It appears the banged up San Francisco 49ers are going to avoid facing Dallas Cowboys superstar edge rusher Micah Parsons when the two teams face off Sunday night.
Parsons was a non-participant Wednesday and Thursday for the Cowboys, and ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported the three-time All-Pro is unlikely to recover from his ankle injury in time to play Sunday night.
This is a significant deal for a 49ers offensive line that has struggled at times this season. It’s also helpful for quarterback Brock Purdy who has generated some pressures of his own by holding onto the football too long.
Without Parsons, Dallas may have to resort to more blitzing to generate pass rush which is something Purdy and the 49ers’ offense should be able to take advantage of.
Parsons had 21 pressures and only 1.0 sacks in four games before his injury. He had 40.5 in the three seasons prior to this one, including a career-high 14.0 last season.
Without Parsons and edge rusher DeMarcus Lawrence, who is on IR with a foot injury, the Cowboys have relied on a rotating cast of pass rushers to provide pressure.
Interior lineman Osa Odighizuwa has 17 pressures to lead the non-Parsons and Lawrence Cowboys. Odighizuwa, edge rusher Chauncey Golston and linebacker Eric Kendricks all have two sacks each per Pro Football Focus.
With the 49ers dealing with a host of their own injuries on offense, they’ll take the reprieve of missing Dallas’s top edge rushers in Week 8.
