Cowboys: Micah Parsons makes good on his postseason proclamation
Before the Dallas Cowboys took on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the first round of the playoffs, linebacker Micah Parsons made this profound statement. “Honestly, I feel like as far as we go, these are going to be my best games,” said Parsons last Thursday. “That’s just because I want it. Regular season is cool. […]
Before the Dallas Cowboys took on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the first round of the playoffs, linebacker Micah Parsons made this profound statement.
“Honestly, I feel like as far as we go, these are going to be my best games,” said Parsons last Thursday. “That’s just because I want it. Regular season is cool. You guys get all hyped up. But this is where legends are made.”
On Monday night, it was time to put or shut up, and Parsons delivered like a pizza boy.
The two-time first-team All-Pro was all over the field like a lion roaming the Serengeti in Tanzania. Parsons recorded three tackles (two for loss), a sack, two pass breakups, two quarterback hits, and nine pressures.
Facing Tom Brady in the playoffs is the ultimate challenge for any defense, regardless of how good his team is or isn't, the postseason is a different animal. Parsons spoke after the Cowboys' victory about the pressure they applied to Brady.
“Everybody kind of knows you have to get to the quarterback someway, somehow," said Parsons. "My job had to go to the extra step, and going back-and-forth, blitzing on the ball, off the ball, giving him different looks. Understanding that they were sliding and chipping, trying to create short edges. We got creative today. Shoutout to ‘DQ’ (Dan Quinn). He executed his part too.”
Brady ended with 351 yards for the game. However, considering how the Cowboys dominated the contest, they were mostly ineffective. The Cowboys' defense tallied 12 pass breakups and forced Brady to barely complete over 50% of his passes (35 for 66).
Parsons went on to talk about how the game plan for the Cowboys defensively worked like a charm.
“Take away the deep shots they got – we made them earn it every time. I think that’s the key. We made the adjustments, did what we had to do. [We] said they couldn’t beat us deep, we executed our gameplan for the most part.”
After the Cowboys laid a few eggs at the end of the regular season on defense, it was important to get back in the groove in the playoffs. Although it's just one game, Parsons and company are off to a great start and are looking more like the Cowboys' defense everybody is accustomed to.
Feature image via Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports
