Dallas Cowboys are 'Same' as San Francisco 49ers? Just How Wrong Is Micah Parsons?
The Dallas Cowboys walked out of Levi Stadium humbled and embarrassed after taking a 42-10 blowout defeat to the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday Night Football.
Carrying the fact that San Francisco has ended its season each of the past two years, Dallas arrived on the west coast focused and intent on sending a message ... but instead suffered its largest loss since a 49-17 thumping by the New Orleans Saints in 2013.
And yet, Cowboys star outside linebacker Micah Parsons doesn't believe the 49ers, who've now won three straight matchups, are out of reach.
"I don't think they're really a higher level than us," Parsons said postgame. "I think we're the same caliber playoff team, if not the same talent standard as them. I just feel like we really need to reconsider some things, get together and fix some things. I feel like it was a few plays away.
"The score don't really shape what happened out there."
Micah Parsons failed to record a quarterback hit in Sunday's loss to the San Francisco 49ers.
USA Today
Parsons added that San Francisco didn't do anything overly special, claiming Dallas beat itself. The Cowboys' offense had four turnovers, three coming on interceptions by quarterback Dak Prescott, and failed to reach the redzone.
Defensively, the Cowboys did well against 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey, limiting the star ballcarrier to just 51 yards on 19 carries, an average of 2.7 yards per touch, though he did have a touchdown.
Still, Dallas allowed 170 rushing yards and two scores on 41 carries. In their two losses this season, the Cowboys have allowed a combined 392 yards on the ground.
This problem appeared to be fixed in Week 4's commanding victory over the New England Patriots, as Dallas held the visitors to only 53 yards rushing ... but it reared its ugly head against San Francisco.
Micah, your solution?
"I don’t know," Parsons said. "It’s just only so much I can do from where I’m sitting at. Like, I don’t know what’s going on inside, I just set the edge, bro. I don’t know things that the interior or whatever needs to get addressed. It’s just something the coaches got to look at."
Regardless of how or why it happened, the Cowboys can't change the final score or narrative that they can't get past the 49ers ... but none of that matters to Parsons.
It's not a loss, it's a lesson, the reigning runner-up Defensive Player of the Year argued - and his sights are set for bigger games this January.
"They had our number, and we ain't have their's," Parsons said. "I feel like they gave us their best shot tonight, and we get to learn from this and get better when it comes playoff time."
Can Dallas get San Francisco back? It'll have to earn a postseason rematch in order to do so ... and the march to secure that opportunity continues next Monday, when the Cowboys travel to Los Angeles for a matchup with the Los Angeles Chargers.
Kickoff inside SoFi Stadium is set for 7:15 p.m. CST. ... marking yet another chance for Micah and the Cowboys to prove themselves right - at least about some things.
