Cowboys preparing to play without hurt Parsons

FRISCO, Texas — Dallas Cowboys edge rusher Micah Parsons has not missed a game due to injury at any level of football, but it’s looking more likely that he’ll miss his first on Sunday against the Pittsburgh Steelers because of a high left ankle sprain.

Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy on Monday said the team is preparing to play Sunday’s game without Parsons.

“Man, it’s like, just frustrating, for real,” said Parsons, who missed one game in 2021 because of COVID. “Going from being ready and being there for the team to being out hurts me because I feel like I’m letting people down.”

Parsons was wearing a protective boot and using a scooter to get around Monday after suffering the injury in the fourth quarter of Thursday’s win against the New York Giants. An MRI confirmed the high ankle sprain.

After the Steelers, the Cowboys play the Detroit Lions on Oct. 13 before entering their bye week.

Parsons acknowledged it might “make sense to some” to sit out the next two games and the bye week.

“But when you’re a real competitor, you only get 17 chances at this,” Parsons said. “And missing one of these opportunities to perform at the highest level bothers me. I feel like I want to play on Sunday. If I can play, I will play, you know. To me, as long as I can run and move how I move, I want to play.”

The Cowboys also will be without their other top pass rusher, DeMarcus Lawrence, who is dealing with a Lisfranc injury in his right foot. While the injury will not require surgery, he is looking at missing four to eight weeks, sources told ESPN.

“Those guys are the motor,” cornerback Jourdan Lewis said. “They make this thing go. Especially when you got guys that make plays like that. And as contagious as they play, it’s definitely hard. We going to have to find ways to supplement that because there’s no way you can replace it. We just got to go out there and find ways to attack offenses without those guys. So look forward to it.”

What was Parsons’ message to the defensive linemen?

“It’s time to man up, for sure,” Parsons said. “We talk about next-man mentality.”

Parsons has confidence in rookie Marshawn Kneeland, Chauncey Golston and Carl Lawson, who has been elevated from the practice squad the past two games. Lawrence is likely heading to injured reserve and the Cowboys will look for defensive line help.

“We know we got to step up for our boys,” Kneeland said. “We know that seeing them go down, obviously none of us wanted that to happen. Now we all got to come together and play for each other.”

In 2022, the Cowboys survived Dak Prescott‘s five-game absence due to a broken thumb and went 4-1 with Cooper Rush at quarterback. Lewis, however, did not want to draw that parallel.

“Yeah, you can say that, but I mean it’s two great players,” Lewis said. “Not saying that Dak isn’t as great as two players, but those two players on defense, it’s definitely hard. … We’ve got to find ways to do things in their absence.”