Todd Archer
FRISCO, Texas — To Jerry Jones, the commerce of Micah Parsons to the Inexperienced Bay Packers will make the Dallas Cowboys a greater postseason workforce.
“This was a transfer to get us profitable within the playoffs,” Jones mentioned in a 46-minute information convention Thursday after the Cowboys acquired defensive deal with Kenny Clark and first-round picks in 2026 and 2027. “This was a transfer to be higher on protection, stopping the run. This was a transfer to, if we get behind, not be run on. And it was a deliberate transfer, a well-thought-out transfer to make this occur.”
First, the Cowboys must attain the postseason with out Parsons, who was chosen to the Professional Bowl in every of his first 4 seasons and likewise totaled 52.5 sacks.
Second, they'll want their pass-rushing depth, led by Dante Fowler Jr., Marshawn Kneeland, Sam Williams, Donovan Ezeiruaku and James Houston, to turn out to be as forceful as Parsons, who's one in all two gamers to document at the very least 12 sacks in every of his first 4 seasons since sacks grew to become an official stat in 1982. These 5 gamers have accounted for 73 sacks, with Kneeland, coming into his second season, and Ezeiruaku, a rookie, but to document a sack.
Third, the Cowboys will want their offense, led by new coach Brian Schottenheimer and quarterback Dak Prescott, who's coming back from an damage that price him the ultimate 9 video games final season, to attain a number of factors, beginning subsequent week towards the Philadelphia Eagles.
“In our judgment, this offers us a greater likelihood to be a greater workforce than we have now been the final a number of years,” Jones mentioned.
Earlier than final 12 months's 7-10 end, the Cowboys went 12-5 three straight years however could not get previous the divisional spherical of the playoffs. Of their previous three playoff losses to the Packers (2023) and San Francisco 49ers (2021-22), the Cowboys have allowed 425 yards on the bottom on 103 carries with six speeding touchdowns. Parsons didn't document a sack in any of these video games.
Final 12 months, the Cowboys gave up greater than 100 yards in 12 of 17 video games and greater than 140 yards eight occasions. With the addition of Clark, the Cowboys have added dimension (6-foot-3, 314 kilos) and experience (a three-time Professional Bowler).
“Kenny Clark is an enormous a part of this,” govt vp Stephen Jones mentioned. “That was an enormous a part of profitable proper now. … We hadn't been in a position to win the massive video games within the playoffs, and we expect it's a direct connection to not having the ability to cease the run. And we expect Kenny Clark goes to be an enormous piece to that. We felt like, due to our depth on the sting, in addition to the flexibility to scheme stress, that we might make up for Micah as a result of clearly he is elite at speeding the passer.”
New defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus was a Cowboys assistant after they have been No. 1 towards the run in 2016. Prior to now 12 years as a head coach, coordinator or linebackers coach, Eberflus has had eight top-10 run defenses.
“When you may have the form of extraordinary cross rush that Micah has, then the way in which to mitigate that cross rush is to run at [him],” Jerry Jones mentioned. “If the cross rush does not get you forward, fairly huge time, then while you're taking part in even or behind, then you definately actually bought an issue in stopping the run.”
Parsons will make his return to AT&T Stadium with the Packers on Sept. 28. Jerry Jones has seen former stars return earlier than, like Emmitt Smith in 2003 with the Arizona Cardinals.
“Micah shall be problematic, very problematic,” Jerry Jones mentioned. “I would recommend that we get forward and run the ball.”
