Cowboys owner Jerry Jones joined Shan and RJ on 105.3 The Fan [KRLD-FM] to discuss Micah Parsons’ dominance through the first four games of the regular season and his comparisons to Rams’ defensive tackle Aaron Donald.
Here are some highlights, edited for clarity:
The Cowboys’ defense right now is...
Jerry Jones: “Well, I think you can count on us. I think when [Mike McCarthy] makes a call out there, he can rely on his defense. That makes him more aggressive on offense. That makes him be able to do some things on third down that you might not have done. Boy, is that a great asset to have when you’re trying to -- you only get so many possessions during a halftime or so many possessions during a game. When you have a defense like we have at your back, that lets you get a little more aggressive.
“I think that unquestionably we’re benefitting from that.”
How is Micah Parsons’ health?
Jones: “Good, as good as you want it to be. Period. And I’m not defensive about it, it’s just good. He’s young, in good shape and he’s getting a lot of reps. He’s amazing really when you think of him after a ballgame, the kind of energy he’s expended out there, the number of plays and the intensity that he plays with on every play. It’s amazing and his health is one of the amazing things.”
Have they keyed on him differently the past few weeks?
Jones: “Always. Always. I’m not so sure you can use the word ‘differently’, but are they keying on him? As much as any defensive player that’s ever been on the field.”
Is Parsons’ aspiration to be in the Donald discussion or his goal to be even better a crazy thought?
Jones: “Well, he’s got as much of it internally, makeup, whatever term you want to use. He’s got as much football makeup as anybody I’ve ever been around and he’s got the talent to back it up. He’s getting it right before your eyes. He’s getting so much repetition in doing it the right way.
“He’s getting under fire so to speak. You’re seeing it right before your eyes how he’s getting better.”
What were your thoughts on checking out the Rams against the 49ers?
Jones: “I watched the replays, I watched the game later. I had some work to do during the game for the most part, but still. I watched the plays later.
“Of course, both of those are the teams. I thought last year we had a chance and could compete against those teams. We didn’t get it done against San Francisco last year. I hope we get a chance to put this team up against them when it really counts in the playoffs. But those are two teams that you should watch, you should have your eye on because somehow we got to get by them to get where we want to go.”
Listen to the full interview here.
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