5 reasons Cowboys will beat the Buccaneers in Week 1
By Randy Gurzi
2. Their best defender is ready this time
Micah Parsons had a phenomenal rookie season. Dallas’ first-round pick won the NFL Defensive Player of the Year award and set a franchise rookie record with 13 sacks.
As impressive as he was throughout the season, he really didn’t have a great debut against Tampa Bay. By no means was he bad, as he had seven tackles, a quarterback hit, and a pass deflection, but he wasn’t the playmaker we saw by the end of the year.
Parsons knows he wasn’t at his best that night as well, saying he had “big eyes” when seeing Brady across from him but he added that he’s ready for the rematch.
"“Obviously my first year, [playing against] Tom Brady, I was obviously big eyes in seeing Tom,” said Parsons via David Harrison of Bucs Game Day. “I’m kinda excited for the rematch. It was a real big nail-biter.”"
This time, things should be different. Parsons now has a full season under his belt and knows he can make an impact. He won’t be a rookie hoping to make a play here and there but is now an experienced player who has some hardware to prove he belongs.
He’s also more comfortable moving all over the field. Look for him to do that against Tampa Bay and help Dallas find a way to start out 1-0 on the season.