Cowboys DC Mike Zimmer and star Micah Parsons on separate pages about defensive issues after blowout loss to Saints

The Dallas Cowboys defense appears to be out of sync after their blowout loss on Sunday afternoon.

While they may agree that there is a problem or problems that need to be solved (the New Orleans Saints pulled off a convincing 44-19 victory over the Cowboys at AT&T Stadium), defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer and star forward Micah Parsons have conflicting explanations for what happened.

Of course, that’s not a good sign.

Parsons, who made three tackles in the loss, said on his podcast on Monday that their defensive issues were down to a lack of effort.

Zimmer, however, completely dismissed the idea that the Cowboys underperformed on Sunday.

While there is a clear rift between Parsons and Zimmer, Parsons did admit they “didn’t fly to the ball” or “block” well enough against the Saints — who scored a touchdown on their first six drives of the game.

Parsons also defended Zimmer on social media after the loss. Zimmer, the former Minnesota Vikings head coach, is in his first season with the Cowboys this fall.

Parsons and the Cowboys will now turn their attention to the Baltimore Ravens, whom they host next Sunday. In the meantime, addressing their defensive deficiencies — whether it involves effort or not — will surely be at the forefront of both Zimmer and Parsons’ minds in the days ahead.