Micah Parsons provides update on ankle injury after getting carted off in Week 4

The Dallas Cowboys have plenty to feel good about after their win over the rival New York Giants on Thursday night. Mike Zimmer's defense seemed to finally solve its issues against the run (although New York's punchless offensive line might deserve an assist there), CeeDee Lamb and Dak Prescott led an efficient offensive attack and Dallas snapped a two-game losing streak to get back into the NFC playoff picture — and stave off a potentially existential crisis.

There was one sour note amid all the good vibes, however. Star pass rusher Micah Parsons was forced to leave the game in the fourth quarter after getting rolled up on by a falling lineman. The All-Pro needed to be helped off the field by Dallas' training staff and spent several minutes in the medical tent before eventually being carted back to the locker room with his left shoe off.

The sight of No. 11 on the ground in pain had every Cowboys fan's heart in their throats, and focus immediately shifted from the rest of the game to the status of Dallas' best defender. Parsons was able to meet with the media and offer an update on his condition after the game, and while it seems like he may have avoided any worst-case scenarios, everything remains very much up in the air.

Micah Parsons offers update after injury vs. Giants

First, the good news: Parsons showed a noticeable limp in the Cowboys locker room postgame and was icing his ankle, but he was still able to move around and meet with reporters. He didn't even rule out playing in next week's showdown with the Pittsburgh Steelers, although he added that he still knew "very little" about the extent of his injury and wouldn't know more until undergoing an MRI on Friday.

It feels pretty unlikely that Parsons won't be forced to miss any time; the injury looked pretty significant in real-time, and even if there's no structural damage, ankle sprains aren't the kind of thing you get over in a few days' time. Still, it's a relief that Parsons isn't ruling it out yet and that he and the team were confident enough in his condition to let him meet with the media and move around a bit.

Still, the Cowboys upcoming schedule is daunting, with Pittsburgh in Week 5 and the Detroit Lions in Week 6 before their Week 7 bye. It's hard to overstate Parsons' impact on this defense, the attention he attracts and what that frees up for everyone else. This was a unit that was looking a bit shaky even with Parsons on the field; if he has to miss one or both of those next two games, Dallas could find itself in a bit of a hole as it enters the back half of the season.