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Dallas Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy was not happy with the officials after the team blew a double-digit lead during his return to Lambeau Field to face the Green Bay Packers. McCarthy described himself as “very, very, very frustrated” with how the game was officiated.
“Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy: ‘I’m very frustrated with the end of the game, obviously,'” Dallas Morning News’ Michael Gehlken tweeted on November 13, 2022. “Said the penalties ‘were very, very VERY frustrating,’ his voice raising on the third.”
The Cowboys had nine penalties for 83 yards compared to the Packers’ six penalties for 40 yards. Dallas ranks 21st in the NFL with 52.3 total penalty yards per game. The Cowboys headed into the fourth quarter with a 14-point lead, but the Packers were able to mount a late comeback to force overtime.
Prescott on Questioning the Officials: ‘That’s Excuses’
Not everyone cited the officiating as a contributing factor for the loss against Green Bay. Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott took a different approach after the team’s loss, describing complaints about the refs as “excuses.” Prescott threw for 265 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions while completing 58% of his passes in the team’s overtime loss to the Packers.
“Dak Prescott on the questionable calls: ‘To me, that’s excuses. We just got to play beyond that.'” The Athletic’s Jon Machota detailed.
During a critical point of the game, wide receiver Jalen Tolbert was flagged for being offsides, but McCarthy emphasized that the official had cleared the rookie’s alignment prior to the snap. As Blogging The Boys’ RJ Ochoa pointed out, this explanation is a bit hard to take at face value.
“I’m not trying to call Jalen a liar, but are we really suggesting that the official: 1. Told Jalen to scoot up 2. Then knowingly called a penalty on him,” Ochoa tweeted. “Because that is suggesting the official purposefully set him up for a penalty which you realize sounds a bit implausible.”
During his postgame press conference, McCarthy took veiled shots at the officiating on several occasions. The Cowboys coach noted that he believed the players “deserved” to win based on their performance, implying that the officials played a factor in the team’s loss.
“After offside penalty, Cowboys WR Jalen Tolbert told Mike McCarthy he checked with judge, just as WRs do throughout a game,” Gehlken tweeted. “And it still was called. ‘Disappointing’ for ruling to be made at that time, McCarthy said. Disappointed for his players. Felt they deserved to win.”
Jones: ‘It Was a Very Disappointing Loss’
Dallas owner Jerry Jones described the loss as “very frustrating” citing the team’s bye week as well as overall health as key factors in what was expected to be a strong performance. Things do not get any easier for the Cowboys as the team faces the Vikings in Week 11 fresh off their comeback victory over the Bills.
“They we’re able to run the ball better,” Jones told Machota following the game. “They were able to stop us more. It was a very disappointing loss. We’re rested, had 2 weeks off. Everybody was ready to go. Just couldn’t get it done.
“It’s very frustrating. We’re healthy. We got our guys out there.”
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