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Cowboys 2021 rookie report: Even Micah Parsons’ quiet days are special

The Cowboys rookie continues to prove how special he is this year.

Syndication: The Record Danielle Parhizkaran/NorthJersey.com / USA TODAY NETWORK

Welcome to another week in which we all resist the urge to turn these weekly rookie reports into a full blown Micah Parsons admiration post. This week’s edition may be a little easier considering the rookie snapped his streak of games with a sack and had a fairly pedestrian stat line.

Of course, anyone who watched the Cowboys control the Giants in their 21-6 victory Sunday knows that Parsons once again excelled in whatever he was asked to do. It’s just that Lil’ Lawrence Taylor wasn’t asked to rush the passer much this week. Still, Parsons was active all day, especially in comparison to his fellow rookies.

Micah Parsons, LB

Here’s the full stat line for Parsons against the Giants: 89% of defensive snaps, one tackle, one pass defensed, and two pressures. It’s not a lot to get worked up over, especially for his standards, but Dan Quinn had Parsons playing much more off-the-ball duties in this one. That gave him an opportunity to showcase his vastly improved skills in coverage on that aforementioned pass breakup:

The last few weeks have been consumed by Parsons’ growing odds to win Defensive Player of the Year over the likes of Myles Garrett and TJ Watt, and while this week’s performance probably won’t alter those odds dramatically, it was another installment in the season-long lesson we’ve all been learning on just how impactful Parsons is.

Kelvin Joseph, CB

With Nahshon Wright once again out this week, Kelvin Joseph continued to see a larger workload on special teams. His 16 snaps there on Sunday actually tied him for the team lead in this game, right next to C.J. Goodwin, Luke Gifford, and Darian Thompson. He was also credited with a great tackle during a kickoff, offering a reminder of how well the rookie has played on special teams this year.

Osa Odighizuwa, iDL

Osa Odighizuwa did not play in this game for the first time all year as he tested positive for COVID-19.

Chauncey Golston, EDGE

Perhaps the Cowboys and Dan Quinn planned on Chauncey Golston continuing to see a decent portion of snaps even after getting DeMarcus Lawrence and Randy Gregory back, but the dominant play of both star edge rushers seems to have changed that.

Golston has seen his defensive snaps share drop dramatically over the last three weeks, and against New York his 14 snaps were lowest on the team. Still, he made the most of his brief time on the field, recording a tackle for his efforts. This is a case of Golston simply playing the same position as some really great players, and not a reflection of the very reliable play he’s exhibited all year.

Nahshon Wright, CB

Nahshon Wright was activated from the COVID-19 list but was inactive on Sunday as he works his way back.

Jabril Cox, LB

Jabril Cox is on the injured reserve with a torn ACL.

Josh Ball, OT

Josh Ball is on the injured reserve.

Simi Fehoko, WR

Simi Fehoko was inactive for this game.

Quinton Bohanna, iDL

Quinton Bohanna got some nice run late in the game, as Dallas seemingly began pulling their starters on a rotational basis as time ticked off. Bohanna’s 27% snap share on defense was the highest he’s seen since the Denver game. It was good to see the rookie get some experience in a broader role, and Bohanna came away with two tackles on the day.

Israel Mukuamu, S

Israel Mukuamu was inactive for this game.

Matt Farniok, OG

After being inactive last week, Matt Farniok was back in this one and suited up for all five of Greg Zuerlein’s kicks.

JaQuan Hardy, RB

For the second week in a row, JaQuan Hardy was called up to the active roster even though Tony Pollard was back this week. This marked the first time all year that Dallas carried four running backs on the active roster. However, Hardy only saw work on special teams, with his 14 snaps representing the second-highest mark on the team Sunday.

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