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5 players the Cowboys need to play well to beat Buccaneers

By Rucker Haringey

ARLINGTON, TEXAS - OCTOBER 11: Dak Prescott #4 of the Dallas Cowboys attempts a pass against the New York Giants during the second quarter at AT&T Stadium on October 11, 2020 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)
ARLINGTON, TEXAS - OCTOBER 11: Dak Prescott #4 of the Dallas Cowboys attempts a pass against the New York Giants during the second quarter at AT&T Stadium on October 11, 2020 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images) /
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Micah Parsons, Dallas Cowboys
OXNARD, CA – JULY 24: Linebacker Micah Parsons #11 of the Dallas Cowboys battle runs drills during training camp at River Ridge Complex on July 24, 2021 in Oxnard, California. (Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images) /

4. Micah Parsons

The Cowboys selected Parsons in Round 1 of the 2020 NFL Draft because they need more playmaking in the second level of their defense. Week 1 is the time when Parsons needs to start to repay the organization’s faith.

The former Penn State star has all the athletic ability required to disrupt Tampa Bay’s offense. He’s going to get a lot of freedom from defensive coordinator Dan Quinn on Thursday night. It’s imperative that he turn some of that freedom into negative plays to put the Buccaneers’ offense in uncomfortable situations.

Cowboys fans need to acknowledge that Parsons is going to make some mistakes in his first NFL game. Lining up against a cerebral quarterback like Brady is a challenge for any linebacker, much less an inexperienced rookie. The number of mistakes Parsons is going to make puts even more pressure on him to make several positive plays to help cancel out the potential negative effects of his mishaps.

Week 1 won’t be a referendum on Parsons’ long-term NFL prospects, but it would be a big boost for Dallas if he flashes against the defending champs. Any hope the Cowboys have of becoming a top-10 defense will require big contributions from Parsons.

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