Is Micah Parsons playing today? Latest updates for injured Cowboys star

While most of the heat Mike Zimmer has taken this season has been justified, very few defensive coordinators would flourish amid an injury crisis.

That does not exonerate Zimmer from some of the horrid defensive displays from the Dallas Cowboys over the first seven games. However, Zimmer doesn't exactly have the Doomsday Defense at his disposal. It could be another week of Zimmer waiting for the calvary to return.

DeMarcus Lawrence and Marshawn Kneeland are still on injured reserve. That means Cowboys fans will see more of Chauncey Golston against the Falcons on Sunday, as well as Carl Lawson and Tyrus Wheat.

While Lawrence and Kneeland have been missed, no players' absence has had a bigger impact than Micah Parsons. The Cowboys' pass rush has been non-existent since Parsons went down with a high-ankle sprain in Week 4.

There was optimism that Parsons would return after the bye in Week 8, but he will miss his fourth straight game against the Falcons.

Cowboys star Micah Parsons won't play vs. Falcons in Week 9

Another week without Parsons means the defensive line will once again struggle to get after the quarterback. That could mean bad news against Falcons QB Kirk Cousins, who coming off Achilles surgery struggles to navigate a collapsing pocket.

When given a clean pocket, Cousins can pick apart any defense. The 36-year-old proved that last week in Atlanta's win over the Buccaneers when he completed nearly 80% of his passes for 276 yards and four touchdowns.

A lack of pass rush has a domino effect on the rest of the defnese. It makes it harder for the secondary to hold up in coverage. The Falcons have a plethora of pass-catchers to account for, including receivers Drake London and Darnell Mooney and tight end Kyle Pitts.

Beyond the passing game, Parsons' presence will also be missed against the run. Bijan Robinson is one of the most explosive running backs in the NFL. Before his injury, Parsons had been doing a great job sealing the edge and he racked up 11 defensive stops in four games.

Anything can happen, but Dak Prescott and the offense will have to hold up their end of the bargain for the Cowboys to have a chance.

If there is any silver lining to Parsons missing another game, he worked on the resistance cords in practice this week. While he isn't ready for Sunday, he looks like he's getting close to returning.

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