Cowboys 'Dominate' as Micah Parsons Controls Giants Saquon Barkley
Stopping the run – going into Thanksgiving against the New York Giants and in general – was a definite concern for the Dallas Cowboys.
And facing one of the NFL’s best running backs in Saquon Barkley in a NFC East with playoff and OBJ implications, the stakes were higher.
The Cowboys (8-3) passed on all fronts, limiting both Barkley and the Giants in a 28-20 victory that could pay off huge in the short and long term.
“I thought we did a pretty good,” Cowboys linebacker Micah Parsons said about the effort against Barkley. “He might have had one, maybe two explosive runs. But, for the most part, contained him and made sure everything was short.
“They passed way more than we expected. I think we did a pretty good job for the way he’s been playing this year.”
And in general? “Definitely not a pretty first half,'' said Parsons. "But for the most part, we came out in that second half and dominated.”
Barkley came into the game averaging 95.3 yards rushing per game, but was limited to just 39 on 11 carries by the Cowboys with a long of just 10 yards. New York (7-4) was held to just 90 yards on the ground, more than 60 yards below its season average.
With the Cowboys holding a lead in the second half and controlling the clock, the Giants were taken out of their comfort zone. New York quarterback Daniel Jones threw 35 passes – the third most he’s attempted this season.
“Yeah, we had to come out and fight,” said Parsons, who had two sacks, giving him 12 for the year. “Definitely not a pretty first round. Definitely not the way you want to start but, for the most part we came out in that second half and dominated.”
The Cowboys have allowed only 163 yards rushing in the last two games after being gashed for 207 yards in the loss at Green Bay.
“We’re definitely going in the right direction,” said Jayron Kearse, who reportedly separated a shoulder but played through it. “When it comes to just being sound in our task and our fundamentals when it comes to our job. You definitely saw that, holding a phenomenal back like Saquon ...
"It’s a statement for the things to come if we continue to do the right thing.”
You can follow Art Garcia on Twitter @ArtGarcia92
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