Micah Parsons and Dallas defense will have a tough test against Kyler Murray, Cardinals quarterback

If a teammate asks Micah Parsons for a nickname, the rookie linebacker for the Dallas Cowboys has it right away.

Cornerback Trevon Diggs was looking for a nickname and Parsons told him, “You’re an eagle, bro. You’re in a league of your own. Eagles only fly with other eagles. No other bird can reach its altitude.

“So he’s the eagle and I’m the lion,” Parsons said.

On Sunday afternoon, Parsons, the self-proclaimed lion, and Diggs, the eagle, will face Arizona in a game with seeded implications in the playoffs.

Quarterback Kyler Murray, Allen’s high school football legend, has never lost at AT&T Stadium. He is 7-0. Unbeaten. Indisputable.

His goblin-like abilities have made him difficult to defend, whatever level he’s played at.

Parsons also has a nickname for him.

“Kyler is a cheetah,” Parsons said.

“The cheetah is the fastest animal, but I mean a lion does not go alone. There are a lot of lions and lionesses, so if you have a pride of lions, I like the lion on the cheetah any day of the week. “

The Cowboys defense has sustained this team for the past four weeks as the offense grappled with discomfort.

Last Sunday, a four-game win streak was marked by a 56-14 beating of Washington at AT&T Stadium, with offense and defense contributing in tandem.

On the winning streak, the Cowboys defense, while playing their best football of the season and perhaps in years, faced the following quarterbacks: Taylor Heinicke (twice), Mike Glennon, Jake Fromm, Kyle Allen and Taysom Hill.

The defense compiled 12 sacks, 10 interceptions, three defensive touchdowns, 30 quarterbacks, six forced fumbles and 31 broken passes against those quarterbacks.

Murray is not the type of quarterback the Cowboys have seen the past four weeks – he brings something very different.

“I think the first thing is the extent of the plays that you talk about when you face a quarterback with his ability to run and escape,” defensive coordinator Dan Quinn said.

Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy’s description of Murray shows the respect Dallas has for the Cardinals quarterback.

“He’s very fast and elusive, decision-making that makes his offense very dynamic, he’s definitely a huge threat,” McCarthy said.

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