FRISCO — Micah Parsons hasn’t played a game since late September.
He didn’t practice Wednesday and it’s unlikely he’ll work his way back in time for this weekend’s game in Atlanta.
The Cowboys’ defense has been without one of the most disruptive defensive forces in the sport for more than five weeks. It seems simplistic to ask how much he’s been missed. So let’s go about it this way:
How does the absence of Parsons handcuff the game Mike Zimmer can call defensively?
“Well, I mean it’s available, it’s just probably not going to be as dynamic as we anticipate going in,’’ the Cowboys defensive coordinator said. “We try to do more scheme things, try to get a fifth rusher.’’
And that creates other issues.
This is the defensive bind the Cowboys find themselves in these days. Rush a fifth player to get the pressure they’ve been unable to generate with the front four, and it creates vulnerabilities.
The crossing patterns receivers are feasting on week after week are an example.
Fail to get consistent pressure on the quarterback, and the odds of forcing turnovers decrease. A Dallas defense that led the NFL in turnovers forced for two consecutive seasons has just five at this stage of the season to rank in the bottom quarter of the league.
“You go back and talk about turnovers and things like that, well, a lot of those things come from pressure on the quarterback,’’ Zimmer said. “We haven’t been getting much of those.
“Hits on the quarterback is typically what gets you turnovers. Sometimes, tipped balls. We haven’t been getting very many of those, either.’’
Stopping the run was the primary weakness the defense needed to address coming out of last season. But the absence of Parsons has created a chain reaction in the pass rush.
It’s not just him. The team’s top four defensive ends — Parsons, DeMarcus Lawrence, Sam Williams and Marshawn Kneeland — are all out at the moment. Kneeland was in college last season, but the other three combined for 22½ sacks and 155 quarterback pressures in 2023.
That’s what the Dallas defense is missing. And that doesn’t even account for the 14½ sacks and 59 quarterback pressures the club let walk out the door in free agency between Dorance Armstrong, Dante Fowler Jr. and Johnathan Hankins.
“It’s rough,’’ Zimmer said. “We’ve lost a lot of pass rushers.
“We have to kinda manufacture. It’s a fine combination of pressure and playing zone defense and man-to-man and rushing four.’’
Lawrence leads the Cowboys in sacks with three even though he hasn’t played since Week Four. That was the last game for Parsons as well, and his 21 quarterback pressures still easily lead the way.
Defensive end Chauncey Golston and linebacker DeMarvion Overshown have two sacks each to lead the rushers who will take the field against the Falcons.
That figure ties both players for No. 80 in the league.
“They All-Pros, man, they’re really good at what they do,’’ cornerback Jourdan Lewis said of Parsons and Lawrence. “They’re really disruptive. We got to find ways to supplement that and get out there and rush the passer and stop the run.
“We got to go out there and do our jobs, regardless of who is out there. We got to put a good defense out there.’’
Atlanta’s Kirk Cousins isn’t nearly as mobile as San Francisco’s Brock Purdy, who avoided the minimal rush the Cowboys had by rushing for 56 yards on Sunday night. But he’s completed 68.2% of his passes for the season and threw for 509 yards and four touchdowns in a win over Tampa Bay in Week Five.
Putting pressure on him is imperative.
“Well, if you can’t get it done with four, you do it with five,’’ coach Mike McCarthy said. “Then you go with simulated pressures and things like that.
“Just like anything, it’s difficult as a play-caller, offense or defense, when you do try to hit things and they don’t work.’’
It’s a lot more difficult with Parsons.
“He’s making gains each week,’’ McCarthy said. “He’s been in [rehab] every day. He’s just not ready to get into the practice format.
“But yeah, we’ve definitely missed him.’’
Catch David Moore and Robert Wilonsky as they co-host Intentional Grounding on The Ticket (KTCK-AM 1310 and 96.7 FM) every Wednesday from 7-8 p.m. through the Super Bowl.
X/Twitter: @DavidMooreDMN
Find more Cowboys coverage from The Dallas Morning News here.
