"Good, but not good enough" - Cowboys LB Micah Parsons laments loss to Chiefs despite stellar performance on defense

Micah Parsons and the Dallas Cowboys went into Arrowhead Stadium on Sunday looking to take advantage of a Kansas City Chiefs team that hasn't yet fired on all cylinders during the 2021-2022 NFL season. The defense held up their end of the bargain but the offense did not, and the Cowboys lost by a score of 19-9.

Parsons, the star rookie linebacker drafted in the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft, helped the Cowboys in every way possible, ending the game with two sacks, a forced fumble, and three hits on quarterback Patrick Mahomes. However, it wasn't enough for the win, and after the game, Parsons lamented over the loss.

Coming into Sunday's game, many would have assumed that any game featuring Dak Prescott and Patrick Mahomes would certainly be a shootout between two of the game's most prolific passers. That premonition never came to fruition as the defenses took center stage in a game that saw zero touchdown passes thrown between the two quarterbacks.

After the game, Parsons expressed his feelings regarding how things turned out:

"I thought we played great defense. That team can give you 45-50 (points) on any given day. To hold their offense under 20 points, we definitely did the job. It's good, but it's not good enough."

The Cowboys offense was putrid, as the rushing game was neutral as well. Ezekiel Elliott and backup running back Tony Pollard rushed for a combined total of 82 yards.

Here is a bit more of what Parsons had to say:

"I think Q [defensive coordinator Dan Quinn] and [linebackers] coach George [Edwards] and AD [defensive line coach Aden Durde] are doing a really good job of moving me around, letting me play to my strengths, knowing what games to play me at end and games to play me at linebacker. And I'm just happy they drafted me with a plan."

Parsons, the jack of all trades

Although he's a linebacker, Parsons has been pulling double duty while playing as an edge rusher in the absence of former Pro Bowl defensive end Demarcus Lawrence. The Cowboys were also without the services of Randall Gregory, their other starting edge rusher.

Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn has been utilizing Parsons as a critical chess piece that he can use all over the field. The results have been amazing as Parsons is the frontrunner for the Defensive Rookie of the Year award.

Parsons and the Cowboys would certainly rather trade in the chance to earn a DROY trophy for a shot at the Lombardi Trophy in February.