Cowboys Playoff 'Disrespect!' Micah Parsons Raves About What Leighton Vander Esch is 'Owed'

Monday's 31-14 win for the Dallas Cowboys in the Wild Card over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers saw the return to the lineup of starting inside linebacker Leighton Vander Esch.

Vander Esch stood out in a headline performance from the Cowboys' defense, leading them in tackles, nine, but his impact went beyond just tackles. The former 2018 first-round even pressured Tom Brady, along with making two pass breakups.

Said coach Mike McCarthy: "I thought he played exceptionally well.''

Last year, the Cowboys declined his fifth-year option, and he nearly left for the Pittsburgh Steelers as a free agent to make $8 million APY, sources told CowboysSI.com at the time, before that deal fell through, sending Vander Esch back to Dallas on a one-year deal at one-fourth that number.

But now? LVE could be playing his way into a long-term contract, something his teammate Micah Parsons believes he has earned.

"The disrespect he gets is out of control," Parsons said on Twitter. "He deserves every penny!"

That’s a fact! the disrespect he gets is outta control!! He deserves every penny! https://t.co/YgIj8jvDj8
— Micah Parsons (@MicahhParsons11) January 17, 2023

Pro Football Focus graded his performance on Monday at 75, tied for his third-highest grade. He's proven that he isn't just a one-game wonder; his absence was noticeable on defense.

The Cowboys have played 194 def. snaps this season without LVE. And while on/off field splits can have some noise. The dropoff in success rate is *steep*:

Def. Rush success (w/ rank)
On: 65.3% 2nd
Off: 47.3% 32nd

Def. success
On: 61.5% 4th
Off: 55.8% 26th

(via @TruMediaSports) https://t.co/hjlzqHzsog
— Nate Tice (@Nate_Tice) December 20, 2022

Nate Tice said back in December that the drop-off in the Cowboys' success rate on defense is "steep" when Vander Esch is off the field.

Against the run, the Dallas defense has a success rate of 65% when LVE is on the field, as opposed to 47.3% without him. Their general success rate with Vander Esch is 61.5%, which drops to 55.8% without.

Prior to the season, many would've said they were in favor of letting Vander Esch walk. Now, the prevailing opinion of him seems to be that he is an impact player for the Cowboys on defense - and Micah Parsons says it is so.

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