The Dallas Cowboys see a familiar face this week when Micah Parsons and the Green Bay Packers come to town for a matchup on Sunday Night Football.
Parsons, the Cowboys' former first-round pick out of Penn State, was traded to the Packers less than a month ago following a drawn-out contract extension saga that ended with the two sides parting ways.
Now Parsons will have a chance to show Dallas what they're missing out on when he enters AT&T Stadium for the first time in an opposing team's uniform.
Cowboys' Brian Schottenheimer Able to Sidestep Micah Parsons Question
That hasn't stopped Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer from being asked questions about the pass rusher he never got to personally coach, and he was able to dodge them perfectly.
"I would say that we have not been playing to the standard that we want to play to," Schottenheimer said via The Landry Hat. "But if we had Micah, you can't predict that we'd be playing any better. You can't predict that we'd be playing any better or worse - those are projections."
While there could be a partial truth to what Schotty is saying, it is a bit disingenuous to say a two-time All-Pro pass rusher wouldn't help improve your defense.
The Cowboys' defense ranks second-to-last in EPA per play in the league, and the former Nittany Lion has 17 pressures to himself so far this year.
It's not up for debate whether or not the Cowboys' defense would be better with or without Parsons.
More Penn State news:
- Micah Parsons holds himself accountable for Browns' upset victory over Packers
- Insider reveals what Cowboys are truly missing after Micah Parsons trade
- Giants' Abdul Carter tabbed 'under the most pressure' entering Week 3
- Patriots trade idea lands defensive end to bolster pass rush