Getty Images Dallas Cowboys star Micah Parsons.
Micah Parsons knows that a lot of people aren’t giving his Dallas Cowboys a shot against the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday but he’s using that as motivation heading into the Divisional Round clash.
The 49ers have won 11 games in a row and boast big names like Christian McCaffrey, Deebo Samuel, George Kittle, Trent Williams and Nick Bosa — just to name a few. However, Parsons likes the Cowboys’ chances to pull off the upset at Levi’s Stadium.
“We hear what everybody’s saying,” Parsons said on Thursday. “We hear it: ‘No way the Cowboys are going to win, no way.’ Honestly, I think you should feed into it. You should love that stuff. When no one believes in you, that’s the best feeling; not when everyone believes in you and the Kool-Aid is up and everyone’s smiling, like, ‘They can’t lose. They’re too good.’ I don’t want that feeling, because then it’s like, ‘Damn, what if I don’t win?’ When you’re directly at the bottom, you can only go up. I really like being the underdog.”
Parsons was a beast in the Cowboys’ 31-14 victory against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the Wild Card round, making life uncomfortable for Tom Brady. He had three tackles, eight pressures, one sack and two passes defended.
Parsons on Game Plan: ‘I’m Going to Play My Game’
There’s a bit of a revenge narrative built into the matchup, with the 49ers ending the Cowboys’ season in the Wild Card round a season ago.
“I’m super excited,” Parsons said. “This is (the opponent) that I wanted. If this is the three-headed dragon, we need to cut one of the heads off.”
Parsons acknowledged the weapons the 49ers have available and the recent run they’ve been on. But the Cowboys — who finished the regular season 12-5 — haven’t been too bad themselves. Parsons doesn’t plan to change things up now.
“I don’t want to go out there and try to outcompete the 49ers,” Parsons said. “They’re going to beat my ass if I play their game. I’m going to play my game. I’m going to bring my strengths and what I bring to the table. They’re going to bring their strengths. Let’s just battle it out.
Parsons Ready for Bright Lights Against 49ers
Parsons has been great this season and was at one point the prohibitive favorite for Defensive Player of the Year. Nick Bosa — who led the NFL with 18.5 sacks — made up some major ground and is now the favorite for the award, although Parsons was a first-team All-Pro, collecting 65 tackles and 13.5 sacks.
And the second-year star is ready to reach another level under the lights of postseason play.
“The bigger the stage, the bigger the player,” Parsons said. “Right?”
Parsons’ contributions extend beyond what he puts up in the box score. Offenses make it a point to make him less impactful, which in turn can lead to others getting an opportunity to make plays. The Cowboys led the league in turnovers forced this season and sacked opposing QBs 54 times as a unit.
“I don’t have any doubt in my mind he’s not going to come back this week and have a bigger chip on his shoulder because of what went on last year and how (losing to the 49ers in the wild-card round) ended it for us,” Cowboys safety Jayron Kearse said of Parsons. “I just kept reiterating throughout the week and throughout the course of the game that he drives this thing.”
The 49ers are a 3.5-point favorite for the matchup.