The Dallas Cowboys couldn’t afford another setback after last week’s heartbreaking loss to the San Francisco 49ers, let alone in primetime.
They arrived to SoFi Stadium desperately craving to make a statement, and while they didn’t exactly do that, they did do what needed to be done to leave California with a win.
That’s why Pro Football Hall of Famer Shannon Sharpe wasn’t impressed with the win, although he did give them credit for at least winning the game.
Sharpe pointed out, via “First Take,” the fact that the Cowboys had a whopping 14 penalties, 11 of them accepted.
"Impressive win? No. A good win? Yes."
—@ShannonSharpe weighs in on the Cowboys beating the Chargers pic.twitter.com/pF87aR8FKc
— First Take (@FirstTake) October 17, 2023
He also showed that seven of those 14 penalties were pre-snap, so the team didn’t even get a chance to get a play.
Sharpe stated that it seems like McCarthy either coaches it or condones it, as the Cowboys have been in the top three of the most penalized teams every single year since he took over.
Moreover, Sharpe pointed out the fact that they went just 2 of 4 in the red zone, which is also unacceptable for a team trying to prove they’re a contender.
Sharpe gave Micah Parsons credit for showing up when it mattered the most and putting Justin Herbert on his back, all while Stephon Gilmore finished the game with an interception, so the defense should definitely feel good about themselves right now.
As for McCarthy and the offense, Sharpe gave them props for not allowing the loss to the Niners to snowball on them, but they need to make several tweaks to be considered a legitimate contender.
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