Micah Parsons has experienced winning throughout his football career, both with the Dallas Cowboys and at Penn State, and he entered his fourth NFL season with optimism. Despite last year’s demoralizing playoff defeat at home to Green Bay, the standout edge rusher anticipated a fresh start and a chance to compete again.
However, the season took a surprising turn as the Cowboys suffered disappointing defeats against New Orleans and Detroit during the early weeks when the roster was mostly intact. The challenges intensified when Parsons and fellow pass rusher DeMarcus Lawrence sustained injuries, compounded by quarterback Dak Prescott also going down.
The grim reality of a losing record became apparent after a staggering 41-7 loss to Philadelphia, the NFC East champions. With a current record of 7-9, the Cowboys are set to conclude their season at home facing off against Washington, another playoff contender coached by Dan Quinn. Quinn, previously the Dallas defensive coordinator, had a significant influence on Parsons’ development into one of the league’s premier defenders.
Reflecting on the disappointing season, Parsons expressed his discontent, stating, “Definitely not what I envisioned, definitely not what I hoped for.” He acknowledged missing four games due to a high ankle sprain, while Lawrence never recovered from his own injury sustained earlier in the season. Parsons believed they would run it back with a similar team, but noted the struggles of other fully healthy teams, turning this into motivation for the next season.
Amidst these challenges, questions surrounding head coach Mike McCarthy’s future have arisen, particularly following the Cowboys’ loss earlier in the year. As speculation grows around his expiring contract, Stephen Jones, the executive vice president of personnel, indicated that discussions about McCarthy’s status would only be held after the upcoming match against the Commanders.
Defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer’s future is also uncertain, having come in on a one-year contract following the departure of Quinn. The Cowboys’ defense, which struggled to adapt to Zimmer’s approach early on, showed improvement as the season unfolded, with Parsons praising Zimmer for his previous contributions to the Dallas staff.
McCarthy has managed to avoid questions regarding his future throughout the season and seems set to continue doing so this week. “I mean, that’s in eight days, you know,” he stated about reflecting on having just five losing seasons in 18 years between Dallas and Green Bay, where he won a Super Bowl in 2010. “I’m here to finish the race. That’s my mindset and that’s the team’s mindset.”
This season marks the end of a three-year stretch of 12-5 playoff campaigns for the Cowboys, a rare losing season for the franchise. Since enduring three consecutive losing seasons from 2000 to 2002 under coach Dave Campo, this represents the Cowboys’ fifth year with a losing record.
One pressing issue is the depth in the secondary, which has been exposed due to late-season injuries. This will require attention during the offseason to rebuild the unit.
On a positive note, Rico Dowdle has made history as the first undrafted running back in the team’s history to surpass 1,000 rushing yards, finishing with 1,007 after a 104-yard game against the Eagles. He has recorded his first four 100-yard games in the last five weeks of the season.
Conversely, Cooper Rush, who served as Prescott’s replacement, appears to be struggling against Philadelphia, with an overall record of 9-5 when filling in for Prescott but 0-3 against the Eagles. Half of his interceptions have come in games against Philadelphia, all occurring during road games.
The offensive line faces uncertainty as well, particularly with T.J. Bass, who has been sidelined with a thigh injury for the last two games. Bass serves as a backup guard, with rookie center Cooper Beebe and right guard Brock Hoffman being the mainstays in the lineup.
A notable statistic for Parsons this season is his sack count, which stands at 9.5. This is a departure from his first three seasons, during which he recorded at least ten sacks each year.
Looking ahead, even with a loss in their final game, the Cowboys are unlikely to secure a top-10 pick in the upcoming draft. It seems more probable that they will land somewhere in the teens, slightly lower than where they were when selecting Parsons in 2021 and slightly higher than when CeeDee Lamb was chosen in 2020.
