History Repeating? Cowboys 'Can't Make Same Mistake Twice!' Says Micah Parsons
Never overlook an opponent. That seems to be the message inside The Star for the Dallas Cowboys this week as the team gets set to take on the 1-8 Carolina Panthers.
In fact, our Mike Fisher is reporting that coach Mike McCarthy is preaching inside The Star the how-to's of "handling prosperity.'' ... A good message, because ...
In Week 3, the Cowboys were 2-0 and were riding high, and the Arizona Cardinals were 0-2 and while there were extenuating circumstances as the team just lost Trevon Diggs for the season and the offensive line was ravaged by injuries, many still expected Dallas to win.
The Cardinals showed the Cowboys a clean set of heels in the 28-16 win. Reflecting back, defensive star Micah Parsons knows his team can't take Carolina lightly.
"We already made that mistake once, we can't make it twice," Parsons said. "I think during that time, there was a lot of adversity that the team was facing, things like that. We were missing half of our O-line. We're way more healthy, way more locked in. It's November-December football, we can't have those kind of mishaps happen. We got to go out there and win."
So, while the Cowboys are superb at home, on the road? Not so much as Dallas is 1-3 this season. Now, two of those losses were against the San Francisco 49ers and the Philadelphia Eagles, but still their road record isn't the best.
Cowboys defensive star Micah Parsons knows history can't repeat itself on Sunday against the Panthers
Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports
But why is that? What makes it so hard for Dallas to take its show on the road? McCarthy offered an explanation.
"The first one is the penalties," McCarthy said. "Penalties on the road, compared to home, are too high. I think it's like anything, road environments [are] a different challenge, especially at the beginning of the game when the crowd is the loudest. We're expecting a lot of Cowboys' fans on Sunday, but the other thing I've always preached is taking care of the football. It's a different setting, a different environment, so make sure to get out there early in pregame and get set to go."
So, the Cowboys seem to know what "not" to do on Sunday, and while they likely knew that prior to the Cardinals game, they still came unstuck.
Have they learned their lesson after the Arizona debacle? Everyone is saying the right things, but when push comes to shove on Sunday, the proof will be in their play.
