On the latest episode of 'The Edge with Micah Parsons' featuring teammate Stephon Gilmore, Micah Parsons called out the NFL and their referees in the game featuring the Dallas Cowboys against the Philadelphia Eagles. In an important game, he says referees blatantly missed calls, implying if they were called, there would've been a different outcome.
Last Sunday, the Cowboys lost in a close game 28-23 against the Eagles. Fans immediately called out the poor officiating following the conclusion of the game.
Apparently, the Cowboys felt the same way, with Parsons calling out referees as well, calling for the need for "more refs." This is because, he claims they missed "obvious, blatant, terrible," penalties and referees "pick and choose" when to throw a flag. He added they need to "make calls everywhere," and argues for the same call of penalties of the front seven as the secondary.
Many clips have appeared all over social media proving Parsons's point. But let's analyze what the stats say.
Stat sheet tells different story between Eagles and Cowboys than painted by Micah Parsons
While it can be agreed that overall, the officiating Sunday was terrible all the way around. And Parsons is right to call the NFL out for poor officiating, as missed calls have been a league-wide problem this year.
But, to imply that the game was rigged in favor of the Eagles by the NFL would be wrong according to the stats. In the game, there were 10 penalties called for each team. And the Cowboys gained 83 yards and the Eagles gained 98 yards from those penalties. The stats would suggest that, despite the obvious missed penalties, the game was called evenly.
Penalties have been a hot topic this season. Between players being flagged unnecessarily and the absence of penalties where they are needed, fans and players alike are taking notice and voicing their frustration. In the 2024 off-season, it is time for the NFL to make some big changes to their officiating.
