ARLINGTON, Texas – Micah Parsons, eyes red and puffy from drying tears, walked to his locker before being accosted by a media swarm following the Dallas Cowboys’ abject loss to the Cincinnati Bengals on Monday Night Football – his emotions overwhelming him a few equally important reasons to overtake.

The first is not just the loss, but the way it happened: a blocked punt that quickly turned into a mental error that gave the Bengals a first down that they converted into the touchdown and eventual victory .

“That hurt, okay?” said the All-Pro edge rusher. “I won’t wish that on anyone. It’s impossible to put into words, brother.”

The other reason is the loss of DeMarvion Overshown to a potentially devastating knee injury. Tests on Tuesday should reveal the extent of the problem, but the talented young linebacker — who returned in 2024 from a torn ACL that cost him his entire rookie season in 2023 — is on track to at least earn a Pro Bowl nomination .

But there is one chance that has come to a screeching halt, and Parsons paused to wipe away tears before explaining what Overshown means to him.

“He didn’t deserve this,” Parsons said. “He really doesn’t. Knowing and understanding what he’s going to go through physically and mentally is just a huge challenge. He is so talented. I mean, the year he’s had just isn’t fair.”

While the team waits for the final prediction on Overshown, they also have to think about what went wrong against the Bengals.

All in all, Parsons and the Cowboys dealt with Burrow and a Bengals offense that could have easily marched into AT&T Stadium and given Mike Zimmer’s defense a 50-burger If The defense was not up to the task of playing first-class football.

They were, however, and although Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase made plays here and there, the Bengals often struggled to gain ground for much of the game as they faced the now-infamous blocked punt at the two-minute warning They only scored 20 points in the fourth quarter.

Burrow was unable to pass the ball against the Cowboys and was forced to throw it 44 times, one of which was turned into an interception by safety Malik Hooker. Cooper Rush and Dallas’ offense also had its problems, but a career game from running back Rico Dowdle helped them offset the deficit with 20 points of their own as the contest neared its conclusion.

“I think we did really well,” Parsons said. We could have done a little better at containing him and I think we gave up some points, but I mean, tell me, we’re holding Joe Burrow with two minutes to go and with our offense – the way we’re holding the “Having moved the ball – with 20 points today – I think we could win the game.”

They certainly had the chance, but as was the case in more than one of their defeats, self-inflicted wounds would snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.

And as the Cowboys prepare to deal with what happened Monday, as they prepare to travel on a short week to face the suddenly confident Carolina Panthers, Parsons and every other player are standing in the locker room hard-to-swallow pills before another proverbial bottle of beer.

“I’m not saying it’s snowing, but I don’t know,” he said, pausing between words to understand what will happen in 2024. “It seems like we are paying a debt that we don’t (owe). That’s not fair. I don’t know if it’s bad luck or karma, but as far as work ethic goes, everyone works so hard.

“I’m really going to soak this up. That hurt me more than any loss this year, probably even worse than the playoff loss (to the Green Bay Packers in January), to be honest, because where we were going, how we played, played good football?

There are still four games left in the regular season, and Parsons will work to recover from this blow to not only himself, but also everyone who wears the Cowboys uniform in hopes of ending the season on a positive note.

“I have to find a way to keep these guys alive,” he said. “There is still scope for football. There are still open spots, but we need to take advantage of every opportunity as we move forward. We can’t miss out on games like this, like we did today.”

Given Parsons’ state after that game, it’s impossible to ever accuse him of not caring about the win or his teammates.