ARLINGTON, Texas — Micah Parsons approached his locker with red, swollen eyes, having just wiped away tears before facing the media. The Dallas Cowboys' gut-wrenching loss to the Cincinnati Bengals on Monday Night Football left Parsons emotionally overwhelmed for two significant reasons.
First, the manner of the loss stung deeply. A blocked punt late in the game spiraled into a mental misstep, handing the Bengals a crucial first down that they converted into the game-winning touchdown.
“That hurt, alright?” said Parsons, the All-Pro edge rusher. “I wouldn’t wish this on anybody. You can’t even put that into words, bro.”
The second blow was the potential season-ending knee injury suffered by linebacker DeMarvion Overshown. The talented young player, who had already battled back from a torn ACL in 2024 that wiped out his rookie season, appeared poised for a breakout year, with many seeing Pro Bowl potential in his performance.
Choking back tears, Parsons spoke about Overshown’s significance.
“He doesn’t deserve that,” Parsons said. “He really doesn’t. Knowing what he’s going to go through, physically and mentally, it’s so challenging. He’s so talented. The year he was having—it’s just not fair.”
While awaiting updates on Overshown’s injury, the Cowboys also grappled with the game’s unraveling. Parsons and the Dallas defense performed admirably against Joe Burrow and the Bengals' high-powered offense, holding them to 20 points before the pivotal blocked punt with just two minutes left in the fourth quarter.
Burrow, forced into a pass-heavy approach, threw 44 times, and the Cowboys snagged an interception courtesy of safety Malik Hooker. Although the offense, led by Cooper Rush, struggled at times, a career night by running back Rico Dowdle kept Dallas in the game with 20 points.
“I think we really did well,” said Parsons. “We could have done a little better containing him. But you tell me we hold Joe Burrow to 20 points with two minutes left, and with our offense moving the ball the way it was, I think we win that game.”
However, as has been a recurring theme for the Cowboys, self-inflicted wounds turned a potential victory into a painful defeat.
Now, with only four regular-season games remaining, the Cowboys face the daunting task of bouncing back. A short week looms as they prepare to take on a rejuvenated Carolina Panthers team. For Parsons, this loss cuts deeper than most.
“This one hurt me more than any loss this year,” he admitted. “Probably even worse than the playoff loss [to Green Bay in January], to be honest. Because of where we were going, how we were playing, playing good football—it just hurts. I’m going to sit on this.”
Despite the heartbreak, Parsons remains resolute in rallying his team.
“I have to find a way to keep these guys alive,” he said. “There’s still football to be played, opportunities to be seized. But we have to take advantage of every chance the rest of the way. We can’t let games like this slip away.”
Parsons’ visible anguish underscores his passion for winning and his unwavering commitment to his teammates—a determination that will be crucial as the Cowboys push through the season’s final stretch.
