'Triple Crown': Dallas Cowboys Giving Micah Parsons 'Special Treatment' at Practice
Dallas Cowboys edge rusher Micah Parsons may be the best defensive player in the sport. With that comes the acknowledgement that teams will do everything in their power to stop him. And at the end of this week, one of the teams "doing everything'' was his own Dallas offense.
“Frankly, just to make him feel at home, we triple-teamed him today on the last play of game segment,” coach Mike McCarthy revealed. “It’s just something he’s going to be dealing with the rest of his career.”
Double-teams and chip blocks are just some of the ways Parsons gets dealt with, though he regularly makes a mockery of anyone in his path. After 26.5 sacks in his first two seasons, he added another in Dallas’ Week 1 victory over the New York Giants. The Cowboys’ pass rush repeatedly beat the Giants’ offensive line, putting the game in “change the channel” territory (for the "casuals'') before halftime.
Parsons only had one of Dallas’ seven sacks on Sunday, but it’s clear that he is the motor that keeps the pass rush going. ... even with the multiple bodies thrown at him.
“I think he’s handled [extra blocking attention] very well,” McCarthy said. “I think he clearly understands the impact he makes for our defense, the opportunities he creates for others, he’s very much in tune with that.”
Being the focal point of an opponent's game plans is bound to limit his individual statistics in some capacity. In a league where elite pass rushers are getting record-breaking contracts, it would be understandable for Parsons to feel frustrated with threats to his production.
As long as his teammates keep getting to tee off on the favorable matchups Parsons’ talent provides, any dip in production won’t be reflected at the negotiating table.
For now, Parsons is disrupting practice reps in preparation for a Week 2 matchup with the New York Jets, who are still reeling after the loss of quarterback Aaron Rodgers. Their questionable offensive line will likely allocate heavy resources to stopping him. The Jets will look to avoid third-and-long situations and make sure to rely on the quick game when attacking through the air.
Like everyone else, they’ll send some extra blockers Parsons’ way.
There’s a price to being an All-Pro edge rusher, and Parsons is paying it - not only in games, but in practice, too. As a result? Expect to see his impact reverberate throughout the Dallas defense on Sunday, regardless of how many sacks he has.
