Micah Parsons calls out the effort of Cowboys teammates in Week 2 loss

The Dallas Cowboys defense was a mess on Sunday, and now All-Pro linebacker Micah Parsons is questioning their effort on his podcast.

Dallas Cowboys linebacker Micah Parsons / Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

Micah Parsons has raised eyebrows in the past with his podcast and he's at it again. Not long after the Dallas Cowboys lost to the Green Bay Packers in the playoffs, he had Jordan Love on as a guest and the Packers' signal-caller had no issues tearing into the Dallas run defense while speaking to Parsons.

Later in the offseason, the Cowboys' sack leader was called out by Malik Hooker, who asked what Parsons really cared about. Parsons took exception to Hooker's criticism, but it doesn't appear as if he's going to change his approach.

He also might draw the ire of teammates again as he openly questioned the effort of everyone following a 44-19 loss to the New Orleans Saints.

MORE: Cowboys viciously trolled by Saints fans at facility day after loss

In his defense, Parsons included himself in the criticism but still made sure to point out the entire defensive unit, saying they lacked the "basic fundamentals" on Sunday.

"The effort was not there by all 11. The basic fundamentals of the game of football was not there. ... You have a standard ... we didn't uphold that standard. ... I'm determined to get this thing right."

Micah Parsons on his @BleacherReport podcast on the Cowboys' 44-19 loss to the Saints: "The effort was not there by all 11. ... You have a standard ... we didn't uphold that standard. ... I'm determined to get this thing right." pic.twitter.com/auymquUq0K

— Jon Machota (@jonmachota) September 16, 2024

He added that watching the film was hard but that this was a defeat they can learn from — as they did in the past with embarrassing losses against the Denver Broncos in 2021 and Arizona Cardinals in 2023.

From there, he made an interesting statement, saying he wasn't sure if the preparation was the issue but that he's determined to get it right going forward.

It's admirable he wants to own the problem and fix it but not having faith that his team was prepared is concerning.

As for the offense, Parsons praised Dak Prescott, saying he played a "really good game" but the defense didn't help him.

Dallas plays the Baltimore Ravens in Week 3, and it suddenly became a much more interesting game. We'll have to wait and see if Parsons' comments lead to some internal bickering or if there's a new focus and intensity as they go up against the reigning NFL MVP, Lamar Jackson.

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