Micah Parsons after loss to Bengals: Have to find way to keep Cowboys alive

In the span of 59 seconds on Monday night, Cowboys players went from elated at the prospects of a certain win to the unbelievable sight of Ja’Marr Chase gliding into the end zone on a game-winning score. So, have some empathy for Micah Parsons, who was notably distressed in the final moments of the Bengals’ 27-20 win.

“This one hurt me more than any loss this year, probably even worse than a playoff loss, to be honest,” Parsons said after the game. “Where we were going and how we were playing, playing good football, I’m going to sit on this but I have to find a way to keep these guys alive.”

No longer alive, at least unofficially, are the playoff hopes for Dallas (5-8). Parsons and the rest of the Cowboys’ locker room had hopes of a 2024 comeback, hopes that evaporated on one bipolar play Monday night.

Now, Dallas is at another unenviable crossroads. Having lost Dak Prescott (on Nov. 3) and future Hall of Fame guard Zack Martin (Nov. 18) to season-ending injuries, how do Parsons and head coach Mike McCarthy finish the season?

“It is an extremely painful way to lose a football game,” said former All-Pro center Jeff Saturday on ESPN’s Get Up Tuesday morning. “And I’ve been a part of a lot of them … when you lose in a flukey way that way, it does cut you deeper.

“And here’s where you’re really going to see the salt of the players. When it really doesn’t matter for playoffs, do they show up with the same type of attitude, practice ability, game intensity, all of those things?”

Without question, Parsons, McCarthy and the Cowboys have plenty of pride. That was on display Monday night, when CeeDee Lamb racked up six catches for 93 yards and a touchdown while playing with a painful shoulder injury. And both Jerry Jones and Troy Aikman have hinted that McCarthy will be back on the sideline in 2025.

After Carolina (3-10) on Sunday at Bank of America Stadium (1 p.m. ET, FOX), Dallas can certainly embrace a spoiler role against its final three opponents: Tampa Bay, Philadelphia and Washington.

For more information on the Bengals and Cowboys, visit the Cincinnati and Dallas team pages at ProFootballPost.com.