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Everything changed for the Cowboys in Philadelphia right before the lightning delay

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The Dallas Cowboys lost on Thursday night. We can sit here and list the reasons that Dallas lost to the Philadelphia Eagles and CeeDee Lamb’s drops are at the very top for most people. That is certainly fair.

A lot of people are going to be critical of Miles Sanders’ fumble and that is certainly hard to deny. Turning the ball over so close to the goal line with points seemingly in hand by way of Brandon Aubrey is a recipe for disaster.

Part of what made this game weird was the lightning delay that occurred and there is a little bit to that whole phenomenon that may have changed the complexion of this game. No points were scored by either team following the delay which suggests that for the most part offenses cooled off. That happens.

The Sanders fumble actually came the very play before the delay was called, but let’s turn our attention to the one right before that.

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It was 3rd and 22. Jake Ferguson was the target for both Dak Prescott and, as it turned out, Reed Blankenship. Blankenship hit Ferguson in the head area and was called for unsportsmanlike conduct. The penalty gave Dallas a fresh set of downs and Sanders fumbled.

You can make the case that was not a penalty from Reed. It seemed like things were happening quickly and we have all seen a moment where we wondered what a defender is supposed to do when things are that fast. Imagine if that hadn’t been a penalty. but just an incompletion on third down. Dallas would have trotted Aubrey out on fourth and forever and he would have tightened things up 24-23. Then the delay would have happened.

The Cowboys touched the ball three times after the delay and failed to score at all as we have noted. You do have to wonder though how things could or would have gone if all they had needed was a field goal as opposed to a touchdown.

Maybe it makes a difference. Maybe it doesn’t. But it seems very clear that the lightning delay and the plays right before it served as the biggest points of change for Dallas overall.

Source: https://www.bloggingtheboys.com/dal...lashpoint-eagles-right-before-lightning-delay
 
Lions HC Dan Campbell’s take on seeing Micah Parsons instead of Kenny Clark

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Big trades in the NFL are sometimes described as “earthquakes” or “bombshells”, and with that comes the expected aftershock of trying to immediately grade these trades based on every ripple that happens between the involved parties. The first ripples for both the Dallas Cowboys and Green Bay Packers from the Micah Parsons and Kenny Clark trade are in the books to start the 2025 season. Right away, the Packers have an advantage in the win column after beating the Detroit Lions for the first time in three tries at home, 27-13. The Cowboys lost their season opener 24-20 in Philadelphia to the defending champion Eagles.

When it comes to how the reigning winners of the NFC North, the division with the best record in football a year ago, is taking playing against Micah Parsons instead of Kenny Clark now, the Lions head coach had an interesting take. Dan Campbell gave the impression to the CBS top broadcast crew of Jim Nantz and Tony Romo that they were actually more relieved not be playing against Clark than they worried about Parsons.

Jim Nantz and Tony Romo brought up how the Micah Parsons trade was received by the #Lions and HC Dan Campbell.

Nantz: "It felt like they were more relieved Clark was gone than they were concerned that Parsons was coming to Green Bay" pic.twitter.com/6Ij1Qcatv3

— Sean Martin ✭ (@SeanMartinNFL) September 7, 2025
“It felt like they were more relieved (Kenny) Clark was gone than they were concerned that (Micah) Parsons was coming to Green Bay” – Jim Nantz

Nantz and Romo both strongly agreed they got the feeling Campbell was more in favor of game planning for Parsons in the season opener compared to facing Clark again. Over the time Campbell has been the Lions’ head coach since 2021 and Clark was with the Packers, the Lions actually went 6-2 against them. Despite sweeping them last year, two of the Lions’ five lowest rushing performances came against the Packers last year. Clark made his impact, but the Lions found ways to come out on top. Conversely, Campbell’s team went 0-2 against the Cowboys with Parsons, who had two sacks in the first meeting.

That record for Campbell against Parsons is now 0-3, as the newest Packer wearing jersey #1 played 30 snaps in his debut, had two pressures (one of which led to a red zone interception), and one sack in the fourth quarter protecting a 27-6 lead.

Using statistics, records, and objective facts, there isn’t a whole lot on the Lions side to justify this comment by Campbell right away. The victor will always get the spoils in this game, and right now that is the Packers, ending a three-game home losing streak to the Lions with Parsons on their side.

I bet he won’t say that now 😂😂😂😂 https://t.co/iD8hQ6H8i5

— Terrence Parsons Jr (@Tpars_boii) September 7, 2025

The Packers dominant win was easy fodder for this take by Campbell to be taken as something of a joke, but it’s important to separate the context of what it means for the newest Cowboys defender Kenny Clark. Campbell is still the coach responsible for turning the Lions into a respectable contender and winning 15 games a season ago, so his praise for Clark is noteworthy apart from anything to do with Parsons.

Clark, Solomon Thomas, and Osa Odighizuwa helped the Cowboys stand tall at defensive tackle against the Eagles in ways they had not been able to before. Following a late third-quarter lightning delay, the Cowboys defense, now coordinated by Matt Eberflus, held Saquon Barkley to negative one rushing yard on seven carries. The defense as a whole more than did their job of getting the ball back enough times for the offense to go win the game, which they knocked on the door of doing but fell just short.

It is possible to consider the fact both teams involved in a trade can come out better, even if such a thing is frowned upon in the name of always wanting winners and losers in a competitive environment. The Cowboys pass rush was certainly not better than it would have been with Parsons in week one, but they did find other ways to bring pressure and still held up in coverage. They looked like a group with a lot of potential to get better as they adjust to the new scheme and get more key players back on the field. Clark officially finished with five combined tackles over 41 snaps, including being in on Marshawn Kneeland’s sack.

The Packers defense right from the gun looked stifling, but they did have the benefit of playing from ahead early on with a 10-0 lead after three possessions, while both the Lions offense and defense was being called by new coordinators.

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It won’t be long until the Cowboys and Packers get together on Sunday Night Football in week four. Until then, it will be interesting to see what other NFC North coaches and players might say about both the absence of Kenny Clark or addition of Micah Parsons. The Bears and Vikings will finish off the first week of this season on Monday Night Football.

Source: https://www.bloggingtheboys.com/dal...take-seeing-micah-parsons-instead-kenny-clark
 
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