One of the preseason storylines for the Dallas Cowboys was how new defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer would handle superstar edge rusher Micah Parsons.
Zimmer is an old school disciplinarian. Parsons is a talented wild buck on the field who liked to freelance and star on social media off the field.
Helping fuel the fire was Parsons’ absence during the offseason program when the rest of the team was learning defense. He was in China and Japan serving as a so-called football ambassador.
When he did return for minicamp, Parsons said he hadn’t exchanged 20 words with his gruff defensive coordinator. He also said that Zimmer was going to have to adjust to him.
NBC’s Pro Football Talk said Parsons was in for a rude awakening with Zimmer.
And at the start of training camp, Parsons was told unequivocally that Zimmer wanted his unit to be fundamentally sound and there would be no freelancing.
Given that back drop, it was an initial surprise to learn in camp that Zimmer and Parsons were meeting for breakfast every morning.
It was the first glimpse of a growing relationship. Zimmer and Parsons talked about the special packages being installed to feature the three time All-Pro performer in the Cowboys defense — to help him become even more of an impact player.
It was all on full display in Sunday’s 33-17 season opener victory against the Cleveland Browns when Parsons lined up at a variety of spots along the defensive line to spearhead a dominant defensive performance.
Parsons had one of the teams six sacks and nearly had several more. He also had a league-high nine quarterbacks hits.
Zimmer was kicking himself after the game saying he needed to do more to unleash Parsons. So, he had a new wrinkle to free him from double teams Wednesday morning.
But the kicker came Wednesday afternoon when Parsons was asked about rushing from the A gap, which he’s done since his rookie year under former defensive coordinator Dan Quinn.
“Not with that much free will,” Parsons explained. “Zimm and [defensive line coach] Jeff [Zgonina] got so much confidence in me. I’m setting in the front, you know, especially when we get into the games and third down situations.”
Setting the front? How so?
“Let’s just say they just make like ‘a back end’ call. Maybe it’s like an over front, or like a go front. They let me kind of control the games of what we want to do, how we can set it, what I’m seeing, and things like that. So, you know, it goes to work that we’re putting in and how much they trust in me.”
That Zimmer has put this trust in him has made Parsons even more motivated to be a great player for himself, and for the Cowboys and his new-best friend defensive coordinator.
It has made him study more and be more accountable.
“It really gets me going because it makes me lock in a little bit more,” Parsons said. “I’m used to, ‘Alright Micah, go to the right side and best on best [vs the left tackle].’ I’m always up for that challenge, but the fact that I got the creativity to control things where I know I got to be on my A game always because I’ve got these other guys depending on me now to [control that alignment].
“It kind of gets me more excited, it gets me more into it. It gets that drive, that hunger just a little bit more. Now I feel like I just can’t let this guy [Zimmer] down. He’s giving me the keys to the system. I got to be accountable myself for him.”
Maybe this is Zimmer being an old school coach, but also being master psychologist in devising a plan to get the most of out his best player and buying into the system by heaving him be an integral part of the decision making.
Whatever it is, it has worked.
Let Parsons tell it: it was always going to work with him and Zimmer because he is a natural competitor, a lifelong learner and he wants to win.
“I’ve always been coachable. I’ve always been wanting to learn,” Parsons said. “For me, if you gave me a board game and you probably beat me at that board game, the next you could probably not beat me at that board game. It was nothing with you. I’m learning the strategies, I’m learning how to play the game. With Zimm here, it’s like he has a new way of playing the game. For me, I’m attracted to new ways. If you’re a winner, I’m a winner, and when you have two winners, alright, we could win together. I’m just so attracted to winning, that I’m absorbing everything he’s telling me.”
Parsons said he has heard the talk of how tough Zimmer is and he’s just like a kid who wants please his dad and stay out of trouble.
“I think our relationship is, for me: I know how hard he is, I hear that so much, that I also play for his approval,” Parsons said. “I kind of just look at him sometimes to see if he speaks, but he doesn’t say much at all. Then I might get a random text at night [that says], ‘Hey, great job today. You really played hard. I appreciate that. I appreciate how you play.'”
Zimmer and Parsons’ relationship has grown so much that the texts are more than just about football.
Zimmer, who owns race horses, is now trying to get Parsons into the horse business.
“Sometimes he may text me about his horses, so I think that means we’re getting closer,” Parsons said. “I think we’re about to get a horse together. I was like, ‘Yeah, yeah, yeah. Cool. Do I get 10% of the horse? He’s like, ‘Yeah, but you’ve got to pay child support,’ and I was like whoa! It’s the training fees and stuff like that.”
The more Parsons talked, the more he got onto Zimmer’s possible game.
“I think he has a funny way of building connections,” Parsons said. “He kind of builds connections in his own way, and I think that’s what separates him. He’s definitely different. He’s not a man of many words, so if you get some words out of him, that’s a good sign.”
Parsons says he knows nothing about horses, but he is slowly catching up. What he does know is he’s going to need some new clothes for the races to follow his namesake run around the track.
“He says he’s going to name it Parsons,” Parsons said Zimmer told him. “Yeah, Parsons, the horse, so when you see me at the Kentucky Derby with my hat on, with my boots on.”
With Zimmer, his new best bud, right next to him.
