Micah Parsons Throws Jab at Referees After Cowboys Frustrating Thanksgiving Loss: ‘We’re Not Here to Play Tag’
The NFL Thanksgiving slate was somewhat disappointing, but the Dallas Cowboys and Las Vegas Raiders game lived up to the hype. The Raiders were able to squeak out a hard-fought overtime victory after a thrilling fourth-quarter surge by Dak Prescott and the Cowboys.
However, the referees once again played a significant part in this game on both sides of the ball, and rookie linebacker Micah Parsons was one to voice his frustrations.
The referees struck again after a brutal showing in the Cowboys-Raiders game
Yeah, this game was whistle-heavy by the referees. To be fair, it was on both sides. The Raiders and the Cowboys had major penalties go against them in an unfortunate historic evening in Dallas.
The number of penalties called was simply unreal, and there are so many stats to show that prove the absurd calls throughout this one.
On Thursday evening, it was a disaster, and so many calls left the fans and teams scratching their heads in disbelief and confusion.
Jerry Jones was unhappy, of course, and Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy was also upset, especially with a costly pass interference call late in the game that led to the Raiders game-winning field goal.
Micah Parsons throws a jab at the officials after a porous performance
The Cowboys’ rookie sensation has been on a massive tear this entire season. Against the Raiders, Parsons was a factor once again, finishing the game with one sack and four tackles. He frustrated Carr time and time again, as he has done all season long.
But Parsons was not at all happy with the calls made and threw a jab at the referees (h/t Jon Machota of The Athletic).
“I think we should play football. We’re not here to play tag.”
Micah Parsons after the Cowboys loss
It felt like the referees took this game into their own hands, and Cowboys corner Anthony Brown was the recipient of some massive calls, including four pass interference calls.
Parsons himself was whistled for an odd roughing the passer call, and the rookie let his opinions flow out after the game on social media.
These were just some of the puzzling calls by the officiating, and there were plenty more from both teams throughout the game.
Still, the Cowboys crawled back into this game with 14 points in the fourth quarter before falling victim to another PI call. Then Daniel Carlson nailed his fifth field goal of the game to shock AT&T Stadium and ruin Thanksgiving for Dallas.
The NFL officiating just continues to spiral out of control
Sadly, this trend is not going away anytime soon.
Time and time again, players and coaches have voiced displeasure with the officiating. A few weeks ago, the Chicago Bears were hit with a puzzling taunting call that doesn’t make sense even to this day.
Moreover, the fact that this Raiders-Cowboys game was the first instance in nearly two decades with that many penalties is telling.
The NFL needs to address this in the offseason, especially with many calls being highly debated — and for good reasons.
Nonetheless, the Cowboys had a shot at winning this game after starting overtime with the ball. Now, Dallas drops to 7-4 after a stellar start to the season and sits just two games ahead of the Philadelphia Eagles.
Stats Courtesy of Pro Football Reference
