For all the players who made a difference in Sunday's upset win over the Bengals, none seemed to have a bigger impact that Micah Parsons.
The linebacker/edge rusher lined up all over the field to harass Joe Burrow and the Bengals for most of the game, recording two sacks and several quarterback hits and pressures.
The only thing that did slow down Parsons was a couple of minor injuries in the fourth quarter. But it didn't take him completely out of the game and likely won't affect him for next Monday's game with the Giants.
After two games this year, Parsons leads the NFL with four sacks – recording two each against the Bucs and Bengals.
Parsons is also tied for first in three other categories with seven quarterback hits, 13 QB pressures and four tackles for loss.
On Tuesday, Cowboys owner/GM Jerry Jones was asked about Parsons' dominant play and if he's still surprised they were able to land him with the No. 12 pick in last year's draft.
Jones said Parsons has a rare quality that drives him inside, that can't always been seen.
"I want all of our fans to know how hard he works at it and how intense he is," Jones said on 105.3 The Fan. "He is inordinate in his intensity. You can't always get a finger on that when you evaluate a player."
Jones added that that internal drive, coupled with freakish athletic ability, is what sets him apart from the rest.
"So, those combination of things in this game, which is Pressure Player City, if you can be a pressure player in this game of NFL football, you can do some damage and he is that."
Parsons has the most sacks in NFL history among players in their first 18 games.
Jones isn't ready to put him in the same category as Charles Haley or DeMarcus Ware, but two games into his second seasons, Parsons is at least in the conversation already.
- With 2.0 sacks, Parsons (17.0) passed Aldon Smith (16.5) for the most sacks through 18 career games since the stat be- came available in 1982.
IS MICAH PARSONS THE BEST PASS RUSHER YOU HAVE SEEN IN YOUR TIME HERE? – "Well, let's don't do comparisons if you will. Let's don't do that to him because we've seen the best. Frankly I thought we had one of the best ever in Charles Haley, and not to leave out DeMarcus Ware, who are there in those kinds of conversations. So, those are guys we've seen. Again, a little reluctant to make comparisons here, but I think when you look down the road and you look at how our coaching is utilizing his — just him, if you will. What we've done is we've complemented him. We brought in [Anthony] Barr. Well, Barr is a true complement to him and an outstanding player at pressure player in my mind. When we brought in Barr to add numbers to our opposing offenses to the problem for them, which is dealing with numbers of pressure players out there. And, so, that's what you get into. I thought it was a real notable thing when their quarterback for Cincinnati said that's one of the best defensive fronts we'll face as far as the pressure goes. I think we can look forward to getting better, and I don't think that's optimism. I've been accused lately of being too optimistic, but I do think we got reason to be optimistic here with our pass rush."
