Dallas Cowboys linebacker Micah Parsons is arguably the top defensive player in the NFL. While Myles Garrett, T.J. Watt and Aaron Donald can also claim they are the best, there’s no doubting Parsons’ impact on opposing offenses.
Parsons is the type of player that keeps offensive coordinators up every night on game week. This is a short week, with the Cowboys hosting the Washington Commanders on Thanksgiving Day. That means Parsons is Washington offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy’s problem this week.
The bad news for the Commanders is they’ve had trouble protecting quarterback Sam Howell. And coming off an ugly 31-19 loss to the New York Giants, no one is giving Washington a chance on Thursday.
Don’t tell that to Parsons.
“You turn on the tape, and they’ve been close to beating the Eagles — it could’ve gone either way,” Parsons said via Patrik Walker of DallasCowboys.com. “The Giants game, I don’t really count that because of the amount of turnovers. The Seahawks game went down to the wire. They remind me a lot of the Chargers.”
Some would say this is Parsons just saying what he’s supposed to, but he understands how dangerous Washington can be. The Commanders dominated the Cowboys in Week 18 in January, but that game is the last thing on his mind.
“That’s last year’s stuff,” Parsons said. “This is a really good team.”
It’s interesting that Parsons says Washington reminds him of the Chargers. Like the Commanders, the Chargers are another team that finds ways to lose. It’s no secret that Commanders coach Ron Rivera and Chargers coach Brandon Staley are both on the hot seat.
Parsons believes with a bit of luck, the Commanders could have a much better record.
“They’re a really good team, but the ball doesn’t roll to their side sometimes,” he said. “This is a team that could and should be on a positive track. It’s a team we need to take very, very seriously, and that’s enough motivation.”
Parsons is having another outstanding season. He currently has 10 sacks with seven games remaining. He’s on pace to shatter his career-high of 13.5 set last season.
The Commanders will have their hands full.
