ARLINGTON, Texas — The final score won't tell the whole story about the Dallas Cowboys' defensive effort, at least not this week it won't. For while the Philadelphia Eagles eventually figured things out and went on to grab a convincing 34-6 victory at AT&T Stadium, Micah Parsons and the defense got off to the best start of their 2024 season — by a moon mile.
It marked Parsons' first outing since he suffered a high ankle sprain in September, but he played as if he hadn't missed a single snap this season.
"Honestly, it felt great [to be out there]," said the All-Pro pass rusher. "I felt the energy on the sidelines was different. Being back with the guys was different, and you could tell the guys felt the energy that I was bringing. I just wanted to bring some juice to the team and I felt, for the most part, the defense played a pretty good game."
Parsons joined DeMarvion Overshown, the latter going on to have a career day that has the former reconsidering his defensive role, in punishing quarterback Jalen Hurts time and again, the two combining for four sacks, several pressures and a fumble recovery in the first half alone.
The challenge, this week, existed within the offense's continued inability to score touchdowns, and particularly following defensive takeaways and critical sacks that, prior to Week 10, were a figment of the Cowboys' imagination in 2024.
But, as has often been the case for the Cowboys this season, the third quarter got away from them, aided by the Eagles increasing their time of possession as the game wore on.
"Overall, I'm happy for these defensive guys, how they played," said Parsons. "Obviously, you want some plays back, a couple of those penalties cost us, but I'm happy with the direction where we're going."
The problem is that, sitting at 3-6 on the season and with only eight regular season games remaining, the Cowboys are truly up against the wall as they try to keep their losing streak at AT&T Stadium from stretching to six consecutive games when CJ Stroud and the Houston Texans march into Arlington for Monday Night Football.
It's the first time Parsons has been tied to such a record at the NFL level, his first three seasons in Dallas having produced a total of 36 wins to only 15 losses.
That said, what is the message in the locker room — sitting three games below .500?
"We had a great message in chapel this week: You've gotta be the light. Even when the other side — the offense's light— isn't shining as bright as in the past … we've gotta be the offense's light this time."
To Parsons, that means the defense will need to figure out a way to take their play from the first two quarters against the Eagles and spread it over each and every single quarter of football from here on out, given the context of a situation that includes quarterback Dak Prescott likely being done for the season with a severe hamstring injury.
There's currently little else to tie any hope to, as Cooper Rush and the offense moved in the wrong direction against the Eagles.
"Hey, like I said, be the light," said Parsons. "You can't let it get to you. Understand that our quarterback is out, things ain't always going to be how you expect it, and we kind of just gotta be the light; and I just gotta be on the sideline bringing the guys back up [emotionally]. It's hard, but we've gotta do our job.
"... It's one of [those] years. It's challenging but we got to be the light for everybody."
