Synergy between Micah Parsons, Cowboys’ pass rushers is powering defense on wild tear

FRISCO – The Cowboys’ defense is on a tear.

This unit leads the NFL in sacks (13) and is second in quarterback pressures (42) and creating negative plays (24).

Over the last two games, the Cowboys compiled 11 sacks including a season-high six against the Bengals in Week 2.

Cornerback Trevon Diggs is tied for the NFL lead with six pass breakups, and do-everything linebacker Micah Parsons has four sacks through three weeks of the season, good for second in the NFL. Parsons’ expectations are so high at The Star, his teammates teased him for not getting a sack in the Week 3 victory over the Giants.

“I am definitely trying to get back in the sack column,” Parsons said Thursday. “I have been made fun of all week.”

On Sunday, old friend quarterback Carson Wentz and the Washington Commanders visit AT&T Stadium. Last week, Wentz was sacked nine times in a 24-8 loss to the Eagles. He was hit by 12 different Eagles defenders. After three games, Washington is tied with Cincinnati for the most sacks allowed (15) in the NFL.

Sunday afternoon’s game has the makings of a blind date going badly.

Parsons, however, cautions about the potential for another disastrous day for Wentz.

“I try not to look at that,” Parsons said of the nine sacks the Commanders allowed. “I truly just don’t believe [it]. This is the NFL, people don’t tend to make the same mistakes. If you’re [a] really good player, tackle whatever position you are on the field, the name of the game is execution. You’ve got to execute regardless. [The] Eagles just executed at a really high level.”

Success for the Cowboys in 2022 is with their pass rush off the edge. Defensive ends DeMarcus Lawrence, Dante Fowler and Dorance Armstrong have combined for seven sacks. Lawrence tied a career-high with three against the Giants. Parsons, meanwhile, is positioned as a standup defensive end. He also plays inside linebacker. He also is an outside linebacker. He’s also just everything.

Naming what position he plays can be a herculean task considering his dominance. Even when he’s not sacking the quarterback, it opens the door for others to get single coverage because he draws double-teams.

“It’s teamwork,” defensive tackle Osa Odighizuwa said. “You won the rush, and I did what I needed to do [in the interior] and at the end of the day, the guy who won the rush is the one getting the sack. The one who wanted it the fastest. You’ve got to be really, really fast to beat Micah to the quarterback.”

Defensive coordinator Dan Quinn continues to let the corners play tight on receivers at times because he knows the pass rush is so disruptive in the pocket.

It forces quarterbacks to hurry passes or just scramble more in trying to bide some time. Wentz said he needed to dump passes off more quickly while under duress against the Eagles or move faster out the pocket. The Giants’ quarterback, Daniel Jones, did similar things, in terms of scrambling out of the pocket when things broke down in Week 3.

Quinn will move defenders around, such as Lawrence, who is playing more inside at defensive tackle with Parsons coming off the edge. Quinn will also let inside linebacker Anthony Barr blitz, and last week against the Giants, safety Donovan Wilson registered a sack off a blitz.

It’s this type of synergy that’s helped the Cowboys defense hold all three opponents to 19 points or fewer in the first three weeks. The last time that happened was 1974.

“We know what we’re up against,” Wentz said. “I have nothing but confidence in our guys to protect and the things that we’ll do to counteract that and [other] different things.”

Will shorter, quicker throws work?

Can Wentz get out of the pocket faster?

Is the Cowboys defense just unstoppable right now?

“We’ve been relentless,” Parsons said. “We understand the play style. We understand how to play off each other. This is the second year in and we’re not making first-year mistakes anymore, and we’ve been prepared since camp to have the best defense.”

Here is where the Cowboys stand among the NFL’s defensive stat leaders:

Sacks

Pass breakups

Fewest passing yards allowed

Quarterback pressures

Team sacks leaders

Source; Pro Football Reference

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