Cowboys defense revitalized behind Micah Parsons' return from injury, full adjustment to Mike Zimmer scheme

FRISCO, Texas -- As the clock hit zero in the Dallas Cowboys' 30-14 road win at the Carolina Panthers, three-time All-Pro edge rusher Micah Parsons and defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer walked off the field all smiles together arm in arm.

Why wouldn't they? Dallas coerced a revived Bryce Young, who hung tough against the defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs and the NFC East-leading Philadelphia Eagles in one-possession losses, into the worst game of the 2023 first overall pick's career thus far. 

The Cowboys forced him to a career-high four turnovers -- two fumbles lost and two interceptions -- and sacked him a career-high six times. Parsons accounted for two of the six sacks in what became the injury-plagued Cowboys' third victory in the last four games after suffering through a five-game losing streak. Parsons' presence creates a gravity that benefits everyone else on the field. 

Cowboys defensive tackle Osa Odighizuwa, who strip-sacked Young which then led to a fumble recovery by Dallas edge rusher Chauncey Golston, ranks third in the NFL in quarterback pressures (30) since Parsons returned to the lineup in Week 10 after missing four games with a high ankle sprain. 

Micah Parsons

DAL • LB • #11

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Since Parsons' Week 10 return from the injury suffered in Week 4 at the New York Giants that sidelined him for four games, he's roared back as the NFL's best pass rusher. He leads the NFL in sacks (7.5), quarterback pressures (39) and quarterback pressure rate (19.5%, minimum 150 pass rush snaps).

"Man, for me it's just being resilient and proving people wrong," Parsons said of his post-injury production on Thursday. "I carry that chip on me because I still feel like I'm still trying to prove myself in this league. and I feel like I'll never lose that chip. Like I'm hungry for so much more than just being back." 

The scary thing for the rest of the league is Zimmer sees even more opportunities for Parsons to grow. 

"He's just a dynamic athlete really," Zimmer said Monday. "There's things I talk to him about a lot about. OK, so we got on the bus last night [Sunday after the game, and I said 'OK, if you had done this, you would've had a better opportunity here.' If you had done this, which I've talked to him about, in another instance, you wouldn't have gotten pushed by the quarterback on another one. I'm just trying to get him to use not just his athletic ability, but a little bit more of the technical aspect of that position."

Parsons also pushes Zimmer, begging him to call specific fronts to maximize his abilities. Their bond has grown from regular breakfasts at training camp out in Oxnard, CA. and dinners around The Star in Frisco, Texas -- the Cowboys' palatial team headquarters. However, Parsons doesn't know how often Zimmer actually listens to his play call pleas during games. 

"We do have a good relationship," Zimmer said. "He came up to me during the game, and he said 'We need to run this!' I said something like 'Dude, it's a two-minute drill. Can you just relax?' That was at the end of the half. I said, 'It's starred on the sheet right here. Do you see it?' He said 'OK, OK.' He means well. He's very smart. He's brilliant. ... He'll come up to me again, obviously most times it's for him, but he'll say 'Hey, this would be a good thing to, or we can get a free shot somewhere.'"

* Minimum 150 pass rush snaps

When the two went to Dee Lincoln Prime steakhouse a short walk from the team facility to grab dinner, Parsons experienced a rare event in the life of a professional athlete: Zimmer told Parsons to put his credit card away because he was paying. 

"Yeah, we went to dinner. We talk every day," Parsons said. "I think he likes me because I always make him smile. You know Mike's just been through so much, and I just like the fact that I was like, 'Listen, I said, we met here for a reason.' And I was like, 'you know, I can kind of be your son too. I've been a son for many other coaches, but accept me. Like I can be that person that you can talk to.' So he talks to me about all types of stuff, like, he says some crazy stuff. I'm not going to say it in public, but we talk about all types of stuff. But that's how I know we got closer and he embraces our relationship."

Naturally, the Cowboys have been a top-five unit in third down conversion rate (32.4%), takeaways (13), sacks (24) and sack rate (10.8%) since Parsons' return, but the shift hasn't been all about Parsons. The rest of the defense finally feels acclimated to Zimmer's scheme after the last three years of running Dan Quinn's playbook before he departed to be the head coach of the Washington Commanders. 

"Overall, it's more so as a unit we're more locked in. More comfortability in the scheme," Cowboys defensive lineman Chauncey Golston said Wednesday. ... "Previously, we were playing on one [Dan Quinn's] defense for three years, so it's a big adjustment. When you're so used to playing one way, and then you're asked to play another way after become accustomed to playing that [one] way, it's different and sometimes you rebel. 

"It's a big muscle memory thing. You're so used to 'OK, in this defense I played this way. I'm able to play more outside, and now I have to play more inside.' Without you even thinking it, you're on the outside when you're supposed to be on the inside. ... We'd be in meeting rooms, and we'd be talking like 'oh well I saw it this way.' Then the coach had to be like 'yeah, we don't do it that way though.' You're like 'oh yeah, oh yeah I forgot.'"

Now, that everyone is on the same page and Parsons is playing like an All-Pro, Zimmer's creativity can be unleashed on game day.

"It's more so with the more exotic looks and the blitzes. We're doing stuff with like five defensive linemen and stuff like that. It's [Parsons coming back] allowed him to do that, especially with Micah coming back and then us losing [DeMarvion] Overshown," Golston said. "It's just one of those things that's kind of crazy. We got six sacks last game, so the proof is right there."