When Pro Football Focus tweeted out this Micah Parsons first quarter sack on Jets’ quarterback Zach Wilson and calling the third year Cowboys linebacker “unfair,” I doubt that they could foresee it as just the beginning of one of the most lopsided, dominant, individual defensive performances in NFL history to come.
Personally, what I think is unfair is that Wilson’s coaches didn’t prepare properly for the one-man wrecking crew that Parsons has become.
The former Penn State star is just two games into his third NFL season and already the comparisons to Giant Hall of Fame linebacker Lawrence Taylor are coming fast and furiously.
Taylor is widely regarded as the consensus most dominant defensive player the NFL has ever seen so maybe it is unfair to compare Dallas’ Mike Linebacker to L.T. this early in his career.
But, Parsons had a Taylor-like performance Sunday against the Jets.
Special stuff from a special player 💪 @MicahhParsons11
📺: #NYJvsDAL on CBS⁰📱: Stream on #NFLPlus https://t.co/FhXtx7w3wW pic.twitter.com/dgEWD84dqT
— NFL (@NFL) September 17, 2023
There are a handful of other individual Hall of Fame performers who were human game-changers on the defensive side of the ball. Reggie White, Dick Butkus, Ray Lewis and Ed Reed, to name a few.
These guys were so dangerous that you had to know where they were at all times during and after your pre-snap reads if you were the quarterback.
Tom Brady, the greatest quarterback of all time, used to draw a big number 20 on his wristband to remind him to identify where Ravens safety Ed Reed was on the field so he could adjust his reads and throws accordingly.
I guess Parsons hadn’t done enough to impact opposing offensive game plans prior to today to make him a mandatory part of an install’s pre-snap progressions and designated double-team assignment schedule.
And that is unfortunate because Parsons put together his most dominant, all-around performance Sunday afternoon against the Aaron Rodgers-less New York Jets in front of the home crowd while putting the nation and the league on notice.
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Inside Micah Parsons’ Game-Wrecking Performance
Parsons finished the day with two sacks, three quarterback pressures, a forced fumble on Jets’ running back Dalvin Cook, a fumble recovery, four solo tackles and three tackles for loss.
Additionally, Parsons also caused two “forced interceptions”, a new stat that I’m adding to his game sheet.
Just Parsons’ mere presence and constant relentless pursuit of Wilson caused the third year QB to make a couple of ill-advised hurried throws that resulted in a pair of Cowboy interceptions.
Sunday marked Parsons’ 10th career multi-sack game, making him the sixth player since sacks became an officially tracked statistic in 1982, with 10 or more such games in their first three seasons.
Parsons and the Boys beat the Jets 30-10 and move to 2-0 on the year, putting them in a three-way tie for the top spot in the NFC East with the Philadelphia Eagles and Washington Commanders.
So far, Dallas has outscored their opponents 70-10 through the first two games this season. The Boys visit the Birds at the Linc on November 5th. Kick-off is set for 4:25
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It was at PRISM where Staszak produced live games and began his career as an on-air reporter.
After a couple of brief stints with CBS-3, WB-17 and WGAL-8 in Lancaster, PA, Staszak began a 12 year stretch at FOX 29 where he became the lead sportscaster in 2007. It was there that Staszak found himself in the middle of Philadelphia Phillies World Series Championship coverage that earned him an Emmy nomination for best sports reporter in 2008.It was one of five Emmy nominations that Staszak earned over the course of his career.
All told Staszak covered three World Series, two Stanley Cup Finals, an NBA Finals and one Super Bowl during his television run.
Staszak left the TV business for 97.5 The Fanatic in 2013, where he enjoyed eight years bloviating his beliefs on how a professional football team should be run.In 2018 when he fortunate enough to be the first sports talk host in the city, along with cohort Zach Gelb, to provide post-game coverage of the first Super Bowl Championship for the city’s beloved Philadelphia Eagles.
Staszak was also a writer for 97.5 The Fanatic along with 4 Philly Sports and now covers Penn State athletics for NittanyCentral.com.
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