Getty Dallas Cowboys pass rusher Micah Parsons
The Dallas Cowboys opened the 2023 regular season with a statement win, and now linebacker Micah Parsons is putting the NFL on notice. Parsons got off to a fast start in his third NFL campaign, but the same could be said for nearly the entire Cowboys squad.
Dallas dominated the New York Giants in a 40-0 victory that saw all three phases of the ball make huge plays and contribute. Parsons notched his first sack of 2023, just one of the seven sacks the Cowboys delivered on Sunday night.
After the rout, the former Penn State star sent a message to Dallas’ upcoming opponents in a video posted by the Cowboys’ X account.
“Hey man, y’all thought this was a game,” Parsons said. “Nah man. ‘Doomsday’ is back, Stick City here. Dallas’ defense back, man. It’s up for the league. Let’s get it. 1-0.”
The message is clear from Parsons: the Cowboys defense means business. Considering they shut out a team that averaged 21.5 points per game last season, their play so far has backed up Parsons’ message.
What ended up being the largest shutout victory in Cowboys history should only galvanize the Dallas defense as they take on the New York Jets and quarterback Aaron Rodgers in Week 2.
Comprehensive Defense from Dallas
The Cowboys defense has been very good over the past two seasons. But the shutout over the Giants was the organization’s first since Week 17 of the 2017 season, and that was against a Philadelphia Eagles team that rested several starters ahead of the playoffs.
This was far more impressive and against an offense that has had considerable hype heading into 2023. The Dallas defensive line was the focal point of the performance, as the team had seven total sacks through five different players.
Jumping to an early lead and building on it took out New York’s ability to rely on RB Saquon Barkley, but it was a pass to Barkley that Cowboys corner Trevon Diggs disrupted to set up DaRon Bland’s pick-six.
Dallas forced three fumbles, recovered twice, and went +3 on turnover margin. The performance set the tone for the season, but the Cowboys will have quite the challenge to replicate this kind of showing again.
Cowboys’ Mike McCarthy Reacts to Big Win
Entering Year 4 under Mike McCarthy, Dallas was still searching for its first victory in a season opener. The one-time Super Bowl-winning head coach finally got that win, and it arrived in his first game in charge of offensive play-calling.
But McCarthy knows that an opening win doesn’t change much in terms of the work the Cowboys still have to do to achieve their postseason goals. Speaking to the press after the game, McCarthy stressed a need for focus and consistency.
“It’s one game,” McCarthy explained. “We’re excited. We feel good about the way we played tonight. I think we’re still evolving. We know where we want to go. I feel like we are fully capable and have an understanding of how to get there. But it’s a long journey.”
Between the Jets, San Francisco 49ers and Los Angeles Chargers, the Cowboys have three more high-powered offenses to test their mettle before the team’s BYE in Week 7.