Parsons Gives ‘Boys Needed Flexibility
Micah Parsons is the most versatile player on the Cowboys defense.
That statement is already being tested with the loss of middle linebacker Leighton Vander Esch for at least four weeks to a neck injury.
While the Cowboys (4-2) would rather have LVE in the lineup, his injury forces defensive coordinator Dan Quinn to utilize more than just the pass rushing skills of Parsons.
At 6-foot-3 and 251 pounds, Parsons runs a 4.39 40-yard dash, which gives him the size and speed to defend running backs and tight ends from sideline to sideline.
“Whether or not it’s taking their protection away,” Cowboys linebackers coach Scott McCurley said about Parsons’ flexibility. “Whether it’s taking two or three guys out of (the play) so other guys can eat. He’s valuable no matter what.”
Since being drafted in 2021, Parsons has primarily rushed the quarterback, and with great success – racking up 169 total tackles, 117 solo tackles, 40 tackles for loss and 31.5 sacks in 39 games.
Now, because of the Vander Esch injury, it’s time to change that.
That started in Week 6, where Parsons played eight of his season-high 67 snaps at linebacker for the Cowboys in their win at SoFi Stadium.
The Chargers had a good plan to stop Parsons, and it worked for most of the night – he had two tackles (one solo), one tackle for loss and three quarterback hits. But when the Cowboys defense needed a big play late in the fourth quarter, he delivered with his first sack in almost three games.
“Offenses aren’t going to let him wreck the game, and we know that,” McCurley said. “That’s why we have specific plans for him to move him around and utilize him in different ways – on the ball, off the ball. For him, just keep playing. Good things are going to happen if he plays the game with his play style, his violence, and at his best he’s gonna make an impact on any game, no matter what.”
He will continue to influence the game at both defensive end and linebacker for the foreseeable future.
You can expect his snaps at linebacker to increase, as the Cowboys face a pair of tough running games from the Eagles and Giants over the next three weeks.
“Dan (Quinn) has been doing a great job of putting me inside, outside, and things like that to make it harder for (the opponent),” Parsons said.
With Damone Clark and Markquese Bell stepping in at middle linebacker for LVE, it gives Quinn the ability to move Parsons around, playing him at multiple linebacker spots, as well as both defensive end spots.
“We know week to week we can have a different plan for him, where we want to put him and how we want to feature him in that game,” McCurley said. “He’s ready to go on the ball, off the ball; whatever we need and however we want to utilize him that week.”
As for Parsons, he knows no matter where he lines up, his mindset stays the same.
“The one thing about this league, you just have to be as consistent as possible,” Parsons said. “Never get too high; never get too low. Understand that people are trying to take you out of the game. People don’t want you to ruin the game (for them). You have to be a guy that’s willing to risk it all. Every time I step on that field, obviously I want the big plays, the sacks. I want to be as dynamic as possible.”
The Cowboys couldn’t ask for anymore.