Bengals, NFL are finding out fast, Dallas Cowboys LB Micah Parsons ‘is a real problem’

In case you didn’t know by now, 2021 was not fluke for Dallas Cowboys linebacker Micah Parsons.

Parsons, who won NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year Honors and finished second in NFL Defensive Player of the Year voting last season, is who we thought he was.

And through two games in 2022, he is seemingly on his way to being what he wants to be: the best player in the NFL.

What we know right now is that Parsons is a problem for opposing offenses.

After watching Parsons wreck the Bengals’ offense in Sunday’s 20-17 victory by the Dallas Cowboys, Cincinnati coach Zac Taylor is not only a witness but a true believer.

Parsons has two of Cowboys’ six sacks and recorded 10 of the Cowboys’ 16 quarterback pressures on Bengals star Joe Burrow.

“Micah Parsons is going to be in the conversation for one of the best, if not the best, pass rushers,” Taylor said. “Just the way they can move him around, the way he can take advantage and bend. He’s a real problem.”

He was a big problem for Bengals right tackle La’el Collins, who was bullied, spinned, turned and run by through the game by Parsons.

“He’s just a hell of a player,” Collins said. “That’s what it is.”

And right now, no defender is playing better to start the season and no pass rusher has ever had a better start to his career.

Parsons leads the NFL with four sacks in two games, which projects to an NFL-record shattering 34 on the season.

The current mark of 22.5 is shared by Hall of Famer Michael Strahan and Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker T.J. Watt.

There is too much season left to predict if he will keep up his current pace.

But if history is a teacher, Parsons does well at keeping pace.

With 17 sacks in 18 games since joining the Cowboys, Parsons is already an all-time great. Since sacks became an official stat in 1982, Aldon Smith had the previous record for most sacks (16.5) in the first 18 games of a career.

Parsons’ four sacks in two games are tied for the second most in Cowboys history through two games with DeMarcus Ware and DeMarcus Lawrence. Charles Haley had 5.5 through the first two games in 1994.

Lawrence said Parsons is just getting started.

“He’s just being deliberate in his job,” Lawrence said. “Micah is a great pass-rusher, being able to get off the ball. Taking advantage of his opportunities is all we ask for. So Micah, keep going! Don’t stop!”

Parsons has simply been unstoppable so far.

Asked if Parsons was already making a name for himself as the best player in the league, Cowboys vice president Stephen Jones deferred to his linebacker.

“His performances are speaking for himself right now,” Jones said. “He is doing an outstanding job. He is one of those players in the league when they break the huddle they are looking to see where No. 11 is.”

Against the Bengals, Parsons not only made it happen for himself but he set up his teammates for sacks. Defensive end Dorance Amstrong had two, defensive end Dante Dante Fowler had a strip sack and linebacker Leighton Vander Esch had a sack.

He was double- and even triple-teamed against the Bengals. He knows opponents will continue to tailor their game plan blocking schemes to contain him.

“That feels just as good. It’s all a team in here,” Parsons said. “One lion can’t do it by himself. You need a pride. It’s just like when 10 hyenas go after one lion, the lion is liable to lose. The fact that I’ve got 10 other guys other that I feel that I can rely on, that’s what makes this boat go round. That was cool for Leighton because I knew exactly we were going to set it up. We drew it up knowing they were going to crash in on me. That’s just mastering the game plan. That’s just how to feed off each other. That’s what teamwork is.”

Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy said it’s something Parsons is going to have to get used to because he has everyone’s attention now.

“Trust me, when they play the Dallas Cowboys he’s probably the first one they’re talking about in their offensive room,” McCarthy said. “So they have video, he has attention, he has a spotlight on him. It’s brighter than ever. That’s all part of being successful in this league. Once people have video on you they have different ways to try to create phone booth situations because of your ability to rush, it’s a whole different level of exposure that he needs to keep working at. Because at the end of the day he’s so disruptive. They’re not just gonna let him run free.”

Parsons played primarily rush end against the Bengals. But as good as he is at end, the Cowboys prefer to keep him moving him around to keep the offense guessing, while also still allowing him to do what he does best at linebacker.

“I think he’s a perfect example, the definition of an elite player,” McCarthy said. “Elite players make everyone around them better, both on and off the field. I think you’re seeing him grow in more ways than one. But yes, he gets a lot of attention, whether sliding the line to him. The philosophy of how to utilize Micah hasn’t changed. We have to continue to create targeting challenges for the offense. Both his ability to play on and off the line of scrimmage is a huge asset for us and also, clearly gives us the opportunity to create match ups from different ways, different challenges. At the end of the day, we’re just continuing to try to create opportunities for him. We won’t change our approach.”