Can the 49ers bully a lion? No way, says Dallas Cowboys rookie star Micah Parsons
How does one get physical and try to bully a hungry and rested Lion?
That’s the intriguing question heading into Sunday’s NFC wild card game between the San Francisco 49ers (10-7) and the Dallas Cowboys (12-5).
A lot of pundits have labeled this as a bad matchup for the NFC East champion Cowboys because of the 49ers’ physical and punishing style of play.
They like to play “bully ball” with their run game on offense, which is the league’s No. 1 rushing attack and is expected to pose quite the challenge for a speedy Cowboys defense, led by rookie linebacker sensation Micah Parsons.
Parsons, who is a lock for the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year and is a candidate for NFL Defensive Player of the Year because of his dominance in 2021, calls himself the hungry Lion.
And he has no plans of being bullied in Sunday’s game.
“No you can’t,” Parsons responded when asked if a lion can be bullied. “It’s actually funny you say that. I was having fun with the guys and telling them: I’m from Harrisburg. Where the bullies get bullied. There’s a bully in every gym. There’s a bully everywhere you go. But at some point it takes someone to stand up and fight. I ain’t never back down from a challenge. So I will never say you can bully a lion. Ever.”
Especially a rested and refreshed lion.
Parsons missed last Sunday’s season finale against the Philadelphia Eagles with COVID-19. He said he battled fatigue, muscle aches, a sore throat and congestion last week that he initially attributed to the weather changes before testing positive for COVID.
But he was back at practice on Wednesday ready to go with no limitations.
“I feel great,” Parsons said. “I got a whole bunch of rest. I feel like I had an extra bye week. I feel refreshed.”
That should be a good thing for the Cowboys defense. After the bye week earlier this season, Parsons ripped off a stretch of games that sent him from rookie of the year consideration to defensive player of the year candidacy.
The first game produced a career-high 11 tackles before he recorded sacks in six straight games, including three games with two or more sacks.
Parsons, the No. 12 overall pick in the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft, recorded 84 tackles (64 solo), 20 tackles for loss, 13 sacks, three forced fumbles, three pass breakups and 30 quarterback hits.
Parsons garnered most of his highlights and splash plays from rushing the passer and running sideline to sideline to tackle ball carriers.
But coach Mike McCarthy said he has a physicality to his game that will serve the team well on Sunday.
“Micah is an extremely physical football player,” McCarthy said. “His physicality to play both on the line and off the line, in particular, as a pressure player too, is definitely something we feel can be impactful Sunday.”
Parsons said he has spent extra time with former Cowboys All-Pro linebacker DeMarcus Lawence to work on his film study as he prepares for his first playoff game.
“He was telling me about what to look for when you’re watching film,” Parsons said. “All the tendency things, things that I kind of knew but he kind of went into more detail on things.”
The work ethic and desire to be great have allowed Parsons to stand out as a rookie.
But defensive coordinator Dan Quinn said they don’t need Parsons to try to win the game by himself. He just needs to do his job.
“To play good playoff defense, you have to be relentless,” Quinn said. “Your energy’s got to be right. You got to do your job really good. You don’t have to go win the game on this play but when your play comes and that moment is there you got to go capitalize. One thing I know about him, he’s down for the challenge. This guy loves to compete, so it will be fun to see him do his thing in his first playoff experience moving forward.”
On Sunday, it’s going to be a challenge for the entire Cowboys defense, not just physically but mentally.
The 49ers will attack them on the ground with a wave of ball carries, including physical receiver Deebo Samuel. But they gain an advantage by using multiple shifts and formations and attacking the edge of the defense.
“I think it’s the motions and shifts that go along with it that challenge you on your leverage more than anything else,” Quinn said. “A tight end motion, a shift, a receiver in the backfield. So challenging you on your leverage and I think that’s one of the things their offense does well.”
The Cowboys will counter the 49ers with a defensive line rotation that goes 10 deep with ends DeMarcus Lawrence and Randy Gregory focused on setting the edge and tackle Neville Gallimore being a difference maker on the inside.
But their main plan is to match physicality with physicality.
“I mean we ain’t got a choice but to be ready,” Parsons said. “I don’t think nobody’s going to hand their equipment in and say ‘hey, we can’t beat the 49ers, let’s go home’. No, we’re going to buckle up, focus in on the details. When the run game’s that good, everything is small and detailed out. We’re going to have to really focus in and make sure we go out there to play our best football.”
