Micah Parsons feels Cowboys protection cannot fear about Lamar Jackson till fixing 'effort and method' points

FRISCO, Texas — Dealing with the Baltimore Ravens and their star-studded offensive backfield of two-time NFL MVP Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry would trigger any protection to fret. 

Dallas Cowboys three-time All-Professional edge rusher Micah Parsons even known as Jackson “most likely the best dual-threat quarterback in the league and in historical past, at the moment” on Tuesday at Elevating Cane’s. Courting to 2023, the second of Jackson’s two NFL MVP seasons, he has handed for 26 touchdowns and solely eight interceptions, which is tied for the fourth-best landing to interception ratio within the NFL in that point. He has additionally racked up at the least 750 speeding yards in every of his first 5 NFL seasons from 2019-2023, essentially the most such seasons by an NFL quarterback in NFL historical past. 

Nonetheless, Parsons as soon as once more centered on the Cowboys, going off on his protection teammates at his common media availability after apply on Wednesday to gentle a fireplace underneath them concerning their effort and method. They have been shredded by five-time Professional Bowl operating again Alvin Kamara for 115 speeding yards and three touchdowns on 20 carries, a mean of 5.8 yards per carry in New Orleans’ 44-19 Week 2 win on the Cowboys on Sunday. Kamara totaled 180 yards from scrimmage to go together with 4 touchdowns. 

 According to Pro Football Focus, the Cowboys’ high 4 defensive tackles — Osa Odighizuwa (45.6 PFF defensive grade, 91st out 115 NFL DTs), Mazi Smith (28.9 PFF defensive grade, 114th out 115 NFL DTs), Linval Joseph (31.7 PFF defensive grade, 111th out of 115 NFL DTs) and Jordan Phillips (29.6 PFF defensive grade, 113th out of 115 NFL DTs) — have carried out like a few of the NFL’s worst at their place to start 2024. Proper now, Parsons would not consider it is price excited about Jackson’s distinctive talents till Dallas cleans up their very own mess. 

 “I feel it was effort and method. …. In some unspecified time in the future, all 11 [on the field] bought to have the identical mindset, and that is simply toughness,” Parsons stated on Wednesday. “You speak about who you wish to be and all this different stuff. however you have bought go on the market and be it. It might probably’t simply be one man. It might probably’t be two guys. It is all 11 guys. It takes everybody. I have an effect on the linebackers, the linebackers have an effect on the DBs. We aren’t all synchronized.  One group’s getting F’d up, then one other group’s going to get F’d up. It is a synchronized chain. So on the finish of the day, it is all about toughness and having the mentality like I’ll dominate the person in entrance of me. Not all 11 had that final week.”

He spoke about how Saints quarterback Derek Carr solely wanted to drop again to cross, in a conventional sense with out play-action, a measly 5 instances on Sunday. That was the bottom quantity of true dropbacks (no play-action) in a Week 2 recreation final week by a large margin as the following quarterback above Carr, Cardinals Professional Bowler Kyler Murray, had 13 in a 41-10 win versus the Los Angeles Rams. That statistic is what Parsons centered on when requested about containing Jackson when he drops again to cross, maybe as quarterback spy together with second-year linebacker DeMarvion Overshown. 

“It is a fantastic likelihood,” Parsons stated of he and Overshown spying Jackson to maintain him within the pocket. “So long as we keep in our rush lanes, we do what we’re purported to, however importantly is to get him to cross the ball. We did not do a ok job of that. So till we present we are able to earn the precise [to pass rush], I imply what, we had three dropbacks final recreation? That is outrageous. That is not even a soccer recreation. It is like we’re enjoying pony soccer another time. So till we repair the basics, I am not even fearful about Lamar at this level.”

Veteran Cowboys linebacker Eric Kendricks stated on Wednesday that the protection as a complete has to “buck up.” Parsons agreed. 

“Toughness. Step up. Ain’t no different selection,” Parsons stated when requested about defending the mixture of Jackson and Henry. “Derrick Henry’s going to return downhill, prefer it or not. So it isn’t like a matter of are you going to cease it. It is simply, are you going to do it or not. I do know I am prepared for the matchup.”

Micah’s motion

One in every of new defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer’s main objectives this season was to create extra one-on-one matchups for Parsons, the 2023 NFL quarterback pressures (103) and quarterback strain fee (21.8%) chief, and transfer him away double groups and different strategies offenses use to attempt to take him out of the sport.  Parsons was double-teamed on 35% of his cross rush performs in 2023, essentially the most within the league amongst edge gamers, per the NFL’s Subsequent Gen Stats. 

In 2024, Parsons is off to a different nice begin with 14 quarterback pressures, the third-most within the NFL and solely three behind league chief Aidan Hutchinson (17). The issue is just three of these pressures got here in opposition to the Saints on Sunday, with a lot of that to do with New Orleans controlling the sport on the bottom. After they did throw the soccer, Parsons felt they used “a maze” involving chipping and max protections to maintain him off stability. That is not what Zimmer hoped for. 

“Perhaps I attempted to make use of him just a little bit extra in plenty of various things,” Zimmer stated on Monday. “Hindsight is 20-20. …. It might have affected a few of the different gamers and requested them to do too many issues this week. That is why I say I must do a greater job with that. When he performed the run, he performed excellent. He performed a six method, he performed a 4 method, he performed a 9 method. Clearly, there are a few performs he wish to have again, however I assumed he performed very effectively. In all probability performed nearly as good as anyone.”

Micah Parsons’ profession defensive snap alignment

*Knowledge in response to Professional Soccer Focus

Regardless of predominantly lining up alongside the line of defense, Parsons’ alignment alongside the defensive entrance has different, per PFF. 

Micah Parsons Defensive Line Alignment, 2024 season

Per PFF

• 3 snaps at left defensive finish (LDE, defender lined up on or shading the precise sort out in a three-point stance)
• 14 snaps at exterior left defensive finish (LEO, defender lined up fully exterior of the precise sort out and in a three-point stance)
• 37 snaps at left exterior linebacker (LOLB, defender lined up 1.5 yards or much less from the road of scrimmage, lined up on the within shade of the precise sort out or wider and in a two-point stance)
• 1 snap at proper defensive finish (RDE, defender lined up on or shading the left sort out in a three-point stance)
• 27 snaps at exterior proper defensive finish (REO, defender lined up fully exterior of the left sort out and in a three-point stance)
• 17 snaps at proper exterior linebacker (ROLB, defender lined up 1.5 yards or much less from the road of scrimmage, lined up on the within shade of the left sort out or wider and in a two-point stance)

* 57 of 63 defensive snaps alongside line of defense in Week 1 

** 42 of 43 defensive snaps alongside line of defense in Week 2

The three-time All-Professional stated it is on his teammates to execute their duties when he strikes round as a result of his motion is not him free-lancing. Everybody on the Dallas protection is aware of what’s coming.  

“On the finish of the day, I really feel prefer it ought to increase individuals, proper? The expectations is like I am the person who’s gonna get the slide, I am the person who’s going to get majority of the chips and the double groups. You already know, the harassment. We type of anticipate individuals to win. Like I do not actually assume shifting round is like that tough for individuals you realize? As a result of it isn’t one thing we’re not training or we’re not doing. That is all apply habits. So it will be stunning to me in case you have been to restrict me as a result of I might assume [it] can be the worst factor.”

The worst factor for the Cowboys can be for his or her protection to be run over two weeks in a row in loss in opposition to the Ravens. Sunday will reveal if they will jolt their run protection again to life.