‘Micah, keep going! Don’t stop!’ With LB Micah Parsons, Dallas Cowboys’ defense leading the way

ARLINGTON, Texas — Dallas Cowboys proprietor and normal supervisor Jerry Jones didn’t perceive the query at first, so it was requested twice.

Can linebacker Micah Parsons attain 34 sacks?

“Properly, if Maris received 61 residence runs,” Jones mentioned, referring to New York Yankees legend Roger Maris, who nonetheless holds the American League residence run report, for now. “That’s outdated stuff proper there. However, uh, no, I don’t learn about, I’m unsure the place we received 34.”

It’s math, Jerry.

Parsons has 4 sacks in two video games. The Cowboys have a 17-game season. That will common out to 34 sacks, which might be an NFL report. Not solely would it not be a report, it might obliterate the mark shared by Corridor of Famer Michael Strahan and T.J. Watt at 22.5.

“He’s on tempo for 34, OK, OK,” Jones mentioned. “Properly, that was an outstanding sport he had on the market. There’s no query he adjusted the sport by being in that sport.”

In Sunday’s 20-17 win towards the Cincinnati Bengals, Parsons had sacks on the opening drive of the primary and second halves. He was credited with 10 of the Cowboys’ 15 pressures. It’s the second time in his profession he has had no less than 10 pressures in a sport; he had 12 final season towards the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs.

“He’s simply being deliberate in his job,” defensive finish DeMarcus Lawrence mentioned. “Micah is a good pass-rusher, with the ability to get off the ball. Profiting from his alternatives is all we ask for. So Micah, maintain going! Don’t cease!”

In his second season, Parsons may simply be getting began.

Parsons has performed 18 regular-season video games (on COVID-19 checklist for Week 18 final season), and he has 17 sacks. Since sacks grew to become an official stat in 1982, Aldon Smith had the report for many sacks (16.5) within the first 18 video games of a profession.

Parsons’ 4 sacks within the first two video games are tied for the second most by a Cowboy. Corridor of Famer Charles Haley had 5.5 sacks within the first two video games in 1994. Future Corridor of Famer DeMarcus Ware had 4 sacks within the first two video games of the 2011 season, and Lawrence had 4 within the first two video games in 2017.

“Simply executing my sport plan, simply figuring out when to take my pictures and when to not take my pictures, understanding when to go excessive and when to go low,” Parsons mentioned. “I simply put loads of work into this season.”

Even earlier than quarterback Dak Prescott suffered a fractured thumb within the season-opening loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the Cowboys knew they must lean on their protection, which implies leaning quite a bit on Parsons.

By means of two video games, the Cowboys’ protection has allowed two mixed touchdowns to offenses quarterbacked by Tom Brady and Joe Burrow. The final time the Cowboys gave up simply two touchdowns within the first two video games was 1996.

Burrow was sacked six occasions by 4 totally different gamers. Like Parsons, Dorance Armstrong had two sacks. Dante Fowler Jr. pressured a fumble on his sack that was practically recovered by Parsons. Leighton Vander Esch had his first sack since Week 2 of final season.

The Cowboys’ offense scored touchdowns on their first two possessions however received slowed down for many of the sport after that. The protection held robust till the Bengals put collectively a 19-play, 83-yard drive and 2-point conversion to tie the sport at 17.

When Cincinnati had an opportunity to win the sport when it received the ball with 2:13 to play, the protection pressured a three-and-out with a key Trevon Diggs deal with on a throw to the flat on third-and-3 to Tyler Boyd.

“We simply wanted a cease,” Diggs mentioned. “I used to be like, ‘Let me go make these performs and get the offense again on the sector, and let’s go win this factor.’”

They usually did. Quarterback Cooper Rush put the Cowboys in place with three completions. A Tony Pollard run received the ball to the Cincinnati 32. Brett Maher made the game-winning area objective from 50 yards as time expired.

“That’s how now we have our mindset anyway,” Armstrong mentioned. “We need to lead our workforce and assist us win. Allow them to do their factor. So long as we do our half, issues will probably be nice.”

With Parsons, there may be all the time an opportunity, however he’s fast to level out it’s not simply him.

“One lion can’t do it by himself. You want a pleasure. It’s identical to when 10 hyenas go after one lion, the lion is liable to lose,” Parsons mentioned. “The truth that I’ve received 10 different guys that I really feel that I can depend on, that’s what makes this boat go ‘spherical.”