The Cowboys' defense doesn’t seem to be on the same page after Dallas' blowout home loss on Sunday afternoon.
While the Cowboys can agree that there is an issue or issues to be fixed — the New Orleans Saints rolled to a dominant 44-19 victory — defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer and star Micah Parsons
have contradictory explanations for what happened.
Parsons, who had three total tackles in the loss, chalked up Dallas' defensive woes to a lack of effort on his podcast Monday.
Zimmer shot down the idea that the Cowboys’ effort wasn’t there on Sunday.
“I don’t really think it was an effort issue,” Zimmer said on Monday, via The Athletic’s Jon Machota. “That team beat us off the snap quite a few times … We didn’t get moving quick enough … I just got to do a better job.”
Though there’s a clear disconnect between Parsons and Zimmer, Parsons agreed that they “weren’t flying to the ball” or “striking blocks” well enough against the Saints, who scored a touchdown on their first six drives of the game.
Parsons also defended Zimmer on social media after the loss. Zimmer, the former Minnesota Vikings head coach, is in his first season with the Cowboys this fall.
“To me, it had nothing to do with the scheme. I thought [Mike Zimmer] called a pretty good game,” Parsons said after the game, via the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. “At the end of the day, I just believe we got outplayed. Whoever played on that field, everyone didn’t play to 100%. That’s just me being accountable and saying the truth. We all got to play better.”
Parsons and the Cowboys will now turn their attention to the visiting Baltimore Ravens (0-2) for Week 3. In the meantime, fixing their defensive lapses — whether it has to do with effort or not — is sure to be front of mind for Zimmer and Parsons in the coming days.
Dolphins acquire Pro Bowl QB Tyler Huntley from Ravens with Tua Tagovailoa out with concussion
Miami signed Huntley off the Ravens practice squad for QB depth in Tagovailoa's absence, with Skylar Thompson at QB1
With Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa out indefinitely due to a concussion, the Dolphins needed to find a plan B. On Monday, Miami made a move, signing former Pro Bowl quarterback Tyler Huntley off the Baltimore Ravens' practice squad.
The Dolphins now have two quarterbacks on the 53-man roster, with Skylar Thompson set to start Sunday in Seattle.
After Tagovailoa's injury Thursday night, Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel told reporters that Skylar Thompson would be the Dolphins' QB1, but that they would bring in an additional quarterback. It appears that Huntley is their guy.
Huntley, undrafted out of Utah, spent four years as a backup to Lamar Jackson starting in 2020. In 2022, Jackson suffered an injury in Week 13 that sidelined him for the rest of the season, giving Huntley a chance to step in. The backup quarterback started in five games, including a playoff game, and earned a Pro Bowl nod for his effort.
Huntley signed with the Cleveland Browns in March, and made the roster for the 2024 season, but was released in August. He then returned to the Ravens to join their practice squad, but will now be on Miami's bench for the near future.
McDaniel has not given an estimate of how long Tagovailoa will be out, saying that they are giving him as much time as he needs to heal. Tagovailoa, who has a history of concussions, is taking his time with plans about his future, but currently does not plan to retire.
In the meantime, the Dolphins have Thompson and Huntley to get them through the season.