1. Micah Parsons, LB
Is it a surprise that Micah Parsons was a top player on the field? Of course not. But if you want to talk grit, look no further than the Lion. The reigning DROY faced a ton of adversity today. He was held (without call) on several of his attempts to get to Stafford and he also ended up hurting his groin.
Parsons was literally limping off the field at halftime causing a huge scare amongst Cowboys Nation. However, we all should’ve known that nothing was going to hold this guy back from competing.
According to Michael Gehlken, Parsons said his left groin injury occurred late in the first quarter. He was seen on the exercise bike on the sideline, but told senior defensive assistant George Edwards, “as long as I’m alive, I can go.”
Now that’s grit.
Parsons would limp in between plays, yet the second the ball was snapped he was hungry and ready to go. He is truly an unstoppable competitor, and despite the injury, added two sacks to his statline against the Rams. He is now the first-ever player to have 21 sacks in 19 games and is half a sack away from tying DeMarcus Ware’s 19.5 sack record for his first two seasons.
Through injury, pain, and holding, Parsons had five tackles, two sacks, and one forced fumble. The man is the definition of grit.
Overall, we all owe Dan Quinn a massive applause. While these players were obviously drafted by this team for a reason, it seems clear that Quinn is able to take a great player and make them even better. He knows how to run a vicious and well-oiled machine and gets the best out of any player of any rank or level.