Mike McCarthy: Cowboys triple-teaming Micah Parsons ahead of Week 2 Jets matchup

Cowboys edge rusher Micah Parsons displayed what happens when a defense tries and fails to contain him in Dallas’s 40-0 rout of the Giants in Week 1. Instead of getting complacent though, head coach Mike McCarthy had the Cowboys offensive line triple-team the former first-rounder to push him ahead of the Jets game on Sunday afternoon.

“I think he’s handled it very well,” McCarthy said of Parsons in double-team situations last weekend. “Frankly, just to make him feel at home, we triple-teamed him today on the last play of the game segment. It’s something he is going to be dealing with the rest of his career.”

Asked how the Jets might slow Parsons down this weekend, New York offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett didn’t have an answer – at least not one he’s ready to share before Sunday.

“You can’t slow him down now,” Hackett said this week. “You watch the tape and talk about a guy that jumps off. Seeing him grow as a player, they have done an outstanding job with him. He’s done an outstanding job himself. He’s somebody that can totally wreck a game, so everybody has to know where he is at all times.”

Against the Giants in Week 1, Parsons registered six QB pressures, a tackle for loss and a sack among his three tackles. With Parsons drawing double teams, the Cowboys defense combined for seven sacks on Daniel Jones.

Parsons: ‘All I know and study is how to hunt’

On Friday, Parsons replied to one of the Cowboys’ social media posts saying, “Meeting death in the eyes is a scary place” in reference to meeting him face-to-face.

After another posted told him to “relax,” Parsons replied: “All I know and study is how to hunt !!! If I died today I truly believe I would be reincarnated into a lion!!”

Meeting death in the eyes is a scary place! https://t.co/2REHUtlWsr

— Micah Parsons (@MicahhParsons11) September 15, 2023

Parsons debuted his show “The Edge” on Bleacher Report on Monday, sharing his hot takes from Week 1 action across the league.

Among the topics discussed on his Week 1 show was Giants quarterback Daniel Jones. Parsons got better acquainted with Jones all night on Sunday but walked away from the assault on the QB with a sympathetic take.

“Daniel Jones is not a bad quarterback,” Parsons said. “I know, I know, I know. Some of you may think that he’s a bad quarterback and why re-sign him? You have to remember, Daniel Jones just went against top-3 defensive teams in the league.

“They’re still learning to gel together. He’s still learning to be the guy. It’s only his second year with (head coach) Brian Daboll, so he gets grace. I think nowadays we don’t give the same grace as we do with guys like Peyton Manning when they came into the league.”

Parsons may have felt bad for Jones but he’ll be coming just as hard for Jets quarterback Zach Wilson on Sunday regardless. The two teams kick off in AT&T Stadium at 4:25 p.m. ET on Sunday.