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It did not take long for Dallas Cowboys linebacker Micah Parsons to call out a “dirty” play during the Cincinnati Bengals and New York Giants’ preseason game.
The NFL and other football authorities have long attempted to navigate the rulings on “cut blocks,” which is when an offensive player blocks or takes out a defender by hitting the knees. The tactic has been considered a controversial move for a long time, and Parsons agrees with that sentiment.
After Bengals tight end Thaddaeus Moss hit Giants rookie Kayvon Thibodeaux on a cut block that led to him leaving the game, Parsons took to Twitter to call out the move and the league for continuing to allow cut blocks.
“I don’t [understand] why cutting is still allowed in the NFL!! We grown a** f***ing men! Let’s play ball bro! I hate to see that s*** man!” Parsons Tweeted on August 21.
Fortunately, Thibodeaux told reported he’s “alright” after the scary incident according to the New York Post. That being said, defenders like Parsons aren’t going to feel any better despite Thibodeaux avoiding injury.
Here’s a clip of the broadcast looking at the cut block.
Parsons believes it’s a dirty play, but not everyone agrees, including a former Giants and Bengals starter.
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Former Bengals OT Defends Cut Block
Marshall Newhouse has spent over 10 seasons in the NFL as an offensive tackle and actually played in both New York and Cincinnati early on in his career, and his take is the polar opposite to Parsons’ opinion: the play was a routine block.
Like the Cowboys DE, Newhouse took to Twitter to give his two cents and defend Moss’ block.
“PEOPLE. This is literally a routine play, a routine block, and a routine defensive technique happening here,” Newhouse wrote. “Inside the tackle box, the defender is facing him, it’s just a bad looking result.”
Cut blocks are rarely ever pretty or smooth, leading to dangerous situations where one massive player is putting his weight on the knees or ankles of another. While the move may be legal, Parsons and others still want the NFL to adjust rules to prevent those kinds of moments.
Cowboys Star Predicted to Finish Top 5 in Sacks
In a new slate of predictions from ESPN, the outlet’s writers attempted to project who would finish with the most sacks in the NFL. Parsons is considered to be in the mix, but is only cracking the Top 5.
The prediction expects Parsons to reach 10 sacks, which is actually three less than his rookie total in 2021.
“Parsons is trickier to predict due to his one-year career and his unique role as an off-ball linebacker who moonlights as one of the best edge rushers in the league (or maybe it’s the other way around),” the outlet explains. “The big question here is: how often will he rush the passer? The model predicts a slight uptick from pass rushes on 33% of defensive snaps last season. But whether he becomes a full-time pass-rusher or mostly plays linebacker will fundamentally affect his forecast.”
It’s a fair point, as his role at linebacker does shift from game to game. But with the addition of Anthony Barr, it feels like Dallas will be able to let Parsons loose on the defensive line even more in 2022.
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