Dallas Cowboys thankful for rookie sensation Micah Parsons, rejuvenated defense
As the Dallas Cowboys (7-3) head into Thursday’s Thanksgiving Day battle against the Las Vegas Raiders (5-5), questions continue to abound about the team’s suddenly suspect offense.
Still the league’s No. 1 unit that was once considered unstoppable via the run or the pass, the Cowboys now have to manage a knee injury to running back Ezekiel Elliott.
The short-handed receiver corps that has had trouble with physical man-to-man coverage and will play for the second straight game without veteran Amari Cooper due to COVID-19 and a reeling offensive line that hopes to reassert itself with the return of left tackle Tyron Smith.
That doesn’t even include leading receiver CeeDee Lamb hoping to overcome concussion protocols in a short week and play in the game.
Surprisingly, what the Cowboys can be thankful for is the sensational play of rookie linebacker Micah Parsons and a rising defense that continues to get better and gain momentum every week.
If there was one positive out of Sunday’s 19-9 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs — the team’s second loss in the last three weeks in which the highly touted offense was nonexistent — it was a defense that held MVP quarterback Patrick Mahomes and the explosive Chiefs offense to three points over the final 43 minutes.
It included four punts, a fumble, an interception, a missed goal and three sacks, two by Parsons.
The Cowboys hope to continue to build on that performance against the Raiders.
One thing the team knows it can count on right now is the defense, which allowed just 12 points in the past two games combined, dominance that began following the 30-16 loss to the Denver Broncos when the offense wasn’t clicking and the defense felt it was outmuscled.
“I think we are playing at an extremely high level right now, ever since that Broncos game,” Parsons said. “We got outfought in that game. That was kind of a humbling experience.
“Ever since that game going forward we said we got to be the dominant guys, whether the offense does its thing or not. We have to show up. We gotta keep that train rolling.”
The idea that it would be the defense has kept the train rolling and not the offense is an upset in itself. The defense has had trouble stopping opponents over the last few years capped by last year’s historically bad unit.
The Cowboys set a franchise record for points allowed and gave up the second most yards and rushing yards ever in 2020, precipitating an offseason overhaul on defense, which included the hiring of new defensive coordinator Dan Quinn and the drafting of Parsons 12th overall.
Still, no one expected this much of an improvement this fast.
“People always talk about last year and what happened before,” Parsons said. “We are worried about the present, what we are going to show now. I know right now, we know what we are capable of. We know what we got to do. And we know where we are trying to go. So that stuff doesn’t mean anything to me. I am just worried about the Raiders, how we are going to approach them. How we are going to beat them and shut them down.”
Parsons, who wasn’t on the team last year, has made the biggest difference as he has been used all over the field at end and linebacker.
He leads the team with eight sacks through 10 games, tying DeMarcus Ware for the most sacks in franchise history by a Cowboys rookie. He has 5.5 sacks in three November games and he is second in the NFL in pass rush pressure rate, per Pro Football Focus.
He also leads the team in tackles for loss and quarterback pressures while ranking fourth on the team in tackles.
Cornerback Anthony Brown said Parsons is having a similar impact on the Cowboys as a rookie as Dak Prescott and Elliott did in 2016. Prescott was named the NFL Rookie of the Year and Elliott led the league in rushing.
“I love it,” Brown said. “He’s more than just a player. In the locker room, he’s a fun guy to talk to. He’s always happy, always going. He keeps us going every day. He’s full of energy, man. His presence has been very important for us. And we need it.”
After chasing down and harassing Mahomes for four quarters last week, recording two sacks and a forced fumble, Parsons has a new fan in the Chiefs quarterback, who even asked him for a jersey.
“He’s a special player,” Mahomes said. “I mean, to be that good of a linebacker and be able to play defensive end, there’s not a lot of guys like that in this league. He has a high motor. He chased me down on that sack, the strip-sack, and the whole game he was in there the whole time battling and battling.”
It’s further confirmation of what Parsons knew all along even though he was playing Xbox at this time last season as a COVID-19 opt-out from Penn State.
Even when the Cowboys drafted him in the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft, there were questions about what he would be and where he would play in the NFL.
“I don’t really think there are a lot of people who can do what I do,” Parsons said. “I am glad I can say it now and change naysayers into believers. It’s a blessing because I look up to guys like Pat who are kind of dominating in the league right now. I kind of always wanted to make an impact the way he has in the game and kind of makes me more excited for what’s next.
“People always talk about the rookie wall but I must keep climbing and climbing because I’m excited to see what’s on the other side of the wall.”
The Cowboys are certainly thankful.
This story was originally published November 24, 2021 at 5:00 AM.
