Cowboys over/under: 14 sacks for Micah Parsons in 2024
There seems to be a lot of fan-generated outside noise surrounding Dallas Cowboys pass rusher Micah Parsons. Should he have been at voluntary OTA’s? Is he a leader? Why isn’t he bonding with his new defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer? All in some ways valid questions, but ultimately it doesn’t mean all that much in the grand scheme.
What’s going to matter is his play on the field. Is Parsons going to be able to take his game to the next level in 2024, and will he be able to take this Cowboys team to a place they haven’t gone in almost 30 years? The best way he can help this team win is with sacks and pressures, and with a laundry list of players leaving out the door this offseason, his production may be needed more than ever.
Over/Under 14 sacks for Micah Parsons
A talent like Parsons is going to be asked to elevate his game every year, it’s just part of the expectation. And quite literally, Parsons has done that every year, sack-wise, since he got to Dallas. In his rookie year, he came out of the gate with 13 sacks, followed by 13.5 in 2022, and 14 in 2023.
On this new-look Cowboys team some of the more trusted pass rushers on the roster are gone, putting more pressure and focus on Parsons to take his game to the next level. Dorance Armstrong and Dante Fowler are both now in Washington with Dan Quinn, setting up an opportunity for third-year EDGE Sam Williams to get the most chances of his career, along with rookie Marshawn Kneeland.
With all that said, let’s set the bar — is 14 sacks the number for Parsons in 2024? In a lot of ways, it feels like it has to be. A world in which Parsons is less productive feels like one that is not great for the Cowboys. Heading into Year 4, on the brink of getting one of the richest contracts in NFL history, whatever Parsons’s very best is, this year is the time to show it.
One could assume that Zimmer and all of his decades of wisdom and experience are going to put him in the best position to succeed, and with a tried and true plan of attack on defense, seeing Parsons clear the over here by a good margin shouldn’t shock anyone.
Whether it’s leading by example on the field, or being the vocal guy in the locker room, at the end of the day all it boils down to is production and giving his team the most he can on Sundays. Parsons is a star in this league, but even the very best find another level to tap into, and we are possibly on the brink of seeing that this year.
What’s your call BTB, over or under 14 sacks for Micah Parsons?