3 Cowboys who immediately benefitted from Jerry Jones lifting Jimmy Johnson Curse
By Adam Weinrib
It's a beautiful day in Dallas, as a dark cloud was lifted, then transported directly to the area above Frank Reich and the Carolina Panthers' sideline.
Moments before the Cowboys took on the moribund Panthers, Jerry Jones and Jimmy Johnson hopped onto FOX's NFL pregame show to bury the metaphorical hatchet. Jones announced that Johnson would enter the Ring of Honor on Dec. 30, 2023 -- or was that 1923? -- against the Lions, formally ending a rift that many have nervously theorized has kept the Cowboys out of the Super Bowl (and NFC Championship Game...) for decades.
Is 2023 the year? Is this the defense? Was Sunday the official end of the Letdown Game against a Panthers team vying for the first pick, which would then be transferred to the Bears in the ultimate sign of incompetence?
Though the Cowboys tried, briefly, to put a damper on this blue-sky day by allowing the Panthers to convert three fourth downs on one absurdly long touchdown drive, the natural order of the universe eventually resulted in a whole bunch of fourth-quarter loveliness. These three Cowboys contributed most to the fresh start -- and the first win of the post-Curse world.
3 Cowboys who thrived vs Panthers (thanks, Jerry Jones!)
Micah Parsons
The possibilities for Parsons seemed endless when the defensive disruptor racked up two sacks in the first quarter on Sunday, further ruining Bryce Young's already nightmare-filled season.
Though he "slowed down" slightly as the game trudged on (and even had to take a break to vomit briefly, like many of us did during the third quarter), he still managed to blitz past the double-digit sack mark on the season, nabbing a third before the final whistle.
That's just the first step for Parsons this season, who has plenty of team-oriented goals to surpass and massive personal numbers to hit, but it's still an impressive one. Dan Quinn dialed his number repeatedly on Sunday and he smashed through Carolina's attempts to put up a brick wall around him. "Double digits before Thanksgiving" is certainly an accomplishment. Now, it's time to turn the season's fourth quarter into his own personal playground and get the Cowboys to the promised land.