Former Cowboys coach criticizes Dak Prescott's offense and reveals how Lamar Jackson's Ravens exposed Micah Parsons' defense

Micah Parsons knew he faced a challenge. “It’s my first time playing Lamar, so it’s going to be very exciting,” he said before Sunday's game. He had no idea how “exciting” it would be.

Jason Garrett, once the mastermind behind the Cowboys' offense, did not sugarcoat Dallas' 28-25 loss to Baltimore. “They are not a physical football team,” Garrett said on NBC. “Everyone on the Cowboys knows that now. You have to go in there and run the ball.”

Boy, did the Ravens get the memo. Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry made AT&T Stadium their playground, combining for 274 rushing yards. It was like watching a hot knife slice through Texas toast.

This is not Dallas' first rodeo with problems in the run defense. Last week New Orleans trampled them for 190 yards and lost 44-19. Now Ravens have upped the ante and Cowboys fans are wondering if their team has forgotten how to tackle.

Parsons, who had called Jackson “probably the best dual-threat quarterback in league history,” had a front-row seat for this dual-threat show. The Ravens' O-line, shaky in previous games, looked like a brick wall on Sunday.

“With Lamar, you have to find a way to keep him in the pocket, not allow him to make extra runs or keep extending plays,” Micah Parsons explained it before Sunday's game. “That’s easy to say but hard to do.” The Cowboys' star linebacker had no idea how prophetic these words would prove to be.

Dak Prescott's last-minute magic isn't enough

While the D was busy playing matador, Daniel Prescott tried to save the situation. After trailing 28-6 in the fourth quarter, he managed a comeback that got the fans' pulse racing. 373 yards and two touchdowns later, Dallas had a chance.

But the defense couldn't close the deal. Jackson, true to Parsons' words, tied the game with a 10-yard run that felt like a punch to the gut for Cowboys Nation.

Garrett turned the knife: “Run the ball, get the lead, and that's what silences the pass rush. The Ravens controlled most of that game because they passed the ball and dominated the line of scrimmage.”

Dallas has lost its first two home games 2-1 after having a perfect home record last year. That's quite a turnaround.

Flags and mental lapses continue to plague the Cowboys. Six penalties forced them to play catch-up all day. As the Austin American-Statesman put it, this Cowboys team looks “undisciplined and unfocused” in what could be a pivotal year for the coaching staff.

With the Giants coming to town on Thursday, Dallas needs to fill those holes in the run defense quickly. Otherwise, Garrett's tough talk could end up being the Cowboys' eulogy in 2024. And in Jerry's world, where winning isn't everything—it's the only thing—that's about as welcome as a rattlesnake in your boot.