WATCH: Cowboys rookie Micah Parsons makes history with overtime sack vs. Raiders
Micah Parsons has clearly been one of the most dominant rookies in the NFL this season. His stat line makes an argument that the first-year NFL player is one of the top defenders in all of the league in general.
While the Dallas Cowboys fell short after a gritty fourth-quarter comeback, there was a bright spot. Despite the heartbreaking loss to the Las Vegas Raiders to spoil Thanksgiving for Dallas fans, Parsons inked his name in the record books with a crucial overtime sack of Raiders’ quarterback Derek Carr.
No matter the moment or situation, the former Penn State star has delivered time and time again this season.
Midway through overtime, Las Vegas was driving. On 2nd-and-11, Parsons lined up like a defensive end and completely outmatched the right tackle, eventually taking Carr to the ground. The Raiders were out of field goal range, but a controversial pass interference call on the next play allowed them to eventually win.
Here’s the masterful play from Micah Parsons.
Micah Parsons entered the game with 60 tackles and 8.0 sacks in his team’s first 10 games of a season, a stat line that hadn’t been delivered since Terrell Suggs in 2013. He’s also the first player with 60 tackles and 8.0 sacks in his first 10 career games since 2000.
To date, Parsons has accumulated nine quarterback sacks, 18 QB hits, two forced fumbles, 13 tackles for a loss, and a total of 62 tackles. Whether you prefer to classify him as a linebacker or defensive end, the numbers he’s already put up this year would rival just about anybody’s rookie season and there’s still a lot of football to play for those stats to improve.
After another thrilling performance, Micah Parsons is making a legitimate run at Defensive Rookie of The Year, and if the production continues he has a real chance to shatter the NFL overall rookie sack record.
Former Tennessee Titans star Jevon Kearse owns the record with 14.5, but the Cowboys rookie is already more than halfway there with six games remaining.