Dallas Cowboys rookie linebacker and pass-rusher Micah Parsons had two sacks during Sunday’s 19-9 road loss to the Kansas City Chiefs, bringing his sack total for the season to eight. Not too shabby for a player who is only a part-time edge-rusher and played linebacker in college. Patrick Mahomes certainly was impressed.
“He’s a special player,” the K.C. quarterback told reporters after the game. “I mean, to be that good of a linebacker and be able to play defensive end, there’s not a lot of guys like that in this league. He has a high motor. He chased me down on that sack, the strip-sack, and the whole game he was in there the whole time battling and battling.”
Parsons’ eight sacks tied DeMarcus Ware’s franchise record in 2005 for rookie sacks. Parsons did so in just 10 games, primarily playing as a middle linebacker, while Ware did it in 16. He’s the only player in football with five or more sacks and 60 or more tackles (he has 62, including 13 tackles for loss and 18 quarterback hits).
“I think Q [defensive coordinator Dan Quinn] and [defensive assistant] coach George [Edwards] and AD [defensive line coach Aden Durde] are doing a really good job of moving me around, letting me play to my strengths, knowing what games to play me at end and games to play me at linebacker,” Parsons told reporters. “And I’m just happy they drafted me with a plan.” The Cowboys are surely very, very happy they drafted him too.
