5 Cowboys Bold Predictions for Week 3 vs. Cardinals

3. Micah Parsons Locks Up Defensive Player of the Year (Again)

Last week I said Micah Parsons would lock up the 2023 NFL Defensive Player of the Year Award, and he certainly did his best to make me look smart (an impressive task in its own right).

Parsons absolutely terrorized the Jets’ offensive line with 2.0 sacks, 3 TFLs and another 4 QB hits. Plus he was so close to getting his first touchdown of the season on a fumble recovery.

That game vaulted him into first place as a clear favorite to win the award and even started getting him some NFL MVP buzz. That MVP hype is probably going too far, but the Defensive Player of the Year odds haven't gone far enough.

It's wild that he's already such a favorite, but he's going to take an even more massive leap after this game. Not only will he dominate again (PFF has Arizona's offensive line graded below-average against both the pass and run), but T.J. Watt is finally going to slow down as he takes on a Las Vegas Raiders offensive line that PFF ranks No. 1 in pass protection.

Parsons might not quite reach minus-odds (indicating a better than 50% chance of winning the award) yet, but he's going to massively extend his lead over the field.