a variety of BS.”

Head coach Mike McCarthy disagreed wholeheartedly with Parsons’ evaluation. He believes his gamers should be higher ready in order that they hearth off the ball and make an influence inside 2.3 seconds — his measurement of how fast essential issues occur on any given soccer play. That is the message he gave to your entire crew Monday afternoon. 

“I would not say it is an effort concern,” McCarthy stated. “They completed higher than we did. I assumed they performed higher than we did on the finish of every play. Not each play however total so far as the evaluations. So that is what we’re centered on transferring ahead.”

Defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer cited the Saints’ offense being faster off the snap as his fault as a result of Cowboys defensive linemen had been slower with their arms than their New Orleans counterparts.

“I do not actually suppose it was an effort concern,” Zimmer stated Monday. “They quick-counted us just a few instances. Clearly, that they had a superb scheme, nevertheless it was issues we labored on.”

When the subject of his defensive tackles got here up, Zimmer refused accountable Kamara’s large speeding sport on his inside linemen. 

“Actually a lot of the guys I did not coach up adequate. It actually is not one spot. There have been issues that we did not do properly. We ran beneath some blocks. We had some perimeter run drive points. That is [on] me.”

How ready a soccer crew is to play on Sundays is one thing McCarthy takes personally, which is why he’s prepared for everybody on the crew facility to get again and grind. 

“Days like this are exhausting on everyone,” he stated. “I do know lately, you bought to get previous them. Clearly I am wanting ahead to getting out of right here so then I am going to get to look at the Baltimore movie. It is a grind. You set a lot into these. I feel it will get more durable. That is been my expertise the older I get. These losses are more durable. You need to be sure you’re being constant along with your coaches and being in keeping with the gamers.”

Zimmer, in the meantime, could be very assured in his protection fixing the problems it displayed Sunday. Why? Properly, he is already carried out it as soon as earlier than. Sunday was the Cowboys’ second-worst defeat in a house opener beneath proprietor Jerry Jones (since 1989). Zimmer was in the identical position as Dallas’ defensive coordinator for the worst one, a 41-14 loss towards the Eagles in 2000, a sport referred to as “The Pickle Juice Recreation.” The Cowboys had been taking part in in Texas Stadium on a 109-degree day. Philadelphia’s gamers cited consuming pickle juice for hydration as a key to their 306 speeding yards, 201 of which got here from operating again Duce Staley. Dallas turned it round within the speeding yards division the subsequent week, permitting simply 98 towards the Cardinals.

“My first sport right here as a coordinator was ‘The Pickle Juice Recreation,'” Zimmer stated. “I vowed to repair it after that. If I did not repair these, I would not be standing right here as we speak. … I did not permit [our defense] to make use of our energy (Sunday towards the Saints), stepping into third down conditions and passing conditions. I obtained to do a greater job there.”

McCarthy views September soccer within the NFL as considerably of a trial-and-error interval, with tendencies not likely being established till a crew is 4 video games into the season. That is why he believes Dallas’ 33-17 street win on the Cleveland Browns in Week 1 wasn’t pretty much as good because it appeared, and that is why he does not imagine Sunday’s 44-19 loss towards the Saints is as dangerous because it appeared. 

“It was not good yesterday … however I stated seven days in the past (after the Browns sport) that we’ve a variety of work to do,” McCarthy stated Monday. “That wasn’t lip service. Now we have a variety of work to do. We seemed like a younger inexperienced soccer crew on the sport yesterday. It was my first impression in watching all three phases final night time. After going via all of the eval with everyone, we should be higher. Our younger guys made errors at unlucky instances that had been expensive, however that is a part of taking part in younger gamers. With that, I am calling on the veterans to assist pull us via these moments and that begins with preparation.”