There’s a reason why Dallas Cowboys linebacker Micah Parsons earned All-Pro and NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year honors last season. The former Penn State star was absolutely dominant as a rookie.
Dallas is expecting Parsons to take his game to an entirely new level as a sophomore, starting Sunday night against Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Big D.
If what we saw in the first half of Sunday night’s game is any indication, Parsons might very well compete for NFL Defensive Player of the Year honors. He got to Brady for two sacks, both ending drives in the process with Tampa Bay threatening to score a touchdown.
The first sack came after Parsons absolutely humiliated Buccaneers left tackle Donovan Smith.
What an absolutely ridiculous spin move inside from Micah Parsons. There’s really nothing Smith could do about it. As an aside, the left tackle was also forced from the game to injury.
Later in the second quarter, Parsons beat backup left tackle Josh Wells. It was almost unfair.
The Buccaneers might want to actually consider throwing a double team or two in Parsons’ direction. That’s just some absurd stuff right there.
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One half of a game isn’t going to tell us the entire story. It might even be an overreaction. Even then, Parsons has dominated since he made his NFL debut with the Cowboys last September.
- Micah Parsons stats (2021): 84 tackles, 30 QB hits, 20 tackles for loss, 13 sacks, 3 forced fumbles
We’re talking about one of the greatest rookie seasons for a defender in the modern history of the league. That’s not hyperbole. This is how good Parsons was as a rookie.
“He is a rare competitor — that is his superpower. If he doesn’t have something quite down, he is going to get it down. And he’ll work hard to get it right because he does not like to not be able to do something.”
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For his part, Parsons was really looking forward to the season opener against Brady and Co. How much so? You be the judge.
“We got to get him out of this league. He’s been dominating this league too long,” Micah Parsons said recently. “He wants to kill you. He wants to step on your throat like you’re a roach.”
At least for one half, Parsons got his wish by absolutely dominating Buccaneers pass protectors in front of Tom Terrific.