During the 22-20 loss against the Miami Dolphins, Micah Parsons’ key roughing the passer penalty set the stage for his opponent’s only touchdown. However, what caught everyone’s attention were the plays that didn’t show up in the box score. To add salt to the wound, Parsons, a defensive force to be reckoned with, found himself nursing another kind of hurt – the kind that comes when referees seemingly turn a blind eye to holding fouls committed against him by opponents.
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The Cowboys led by four points after the first quarter ended, but after the first half, the Dolphins led the scoreboard 13-7. Apart from the critical roughing of the passer call, this game highlighted a season-long struggle for Parsons, who has managed an impressive streak of 38 consecutive quarters without his opponents being penalized for holding or any other infractions against him.
If NFL Officiating is to be trusted, Parsons hasn’t been held by his opponents since the Los Angeles Chargers game on October 16th, a whopping 70 days ago. The frustration was palpable in his voice as he addressed this after the Sunday night loss,
“It’s mind-blowing, the things that are getting called, and the positions that we get put in. We just have to learn how to fight the adversity. I know a lot of it is BS, but it’s the world we live in. We’ve got the star on our helmet. … It’s just hard to play defense.”
The star linebacker of the Dallas Cowboys also shared a story on his Instagram where he expressed being unfairly treated by the game officials during the Dolphins game. He wrote, “Free me dawg!!! whatever I did to the officials I’m sorry!”
Some fans were surprised when they saw pictures of Micah Parsons being held during the Dolphins game. They felt the referees missed these fouls. But other football enthusiasts think he’s not making a big impact in the league while mentioning his rude behavior towards referees.
Officiating remains a hot topic this season, especially considering the fiery debate on the defense issue. As the league tries to make the game safer for Quarterbacks, it’s hurting defensive players in another way. The need of the hour seems to be a balancing act between the offense and defense to ultimately make the game safer.
Fan Reactions Divided over Refereeing Controversy
Fans were quite vocal on social media, expressing their opinions on Micah Parsons’ situation. Many called for an investigation into the referees’ actions, alleging that the Dallas Cowboys were on the receiving end of unfair treatment or were being robbed during the game. This sparked a heated debate among football enthusiasts on X.
One fan stated,
Another social media user said,
Another fan expressed their disbelief by saying,
A football enthusiast mentioned,
On the other hand, there were fans who believed the matter shouldn’t be discussed further. For them, the focus was more on Micah Parson’s lack of performance in the game. This viewpoint added another layer to the ongoing debate among the fans.
A fan claimed,
Another one claimed,
One more revealed,
Despite not getting any holding calls in the game against the Miami Dolphins, Micah Parsons had a productive game with seven tackles and a half-sack contribution. However, he got his season’s first roughing the passer penalty, and the explanation he received from the referees made him question the fairness of the rule. His sentiment “It’s just hard to play defense,” adds to the growing criticism against the league for putting the burden of protection on the defense.
