It’s not always ‘better late than never’ when you are playing in a league like the NFL. The Dallas Cowboys fans learned it the hard way when their team delivered their season’s best performance against the Bucs in Week 16, but it came after they were already eliminated from playoff contention. Cowboys DE Micah Parsons, however, sees a lot of positive aspects of the victory.
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Following Dallas’ close 26-24 win against the Bucs, Micah brushed off the notion that good performances from the Cowboys don’t matter at this stage of the season. The veteran DE noted that a strong finish by him and his team could serve as a great character-building exercise.
Moreover, Parsons argued that should the Cowboys finish the season with the same intensity that they showed against the Bucs, they will carry the momentum to the next season.
“You need to go through things. Everything can’t be sunshine and rainbows. I’m looking to finish this year strong and prove to these guys that we can get over anything.”
Cowboys DE Micah Parsons said he “100 percent” believes if they finish strong that it can carry over into next season: “You need to go through things. Everything can’t be sunshine and rainbows. I’m looking to finish this year strong and prove to these guys that we can get over…
— Jon Machota (@jonmachota) December 23, 2024
Despite the season not going entirely smoothly, it’s good to see Micah finding value in the remaining games. This positive outlook was also reflected in his performance against Tampa Bay, where he rallied the defense, constantly pressuring Baker Mayfield & Co.
Parsons’ relentless efforts paid off too, as it helped him achieve his name in the NFL’s history books. Against Tampa Bay, Micah recorded his 50th career sack, making him the sixth player in NFL history to reach that milestone in the first four seasons.
While he was still far from Reggie White’s tally of 70 sacks, this remains an elite achievement by the Cowboys defensive stalwart.
With a sack tonight, Micah Parsons reached 50.0 career sacks, becoming the sixth NFL player since 1982 with at least 50.0 sacks in his first four seasons, joining Reggie White (70.0), Derrick Thomas (58.0), J.J. Watt (57.0), DeMarcus Ware (53.5) and Dwight Freeney (51.0).
— Dallas Cowboys Public Relations (@DallasCowboysPR) December 23, 2024
Parsons’ optimistic approach does have a lot of merit when one looks at the next two opponents the Cowboys will face — the Philadelphia Eagles and the Washington Commanders. If Micah Parsons & Co. manage to thwart two of their biggest divisional rivals this season, especially with the injury crisis they are in, the wins will definitely prove to be a massive moral booster.
Moreover, a pressure-free environment may help players like Trey Lance get a chance to start. The last two games can also be a playground for Coach McCarthy to experiment with new tactics for next season. Safe to say, there is definitely a lot to take from the last two seasons of the game. After all, it all depends on the mindset.
