FRISCO, Texas — Aaron Rodgers isn't running out of the tunnel at AT&T Stadium on Sunday when the New York Jets come to town, a letdown orchestrated by a torn Achilles he suffered after only four snaps against the Buffalo Bills. Micah Parsons and the Dallas Cowboys are focused on trying to make life hard on Zach Wilson, however.
There is a bit of disappointment that exists from Parsons though, but only because he knows what it would've meant to hand Rodgers a loss in Dallas.
" I really did want to play Aaron," said the two-time First-Team All-Pro. "I know how great he is and I loved the matchup last year. It left a bitter taste and people always talk about how Rodgers dominates Dallas when he plays in Dallas. It would've been nice to break that curse, but I hope he gets healthy and I hope he comes back next year."
Don't take that as any sort of plan by the defense to turn down this week against Wilson, because it's simply not the case. If anything, their biggest takeaway from the Bills' loss on Monday night was that every team has the ability to topple you — if you allow it.
"Honestly if you watched the game, I don't expect anything different," Parsons said. "They got two great [running]backs. They got [Garrett] Wilson, who's a great receiver. And I don't think Zach's bad, either.
"I think he's still learning, still developing. They say it's his team, so I got to go look at the tape of last year and get a good gist of how he feels in the pocket and what he likes to do."
It's a matchup that will challenge both offenses, to say the very least, as the Jets boast a defense that is hot off a four-takeaway performance against Josh Allen, while the Cowboys have continually proven themselves the best takeaway and pass rush team in the league.
Just ask Daniel Jones, who Dak Prescott admits he "felt sorry for" on Sunday evening — sacked a total of seven times and hit on 12 different occasions.
"You know, it's always fun, because in reality they really do have a great defense and you look in terms of who they have, they have a very similar team and a very similar situation," said Parsons of the New York defensive front and backfield. "I don't knock their defense. I even talk to [Cooper Rush] and Dak like, 'Man you got your hands full. I know this type of team is a really good defense.'
"You love it because now it's a battle of the defense, and usually people are like, 'Who's going to score the most.' Nah, [it's about] who's going to keep the least amount of points. And those are the types of games we love."
In a back-alley brawl, Prescott has a far better chance of figuring out their Jets defense than Wilson has of getting the best of the one the Cowboys will put on the field in Week 2, but that doesn't mean it'll be a cakewalk.
As a matter of fact, it'll be anything but, because the Cowboys have no intentions on letting the Jets succeed in their attempted invasion of AT&T Stadium.
