The Dallas Cowboys are doing what a lot of the football world didn't think they would: putting up a strong fight against the Philadelphia Eagles. Led by Dak Prescott and Javonte Williams, the offense has been prolific, putting up points on every possession as of this writing.
Unfortunately, the defense has been a much different story. While that was the expectation going in, Dallas hasn't generated any semblance of a pass rush, which has allowed Jalen Hurts all the freedom to scramble on broken plays. The result? The Eagles have three touchdowns on three possessions at halftime.
The group could certainly use a disruptor. Perhaps someone off the edge who commands double teams and wrecks games by himself? Yeah, having Micah Parsons would help a lot right now.
Cowboys are sorely missing Micah Parsons' presence vs. the Eagles
While Parsons wouldn't fix all of the Cowboys' woes, they desperately miss him, and it shows. He's one of the 10 best players in the world, and without him, they're clearly a worse football team. Even with the offense humming, it's impossible to paper over the defensive collapse in the first two quarters.
The trade left Dallas with Dante Fowler, Marshawn Kneeland, Donovan Ezeiruaku and Sam Williams coming off the edge. Kneeland has made some noise against the run, but nobody in that group has made a peep when Hurts has dropped back to pass. It’s been Osa Odighizuwa and not a whole lot else in terms of winning individual matchups
While Ezeiruaku is only a rookie and Williams is seeing his first action since 2023 due to a torn ACL, that is exactly why Jerry Jones shouldn't have traded Parsons. His production and presence are impossible to replace, regardless of how Kenny Clark performs inside and what the two first-round picks turn into.
The Eagles have better tackles than most teams. They will shut down most makeshift EDGE groups, but Cowboys fans saw this coming a mile away. And it's just the beginning.