Micah Parsons' postgame tirade after Cowboys' loss was absolutely called for

You know what is the foremost sign of a bad football team? One that finds new ways to lose games. That is the perfect descriptor for the Dallas Cowboys, who lost to the Cincinnati Bengals on Monday Night Football in improbable fashion despite another pass-rushing onslaught from Micah Parsons.

With the game tied 20-20- the Cowboys forced a Bengals punt to get the ball back with exactly two minutes left in regulation. There was more than enough time for Cooper Rush to lead a game-winning drive and Nick Vigil appeared to make Rush's life easier by blocking the punt.

The ball trickled just 13 yards down the field right to cornerback Amani Oruwariye. Surrounded by Bengals, Oruwariye inexplicably tried to return it. The ball popped out of his hands and the Bengals recovered to retain possession. Three plays later Joe Burrow connected with Ja'Marr Chase for the game-winning 40-yard touchdown.

The loss hit Micah Parsons hard. The ESPN broadcast showed Parsons visibly distraught on the sideline and he stormed off the field before the teams met at midfield to shake hands.

Micah Parsons had every right to show frustration with Cowboys' loss to the Bengals

Parsons predictably caught some heat on social media for his reaction. That, to put it kindly, is absolutely ridiculous.

If anything, Parsons' reaction shows that he cares. Shouldn't fans want a team's best player to be devastated following a heartbreaking loss?

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All Oruwariye had to do was not touch the ball and the Cowboys would have taken over on a short field with a chance to win the game. He compounded the error by trying to run with the ball instead of making sure it was tucked out of harm's way. You would be hard-pressed to script a worse way to lose a game.

Parsons' reaction is completely understandable. Up until that point, Parsons and the defense held Burrow and the Bengals to 20 points. They had averaged over 35 points per game in their previous four games. The defense more than held up its end of the bargain. Parsons himself likely finished with double-digit pressures and multiple quarterback hits.

It is easy to understand Parsons' frustration.

Mind you, Monday's all-time gaffes comes just two weeks after Dallas' special teams returned an onside kick for a TD when going down would have ended the game. Returning the kick allowed Washington the chance to attempt a Hail Mary to win the game. This time, the unit touched a block punt that greatly contributed to the team losing the game. These are fundamental parts of the game that the Cowboys continue to flub in spectacular fashion.

So, no, we don't take any issue Parsons' reaction. He didn't throw Oruwariye under the bus. He hates losing and the team had just suffered a heartbreaker.

Find something else to complain about.

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