FRISCO - As the old saying goes - and it's a bit cliche - "defense wins championships.'' And to Dallas Cowboys pass-rushing linebacker Micah Parsons, the answer to all of "America's Team's'' woes are contained in those three "secret'' words.
With Dak Prescott out for the season with a hamstring injury, it is now Cooper Rush leading the way on offense, and after his exploits against the Philadelphia Eagles, in which he was benched for Trey Lance, Micah thinks he knows how to move forward.
Given the injuries and poor play on offense, Parsons wants the team - and owner Jerry Jones' front office, really - to channel their inner 2022 form in which they had one of the best defenses in football when Rush took over and keep teams to 20 points or under.
"Defense wins championships!! Build this defense while we got young superstar! We will win more games holding teams to 20 or less points then offensive shoot outs!! Facts!!" Micah posted on X.
Now, did Micah mean "superstars" on defense? We can only name a couple, including Parsons, potentially DaRon Bland, and Trevon Diggs, but none of the Cowboys' defensive starters have played like superstars in 2024. So, based on the production we've seen, leaning solely on that side of the ball seems like a plan that's lacking.
Given the current roster state, the Cowboys can't win offensive shootouts; that's common knowledge. So, the onus is on the defense to keep things tight and keep the score down. ... Which they did against the Eagles in the first half. They even managed a couple of takeaways, but the offense shot itself in the foot multiple times and couldn't capitalize on the good (temporary) work coordinator Mike Zimmer's defense had done.
We can see how Micah thinks defense'' does seem the way forward, though. Keep opposing offenses under 20 points, and the offense makes the most of their opportunities.
Unfortunately, neither has been a strong suit for Dallas in 2024, with Zimmer's defense not keeping a team under 20 points since Week 5 against the Pittsburgh Steelers. After that, the defense allowed at least 27 points in every game, while the offense didn't score more than 24.
But we're not talking about 2024, obviously; nobody around here is "winning championships'' this time around. No, this is about a future build. Parsons thinks he knows the way forward for this Cowboys team based on its current construction, and that's about using free agency and the NFL Draft to add to the talent on his side of the ball.
For now? Any sort of success based on Parsons' words requires this team to do something it has rarely done in 2024.
With a defense that can't stop teams from scoring and an offense that can't score, with the Houston Texans, Washington Commanders (twice), the Cincinnati Bengals, and the Eagles again on the schedule, it is tough to believe that Micah's defense can keep any of those offenses under 20 points.
But Parsons has belief, and in a season that already feels over, that's all the franchise has. ... until next year, when Jerry will obviously getting a lot of advice from his outspoken defensive superstar.
