Cowboys: Micah Parsons chases obscure but important NFL record
Dallas Cowboys superstar Micah Parsons is playing his best football yet and that's saying a lot for somebody who drew comparisons to the legendary Lawrence Taylor during his rookie NFL season. Yet, it's true. Through 11 weeks, no team has been able to slow him down. Double-teams, triple-teams, and moving the pocket away from him […]
Dallas Cowboys superstar Micah Parsons is playing his best football yet and that's saying a lot for somebody who drew comparisons to the legendary Lawrence Taylor during his rookie NFL season.
Yet, it's true.
Through 11 weeks, no team has been able to slow him down. Double-teams, triple-teams, and moving the pocket away from him have the slightest effect on his production at the end of each game. Against the Carolina Panthers, he blasted through three blockers to pressure QB Bryce Young. Not even side effects from a workout supplement have stopped him.
Parsons is second in total pressures per PFF. According to ESPN, he's achieved that mark despite the second-highest double-team rate among edge rushers.
According to Seth Walder, Parsons is chasing league history in an obscure but very important stat: Pass rush win rate. As of right now, his rate stands at 34.6%, with the record being 33.7%.
While this is not a number you'll hear about on TV broadcasts or national media (it certainly isn't Joe DiMaggio's 56-game hitting streak or Aaron Judge's pursuit of homer No. 62, or for a Cowboys football reference, not even near Trevon Diggs' 11-interception chase), it speaks volumes about Parsons' caliber of play.
Although it's only been around since 2017, it's become one of the most important metrics to measure pass rushers' effectiveness.
According to ESPN, the rate represents "how often a pass-rusher is able to beat his block within 2.5 seconds."
Even during losses, Parsons has made an undeniable impact on the playing field. For the third straight year, Micah is chasing the Defensive Player of the Year award with his main rival being Myles Garrett, the odds-on favorite 11 weeks into the season.
To win the award, pass rush win rate won't make the difference, however. What we do know is voters love sacks, and Parsons trails Garrett 13-10. As we were reminded of with Parsons' 2.5-sack performance in Week 11, it's a race that can change leaders at any given moment.
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