Saquon Barkley was a Daniel Jones overthrow away from roasting the Cowboys’ Micah Parsons in man protection for a 75-yard landing go final October in Arlington, Texas.
Instead, the ball sailed incomplete over the operating again’s slant route, Barkley inadvertently stepped on the ankle of Cowboys nook Jourdan Lewis and the Giants’ 2021 season spiraled into disarray.
Barkley and Parsons are pals. They each performed at Penn State. They hang around. Barkley claims he by no means trash-talked Parsons about what ought to have occurred on that play.
“No, I don’t think that conversation came up,” Barkley mentioned with a smirk Thursday. “I kind of tried to put that game behind me.”
But the Giants have it on tape: proof they’ve a solution to Parsons.
That’s vital as a result of Parsons is the primary man standing between the Giants and their first 3-0 begin since 2009 on Monday Night Football at MetLife Stadium.
“He’s a problem,” Giants coach Brian Daboll mentioned of Parsons. “He’s a dynamic football player. He has rare pass-rush ability. We’re going to have to have a good plan for him. He’s fun to watch when you’re not getting ready to play him.”
Of all of the Giants’ personnel errors beneath earlier GM Dave Gettleman, the choice to not draft Parsons final spring – and let him slip to Dallas at No. 12 – may find yourself being essentially the most regrettable of all.
“One of the best players in the league,” Barkley mentioned. “You can make an argument [he’s] playing like the best player in the league.”
The Giants traded again from choose No. 11 and took broad receiver Kadarius Toney at No. 20 as an alternative. New GM Joe Schoen used the additional first-round choose acquired in that commerce to pick out proper sort out Evan Neal No. 7 general this 12 months.
Parsons racked up 13 sacks as a rookie to earn first-team All-Pro and Defensive Rookie of the Year honors in 2021. He now has 4 sacks in two video games to open his second professional season.
The Cowboys (1-1) have gained 9 of their final 10 towards the Giants from 2017 to the current day. And they’re 2-0 on this NFC East rivalry with Parsons on their facet.
He missed most of Dallas’ practices this week on account of an sickness, however he posted a video of Michael Jordan combating via the NBA star’s well-known flu sport to point he’s a go.
“I don’t think people realize how much I train my mind!!” Parsons tweeted. “Your mental is everything!”
The Giants aren’t intimidated. Left sort out Andrew Thomas is taking part in nicely. Neal, the rookie from Alabama, mentioned he respects Parsons however under no circumstances fears him.
“He’s a football player just like me,” Neal mentioned. “He puts his pants on one leg at a time just like me, straps up his shoulder pads one strap at a time just like me and he’s a really good player. Excited to go against him, for sure.”
At the identical, the Giants’ poor go safety for Jones via two weeks doesn’t bode nicely coming into Monday’s matchup with the Cowboys (1-1).
Jones has been pressured on a league-high 50.8% of his go dropbacks (32 of 63), in keeping with NFL NextGen Stats and sacked eight instances.
The Cowboys’ protection solely ranks twenty sixth in QB strain charge at 21.1% of opponents’ go dropbacks, with eight complete sacks. And the Giants’ Jones has solely turned the ball over twice this season, each in Week 1 at Tennessee.
But the Giants’ margin for error is slim: they gained the turnover battle, 2-0, with the Carolina Panthers final week and solely gained the sport by three, 19-16.
Dallas defensive coordinator Dan Quinn – who pulled out of the Giants’ head coach operating in January after a primary interview – takes benefit of Parsons’ versatility and strikes him across the subject to maximise favorable matchups.
The Cowboys additionally carry themselves with confidence towards the Giants on account of their latest dominance of the rivalry.
Antagonist DeMarcus Lawrence, one other stud go rusher, referred to as Jones “Little Eli” this week – utilizing the identical nickname he used to use to Eli Manning.
“I’m excited to see Little Eli again,” Lawrence informed Dallas reporters with a smile.
Dallas is taking part in Sunday’s sport with backup QB Cooper Rush, although, not injured starter Dak Prescott.
And Daboll’s Giants have Barkley, presumably their reply to the Parsons drawback.
“A guy like Micah, you want to compete with a guy like that,” Barkley mentioned. “You know how talented he is. You know how special of a player he is… We know it’s going to be a tough task, but we’ve got to continue to love the process and stick with each other.”
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Source: www.bostonherald.com