Micah Parsons named NFC defensive player of the week

Dallas Cowboys rookie Micah Parsons earned the NFC Defensive Player of the Week for his Week 8 performance versus the Minnesota Vikings.

The first-rounder out of Penn State had 11 tackles with two tackles for loss and a QB hit on Sunday night. He was all over the field and helped the Cowboys limit Minnesota to 278 total yards in the 20-16 win. He also saw nine targets on 32 coverage snaps and allowed only 15 yards and one first down while recording four passing stops, according to PFF.

Cowboys rookie LB Micah Parsons was a missile on mission Sunday vs. Vikings. His extra work on finer details during the bye and practice week translated. Terrific eye discipline and instincts. Stout in run fits. Fastest he’s played at NFL level. A dominant night. pic.twitter.com/khq2D9wGIv

— Michael Gehlken (@GehlkenNFL) November 1, 2021

The Dallas defense allows 23.1 points per game while the offense is averaging 32.1 points per game. Since losing the season opener against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the Cowboys are 6-0. They play three teams at, or below, .500 over the next few weeks.

Micah Parsons ranked No. 1 amongst rookies through four weeks, according to NFL analyst Daniel Jeremiah.

“His pass-rush ability has been a huge lift for the Cowboys,” Jeremiah wrote. “I love his combination of speed and range against the run, too.”

Parsons has kept it up through Week 8, tallying 42 total tackles (30 solo), 2.5 sacks, 4.5 tackles for loss and two passes defended.

Week 8 Awards
AFC
QB Mike White, NYJ
DB Adrian Phillips, NE
K Randy Bullock, TEN
NFC
WR Deebo Samuel, SF
LB Micah Parsons, DAL
K Zane Gonzalez, CAR

Parsons Penn State success

Micah Parsons played two seasons for the Penn State Nittany Lions, including a stellar 2019 season. In 2019, he ranked third in the Big Ten in total tackles, amassing 109 total and five sacks.

In 2020, Parsons opted not to play in the Penn State season citing concerns over health and safety. Parsons, in a post on his Instagram, detailed his reason for the decision.

“As I considered my options for the 2020 season, I decided I needed to make a choice not for myself, but my son and those dearest to me. While I felt safe with the health and safety standards as we returned to Penn State for workouts, the potential risk to the health and wellbeing of my son far outweighed my urge to play football season. Therefore, I have decided to opt-out of the 2020 season and prepare for the 2021 NFL Draft.”

His decision not to play in 2020 did not set him back in the NFL Draft. The Dallas Cowboys took him with pick No. 12 in the first round. He signed a 4 year, $17,079,793 contract, including a $9,781,668 signing bonus.

Parsons crossed another life goal off his checklist this summer, fulfilling a life-long dream of his and his mother’s. The rookie linebacker from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, bought his mother a house. Parsons shared pictures of the home, via TMZ Sports.