Getty Micah Parsons, Cowboys
Star Cowboys linebacker Micah Parsons knows it’s a familiar feeling. In Week 3, after two losses by a total of 60 points in the first two weeks of the season, Dallas traveled to Arizona as a 13-point favorite and… flopped. They fell behind 15-3, and while the team fought for a comeback, they were unable to force turnovers or push the ball past the goal line into the end zone.
This week they travel to Carolina and once again they are double-digit favorites against a team that is struggling, the Panthers, who are 1-8. It should be an easy win, but this is the NFL. If you go into the game thinking you have an easy win, you may very well end up with a defeat.
The Cowboys know this. They did it. That’s the warning Parsons has for his team here in Week 11.
“We’ve already made this mistake once, we can’t make it twice,” Parsons told reporters this week. “I think the team faced a lot of adversity and things like that during that time. We were missing half of our O-line. We are much healthier and more cooped up. It’s November-December football, so mishaps like this shouldn’t happen to us. We have to go out and win.”
Micah Parsons was “frustrated” in Week 10.
There was a small hint of controversy surrounding Micah Parsons this week, although it seems like it’s all been wiped out.
It started during the Cowboys’ game against the Giants, when Parsons played with the ball more and did something he had never done in his career: He didn’t record stats. No sacks, no quarterback hits, no passes defended. Not even a tackle. He played 59 snaps and nothing.
The evening after the game, Parsons posted on Twitter: “I haven’t been this speechless in a long time!”
I haven’t been so speechless in a long time! 🤯🤐🥴
— Micah Parsons (@MicahhParsons11) November 13, 2023
When Cowboys teammate Sam Williams posted a photo of a dog biting into a cage with the caption: “No need to free me, I’ll break the MF cage,” Parsons posted the response: “Then free me .”
Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn quashed the idea that Parsons was unhappy, although he acknowledged his frustration.
“That’s every competitor, right? You want to make sure you’re always making an impact, and sometimes his impact is that other people have a chance to get things because of the attention he gets,” Quinn said. “Any competitor can be frustrated by this.”
Cowboys face another rookie QB
And Quinn also warned Micah Parsons about the Cowboys’ next opponent: It could happen again. The Panthers have a rookie quarterback who they want to protect with quick passes. Parsons said he understands that and has put last week’s frustration behind him.
“I always say I get next week,” Parsons said. “People always say: dead today, gone tomorrow. I get a great opportunity. I think that was one of three games where I didn’t have a sack. I think the production is there. My presence is felt. Look at what I am – it’s getting to the point where these QBs are taking a hit and running out of the pocket in fear for their lives, so I don’t think it has anything to do with production.”
And the good news for Micah Parsons and the entire Cowboys defense is that despite trying to protect Young, the Panthers have allowed 29 sacks, which is the fifth-most in the NFL.
“I just think we’re doing a phenomenal job,” Parsons said. “(Dan Quinn) gives me a phenomenal job finding ways to do one-on-ones and things like that. I think time will tell when we continue to play against better teams.”
Sean Deveney is a veteran sports reporter who covers the NBA and NFL for Heavy.com. He has been writing for Heavy since 2019 and has more than two decades of NBA reporting experience, including 17 years as a senior NBA reporter for the Sporting News. Deveney is the author of seven nonfiction books, including “Fun City,” “Before Wrigley Were Wrigley,” and “Facing Michael Jordan.” More about Sean Deveney
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