Cowboys' Micah Parsons Reveals Defense Lofty Goal: Under 10 Points!'

Dallas Cowboys star linebacker Micah Parsons has been a driving force in the defense's transformation over the past two years.

In 2020, before Parsons' arrival, the Cowboys had one of their worst defenses in franchise history and allowed 386.4 yards and 29.6 points per game. Compare that to the 2022 defense, which allowed just 330.2 yards and 20.1 points per game. The arrival of Parsons, who has been a first-team All-Pro in each of his first two seasons, has helped the Dallas defense become one to be feared.

Even with the defense's turnaround, Parsons believes the unit can be even better, even rivaling one of the best defenses of all time.

“I’m trying to be on that Ray Lewis defense. I’m trying to hold teams under 10 points,” Parsons said on "The Pivot" podcast. “(If opponents) don’t score 10 points, we win the game. … We gotta hold teams under 10 points.”

When he says "Ray Lewis defense," Parsons is clearly referring to the legendary Baltimore Ravens unit in 2000. That defense still stands as one of the best in NFL history, leading the league in most defensive stats that season. The Ravens allowed just 10.3 points per game on the season and bulldozed their way to a Super Bowl title, allowing just 23 points in four playoff games.

If the Cowboys - who open the preseason at home on Saturday against the Jaguars - are to reach the 2000 Ravens' dominance, which few teams have rivaled since, it would mean allowing only half as many points as last season. That's certainly a tall order, but Parsons believes it can happen by just taking advantage of the opportunities.

“I think there was another level that we could’ve tapped in,” Parsons said. “We missed interceptions. We missed opportunities to get the ball back to our offense. They probably could’ve capitalized.”

Parsons has never been shy about his desire to be great, and he has backed up that talk so far. If he and the Cowboys' defense can rival one of the NFL's greatest of all time, though, it would be a truly special sight.

You can find Jonathan Alfano on Twitter @JonAlfano_News

COWBOYS FISH REPORT … now a podcast! Join us inside The Star, ANY TIME!

Want the latest in breaking news and insider information on the Dallas Cowboys?

Follow FishSports on Twitter

Add us as a preferred source on Google