Micah Parsons says ending rare losing streak will take team effort: 'Got to elevate together'

Micah Parsons has never experienced losing three football games in a row. Not in the NFL. Not in college. Not in high school. Not ever.

And if he counts his total back-to-back losses, it takes just one hand and doesn’t even require all five fingers.

(The Cowboys haven’t dropped three consecutive contests since 2020, in the wake of Dak Prescott’s ankle injury and before Parsons was drafted.)

So the Cowboys’ current two-game skid had Parsons uncharacteristically subdued when he spoke to reporters this week. But it’s not just about having come up short on the scoreboard- not in a short prep week where other fingers are being pointed. No, what’s at issue here isn’t scheme breakdowns or missed assignments or being outmuscled, but far more fundamental (and troubling) themes like effort and professionalism.

Despite he and other team leaders being vocal about it for a second straight week, Parsons had to admit he’s not even sure the message is getting through to those that need to hear it.

“It’s very hard to tell, right? ‘Cause everyone’s nodding their head like, ‘Yeah, we all agree.’ At the same time, it’s not equal out there on the field,” Parsons said after Tuesday’s walkthrough. “I feel like, as a competitor, at some point, you’ve got to be prideful enough to say, ‘Hey, I’m not going to allow this to happen to me.’ I feel like some people are just allowing them[selves] to keep getting smacked in the face. When are you going to stand up?”

After the Cowboys’ season-opening blowout win over the Browns, new defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer praised his unit for “staying on the reservation,” and sticking to their assignments.

The team’s embarrassing losses in Weeks 2 and 3, however, were followed by internal complaints about some teammates playing “hero ball,” trying to do more than the job their position requires. DeMarcus Lawrence compared the unit’s effort to “little league football.” Parsons himself said, “We just got people trying to be Superman.”

The Dallas defense is having obvious struggles as they transition away from Dan Quinn’s freewheeling style of play to Zimmer’s more disciplined approach. Parsons acknowledged that the unit is filled with a lot of young players, inexperienced rookies, and new faces, likening the process to growing pains.

But despite his status as one of the most feared defenders in the sport, a three-time Pro Bowler and two-time first-team All-Pro, and one of three players the organization has labeled as critical to their long-term plans, Parsons said he hasn’t started pulling guys aside in the locker room to talk about pulling their weight.

“I just feel like I’m not there yet, to go to someone,” he said. “It’s hard to blame one particular person for one thing.”

Perhaps Parsons need to do some growing, too, at least in that regard.

An offer for Cowboys fans

If there’s collective growing to be done, though, these Cowboys need to do it in a hurry. They face a division rival in the New York Giants on Thursday night. Away, on a short week, and at 1-2, the Cowboys are already hearing that it’s a must-win situation.

Parsons has a different perspective.

“I feel like every game is really must-win,” he said. “In the last two years, we were one game off a No. 1 seed, things like that. So I think every game has equal importance. In particular, I would like to get the ball back rolling again, getting back in the win column, getting to what we know best.”

So the 25-year-old will continue to preach the “do your job” sermon. And he says he’s fighting the urge to personally stray from that lesson himself, even as he looks to avoid the first three-game losing streak of his life.

“It’s hard, because I’ve got to fit into the system,” he explained. “I’ve got to fit into the framework. That’s the whole point of everyone doing their one-eleventh. Elevate yourself. What do you need others to do? Elevate, too. We all got to elevate together; it can’t be just one or two. To me, I’ve just got to make my plays when they’re there and do my job for my guys.”

…and also hope that his guys pick up on the message that has reverberated around The Star for two weeks, going on three.

A frustrated Parsons says he’s still not sure they have.

“I mean, everyone says it. But then again, we’ve got to see what happens on Sunday. Or Thursday.”