Dallas Cowboys linebacker Micah Parsons is ready to turn the page.
After the Cowboys fell to the New Orleans Saints, 44-19, in their home season-opening loss, the three-time Pro Bowler is ready to look ahead towards the team’s upcoming home game against the Baltimore Ravens.
“You gotta restart, reset and refocus,” said Parsons while speaking to reporters at a Raising Cane’s event in Dallas, Texas. “You know there’s always highs, you know there’s always lows. God has a way of humbling you. Whatever comes to the top, will always come to the bottom. You never want to get too high or too low, you always want to stay neutral.”
The Cowboys are obviously facing a lot of headlines for the wrong reasons following their second consecutive blowout loss at home. The previous one came against the Green Bay Packers in a wild card playoff loss at AT&T Stadium last January, a 48-32 shellacking that was a lot worse than the score indicated.
“I look at my mistakes, look at how I could have done better, look at how I can lead better, hold myself accountable as I would anyone else,” Parsons responded when asked on how he bounces back from a loss. “That way everyone is on the same playing field, we’re not different. Push my guys throughout the week, wherever I felt like the preparation was off, the detail was off, because we have to fix that and get back to the basic fundamentals.”
The humbling loss to the Saints – New Orleans scored touchdowns on all five of their first-half possessions — puts a damper on what had been a positive start to the season for the Cowboys. Not only did Dallas sign CeeDee Lamb to a contract extension following a long standoff just before the start of the season, they signed Dak Prescott to a record-setting deal just hours before their season-opening win over the Cleveland Browns.
There won’t be any time for the Cowboys to rest as they host the Lamar Jackson-led Baltimore Ravens in Week 3. The Ravens are a desperate team after starting out the season 0-2. This comes a season after Jackson won the MVP award for the second time and after the Ravens finished with a league-best 13-4 record.
Parsons — who will be facing Jackson for the first time in his career — explained how you prepare for a one-of-a-kind dual-threat quarterback such as Jackson.
“You always just try to find a way to keep him in the pocket,” says Parsons of playing against Jackson. “Don’t let him get extra runs, keep him still in place, things like that. He’s a challenging guy. It’s easy to say, but it’s hard to do. You want to get all of your guys on the same page, maybe even throw a spy on certain critical third downs. It’s going to be a very good game.”
Jackson — who became the second unanimous MVP back in 2019 — and already has two MVP awards by the age of 27, is held in high regard by Parsons. Parsons — who is arguably the best defensive player in the league — calls Jackson the best dual-threat quarterback in the history of the league.
“In terms of what he’s accomplished, he’s probably the best quarterback in the league, in history,” says Parsons. “He’s a two-time MVP, a Heisman winner, multiple playoff runs. What he’s accomplished so far is truly admirable.”
Parsons — who was appearing on behalf of his partnership with Raising Cane’s — participated in a photo and video shoot showing off the restaurant’s signature meal, “The Box Combo.” The 25-year-old also served worked a shift, serving Raising Cane’s food at the drive-thru and hung out and spoke with fans for several minutes.
When asked who he would bring during his first “lunch rush” while working at Raising Cane’s, Parsons said he would bring cornerback Trevon Diggs.
“I would definitely bring Trevon Diggs,” says Parsons with a big smile on his face. “He’s very handsy, he’s going to be able to help me control the huddle. We’re going to create a new huddle in here, we’re going to control the environment. When things get too high, we’re going to settle it back down. We’re going to handle the things that we need to get done.”
The season is obviously a long and grueling one featuring 17 games and a bunch of highs and lows. Parsons spoke of the importance of decompressing by participating in these types of events and interacting with the fans.
“It’s extremely important,” says Parsons of the fans’ support. “Like I said, it’s balance. What makes this whole NFL boat go, it’s the fans. If it’s not for their love, their support, coming to see us play, their admiration, and their work ethic to this community, they wouldn’t be able to support our community. I really try to contribute to do as much as I can for the fans and embrace their love.”