Micah Parsons vs. Laremy Tunsil: Texans at Cowboys 'Best-on-Best' Matchup
ARLINGTON - The Houston Texans are not blessed with many weapons. But they have one in left tackle Laremy Tunsil, who today is tasked with slowing down one of the most gifted defensive players to enter the league since Hall of Famer Lawrence Taylor.
"I feel like Micah Parsons is a good player," Tunsil said as he prepped to play the Dallas Cowboys here at AT&T Stadium. "It should be a fun matchup, my first time seeing him. It will be a good test to see where I'm at. It will be a good matchup."
This is a best-vs.-best showdown, maybe one of the few areas where Houston - a 17-point underdog - has a chance to make its mark.
Tunsil is the highest-graded pass blocker in the NFL with a 91.2 mark and one sack, two quarterback hits, six pressures and nine total pressures allowed this season, according to Pro Football Focus.
Parsons is a special player. The 6-3, 245-pound All-Pro selection and former Butkus Award winner was a consensus All-American at Penn State. He has 25 career sacks, six forced fumbles and 136 tackles through two seasons. He's capable of lining up all over the front seven. He has 4.3 speed in the 40-yard dash.
On a 1-10-1 team heading into Sunday's road game against the Cowboys at AT&T Stadium, Tunsil is one of the few bright spots ... all setting up what could be a fascinating duel.
"It does start outside with Parsons, I think he’s as good as there is in the league wherever they put him," Texans coach Lovie Smith.
Parsons isn't the only dangerous defender on the Cowboys' talented defense. There's ballhawking cornerback Trevon Diggs to account for. And the Cowboys already have 48 sacks, led by Parsons, followed by eight sacks from Dorance Armstrong, six sacks from DeMarcus Lawrence and five sacks from Dante Fowler.
The Cowboys rank fifth in the NFL in total defense and are off to a 9-3 start.
"They do have a lot of guys," Tunsil said. "They have a good defense. They have a good team."
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