WATCH: Micah Parsons Head-On Collision vs. 49ers; Is Cowboys Rookie OK?
ARLINGTON - When it comes to running the football, few teams do it better than the San Francisco 49ers. Finding a way to stop the run game was going be one of the keys to victory for the Cowboys when the Niners stood across from them Sunday afternoon.
Their style has fed into a myth, that this game is "finesse vs. 'Bully Ball.''
“I’m from Harrisburg (Pa.), where the bullies get bullied,” said Dallas rookie Micah Parsons, a first-team All-Pro. “There’s a bully in every gym. There’s a bully everywhere you go. At some point, it takes someone to stand up and fight. I ain’t never backed down from a challenge. So I will never say you can bully a lion. Ever.”
OK, but you can almost give one a concussion.
As the 49ers forged an early lead here at AT&T Stadium, Parsons was forced out of the game by a nasty head-on collision. Nobody's fault. Not "bullying.''
Just nasty.
Luckily, the rookie standout returned as the Cowboys try to keep it close against the visitors.
The 49ers are dangerous running the football (and for that matter, in stopping the run) because they can beat teams in multiple ways.
Rookie Elijah Mitchell ran for nearly 1,000 yards despite sitting in six games this season. To complement him, there's Deebo Samuel ... Despite being a wide receiver, Samuel was second in rushing yards this season for the Niners with 365 yards. He also ran the ball into the end zone five times, proving himself to be a dual threat as a runner and receiver.
Stopping Samuel was to be big step in the right direction for the Cowboys, whether he lines up as a receiver or running back.
Parsons will hold a considerable amount of responsibility in keeping Samuel in check. If the defense can snuff him out of the game, it should lead to a Cowboys victory Sunday. That's the plan, anyway.
"They like to attack the edge,'' Dallas' DeMarcus Lawrence said. "But you know, we like to set the edge.”
It helps if Micah is on the field, which fortunately, he is.
