Does Micah Parsons 'Decline Down the Stretch’? What’s Cowboys Fix?
Dallas Cowboys standout Micah Parsons has two All-Pro honors, two Pro Bowl invites and a Defensive Rookie of the Year award. … in only two seasons. He's already a star in the NFL, but there's a part of his game that speaks to a need for increased stamina. … or something.
According to SBNation, Parsons hit a plateau after Game 11 of last seasons, causing his his stats to go south. Is that accurate?
In the first 11 games of 2022, Parsons had 12 sacks, and nine games with four or more tackles and three forced fumbles. In the final six games of the year, he logged 1.5 sacks, with one game with four or more tackles and no forced fumbles.
"As great as Parsons has been, there is a worry that how he has been used has caused him to wear down as the season progresses," SBNation wrote. "From the moments we saw him gassed out and walking to the sideline to the numerous instances he showed up on the injury report, it was evident he was getting beat up."
We've got two issues here. One is stats; they do not lie. The other is "The Eye Test,'' and yes, there were times later in the 2022 season in which Micah seemed to be gassed.
We know what changed from Parsons rookie season to last season. It is well-documented that he was used on the defensive line for 738 snaps in 2022 compared to 374 snaps in 2021, nearly doubling the amount of time he spent running into and wrestling with 300-pounders on the opposing O-line.
"When Parsons played in less than 80% of the snaps, the Cowboys were 8-1 with the only loss coming in the meaningless finale game against Washington. But, when he played at least 90% of the snaps, the Cowboys were 1-3," SB Nation noted.
Parsons, who said he's tired of people punching him in the face, has taken up boxing this offseason to build energy this offseason. He's also working to add a bit of bulk to endure those wrestling matches and those collisions.
Maybe more moving him around will help; Parsons has expressed a desire to play "eight different positions" for the Cowboys this year. Maybe muscling up will help, too. But in the end, it's not about stats ... it's about availability. Parsons seems to get that.
"I'm kind of off the 'sack wave.' I'm onto the 'impact wave," Parsons said recently. "You see (Rams star) Aaron Donald. He can have 12 sacks, but the impact he makes is so dominant. You can tell. I really just want to be dominant.''
And for Micah to be at his most dominant? He needs to play at his best down the stretch.
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