Cowboys 'Super' Defense New Goal: Micah Parsons Making Opponents 'Not Want to Earn It'
When Dallas Cowboys star quarterback Dak Prescott needed surgery following the team's Week 1 loss, to some, all hope seemed lost.
Suddenly, it seemed the weight of the world rested not just on the shoulders of backup quarterback Cooper Rush, but on those of the Dallas defense as well. It's safe to say the Cowboys defense has more than lived up to those heightened expectations.
The Dallas defense has yet to give up more than one touchdown in any of the first four games, while boasting a top eight defense league-wide in both yards per game and points per game allowed so far. In Dallas' 25-10 victory over the Washington Commanders on Sunday, it was much of the same.
Said Micah Parsons: "We've been making people minimize their gameplan. Really making people earn it. When you make people earn it, people don't really want to earn it no more."
It other words, the Cowboys defense is trying to break the spirit of opponents.
And it’s working.
The Cowboys picked off Commanders quarterback Carson Wentz twice, while holding him to an abysmal 23.2 quarterback rating. Dallas is also second in the NFL in sacks over the first four weeks with 15.
"They're the reason we're winning," Rush said of his D. "I mean, it's just plain and simple ... they had really good field position all day and our defense just kept them out of the end zone, kept getting them off the field."
After the encouraging performance against Washington, the Dallas defense is keeping their mentality on continuing to improve.
"We can take it in today, but tomorrow it's back to work," says Cowboys defensive tackle Neville Gallimore, who recorded a sack in the victory.
Added Micah of the scoring success: "It went from 19 (points allowed) to 17, 16, 10. So next week, 7. That's the type of standard.”
Dallas is at the Rams next week. The “standard” might be tested, but … People say "defense wins championships." If that's true, Dallas has plenty of reason for hope this season ... as this defense just may be Super Bowl material
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