It is absolutely nauseating to think about how much better the Dallas Cowboys' defense would be if Micah Parsons were still wreaking havoc off the edge.
While it would still be a subpar unit, Parsons alone would likely elevate it from the 32nd-ranked defense to about the 25-27 range. That gap is the difference between the Cowboys being 4-2 or 5-1 to their current record at 2-3-1. Like we said: it's repulsive to think about.
Parsons only has 2.5 sacks on the season, but he's been as impactful as ever. However, Packers fans are slowly waking up to a brutal truth about the All-Pro that Cowboys fans learned long ago. Just like with Dallas, Parsons could get tackled and the refs still wouldn't throw a flag.
Former Cowboys star Micah Parsons still can't buy a holding call with the Packers
"It's frustrating when it's blatant. Those should get called, right?,"Packers head coach Matt LaFleur said on Monday. "I know he's frustrated by it. And there are some that are egregious and those need to be called."
That sounds very familiar.
Parsons' get-off is so quick and sudden that opposing offensive linemen have to resort to drastic measures to prevent him from sacking their quarterback. The truth of the matter is that Parsons wins so often that he could draw a handful of holding penalties per game. While calling every single one would be an eyesore for fans, refs are already throwing flags at an unnecessary rate.
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The former Cowboy was put in a chokehold on one rep against the Browns this past Sunday, and nothing was called. It's the latest evidence that Parsons' dominance is held against him. He's held to a different standard than every other defensive player in the league.
Parsons is currently tied for eighth with a 23 percent pass-rush win rate. He's second with a 92.8 pass-rush grade, tied for fourth with 29 pressures, and tied for sixth with a 29.7 pass-rush win rate in true pass sets, per Pro Football Focus. And yet, he's only drawn four penalties.
Cowboys fans might remember that Parsons went 11 consecutive games last season without drawing a single holding call. It clearly isn't going to change. It's not impacting Parsons' influence on games, but there will come a time late in the season when the Packers get screwed in a big game because refs decided to swallow their whistles on a blatant hold in a big moment..
The non-calls were more magnified with the Cowboys because of their brand, but this is a Parsons problem, not a Cowboys issue.