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Micah Parsons isn't done railing against NFL officiating.
On Sunday, the Dallas Cowboys lost to the Miami Dolphins 22:20. A 29-yard field goal by Jason Sanders secured the Dolphins' win as time expired and nullified the Cowboys' fourth-quarter comeback.
“It’s overwhelming what’s being called, what positions we’re taking,” Parsons said after the game as a referee. “We just have to learn to fight the odds and know that a lot of it is nonsense. It's football games, but it's the world we live in. We have the star on the helmet.”
Parsons' frustration boiled over in the second quarter after he was charged with a roughing the passer penalty. On a second-and-1 play from the Cowboys' 9-yard line, pass rusher Tua Tagovailoa scored just after the Dolphins' quarterback threw a pass intended for Cedrick Wilson that fell incomplete. An officer threw a flag and Parsons was seen on the microphone explicitly responding to the call. The star pass rusher was then pulled away from the referee by teammate DeMarcus Lawrence.
Tagovailoa found running back Raheem Mostert for a 4-yard touchdown pass on the next play, giving the Dolphins their only touchdown of the game and a 13-7 lead going into halftime.
“(The official) said my intent was to punish the quarterback,” Parsons said. “But how do I try to punish him when I’m just trying to fire him? It's not like it was a late hit, I didn't leave my feet. I didn't lead with my head. I don’t know how.” You make that call.
“I got there so quickly. How was I supposed to know he got the ball out? Within a second it was no longer necessary to roughly attack the passer. In reality, I came across (Lawrence). We both met at quarterback. Like I said, it’s just hard to play defense.”
Lawrence said: “We had to play against the opposing team, the referees and the hostile environment. Everything works against us. But we have to stick together as a brotherhood and win.”
Parsons' comments are the latest in his series of targeted criticism of NFL officiating. Earlier this month, he said officials “don't care” and should be held accountable for mistakes. The two-time Pro Bowl selection also called the lack of calls “weird.”
Several notable figures have criticized the quality of NFL officiating this season, including Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes and coach Andy Reid and Cleveland Browns defensive end Myles Garrett. All three were fined by the league for their comments.
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell stood by the officials in his comments at league meetings in Irving, Texas, earlier this month.
“We understand,” Goodell said. “This is nothing new. We understand that. And it's frustrating. You know how hard the players play, you know how hard the coaches train. We know how much passion the fans invest. That's why we want to do it right.”