Getty Dallas Cowboys defensive end Micah Parsons walks off the field during an NFL game.
The Dallas Cowboys are going back to the practice field in Texas after a heartbreaking loss, but they also will be waiting to see about Micah Parsons’ injury status.
Dallas fell to a 31-28 loss to the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field, giving up a two-score lead in the second half to eventually fall to the Packers. It puts the Cowboys at 6-3 on the season and gives them their first loss since the Week 6 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles.
During the game, Parsons injured his ankle at one point while running towards the ball to make a play. He still played in the majority of the game, but he did have his ankle addressed before coming back to play, according to The Athletic’s Jon Machota.
“Micah Parsons, who has been dealing with a shoulder injury, played 61 of Dallas’ 64 defensive snaps,” Machota Tweeted on November 13. “His ankle needed to be taped after he ‘stepped on a player’s ankle.’ ‘I’m fine. For real. I felt like I was still running. At the end of the day, just got to be accountable.'”
Parsons has established himself as one of the best players in the NFL, and his importance to the Cowboys defense in 2022 can’t be stressed enough.
Parsons Follows 2021 with Another Great Start
Parsons has become the focal point of the Dallas defense, as the hybrid defender has put in snaps on the defensive line as well in the linebacker group. But its his pass-rushing ability that grabs eyeballs and sets the Cowboys up for success.
As Pro Football Reference shows, Parsons totaled 13 sacks in 16 games last year. Through nine games this season, he already has eight sacks and it feels likely he’ll surpass his rookie total. Further, he already has two forced fumbles to last year’s three and has scored his first NFL touchdown.
Parsons is doing this while being banged up, as covered above. He has played the same percentage of snaps in 2022 as he did in 2021, getting on the field for 84% of the defense’s snaps in both seasons.
Keeping Parsons healthy should be paramount though, and it will be interesting to see how the Cowboys manage his injuries compared to running back Ezekiel Elliott or quarterback Dak Prescott.
Cowboys LB Calls Out Team to Improve
While fans and staff are probably worried more about Parsons’ ankle, the player himself is only concerned with the team’s defensive collapse. The Cowboys gave up 14 points in the fourth quarter, giving the Packers an overtime ticket.
According to Machota, the pass-rusher emphatically described the situation and that the team has to address the lapses in defense to get where they want to be.
“Until we [put] out this fire, we’re gonna keep seeing it. If people want to keep doing their own thing, we’re gonna deal with this all year,” Parsons said. “We have to be accountable. We have to stay in our gaps, gotta stop the run. Until we do that, it’s gonna be a long year.”
This upcoming Sunday, the Cowboys have a tall order defensively as they stay on the road to take on a 8-1 Minnesota Vikings team.