CENTENNIAL, Colo. — Cowboys linebacker Micah Parsons crooked his head and paused.
He had to think about this.
Answering the question — how many sacks did he have Thursday? — meant mentally replaying a dominant performance he completed about 45 minutes earlier in a joint practice versus the Denver Broncos. He worked at linebacker and defensive end. Most of his end rushes came against right tackle Calvin Anderson, as Parsons relentlessly attacked off the edge, varying his inside and outside moves to stagger Anderson.
“More than a few,” Parsons said.
Sounds about right.
Less than a few NFL defenders stand to be as disruptive as Parsons this season. At least, that is based on everything Parsons has shown during training camp, looking bound to build off his NFL debut. The unanimous defensive rookie of the year and AP Defensive Player of the Year runner-up has been a force all summer, including at defensive end when matching up with Cowboys right tackle Terence Steele in Oxnard, Calif., and now Anderson here.
Anyone looking to identify the MVP of Cowboys training camp can start here.
On Tuesday, during the final padded practice the Cowboys held in Oxnard, the team practiced various game situations at a physical, up-tempo play style. Parsons registered multiple sacks in an end-of-game period, including on the final play with one second remaining. He dipped his right shoulder while digging his left cleats into the beaten grass, bending the edge around Steele to sack quarterback Dak Prescott.
There was a lot of that in Oxnard: Parsons beating Steele.
Anderson and quarterback Russell Wilson were next.
“Micah is going to do what he does,” defensive tackle Neville Gallimore said after Thursday’s practice. “Phenomenal athlete. Great player. Today was just another opportunity to show that.”
Anderson is a swing tackle for the Broncos, currently working at first-team right tackle while Billy Smith recovers from an offseason surgery. Anderson said that he remembers Parsons from the Broncos’ visit to Arlington last year. Although Anderson personally didn’t allow any sacks to Parsons that game, it is difficult to forget the 2 1/2 sacks Parsons totaled, one of few forgettable aspects for Denver in its 30-16 win.
Parsons reinforced the respect Anderson already had.
“He’s gifted, yeah,” Anderson said. “He’s really fast. He has a nice bend off the edge. …He mixes his moves up. He’s not going to do the same thing every time. He’s multiple enough, and the way his body functions, his athleticism, allows him to mix those moves up. That’s going to be a benefit for him. He has a nice jab inside, all of that.”
Like other key veterans, Parsons won’t play in Saturday’s preseason game against the Broncos.
That was the design of how Cowboys coaches scripted the joint practice, feeding reps to their first-team offense and defense in a controlled, competitive environment. They can now rest in the exhibition, where the injury rate is higher than a joint practice, and allow younger players and other roster hopefuls a chance to impress.
The next time Parsons works in pads, it will be at joint practices against the Los Angeles Chargers next Wednesday and Thursday. Another performance like the one Thursday seems entirely plausible.
The Cowboys can count on it.
