It’s absurd, if not surprising, that national talking heads labeled the Dallas Cowboys’ Week 5 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers as unimpressive. While the Steelers aren’t a juggernaut, the Cowboys are overcoming a litany of injuries to win along the way, among other things.

Considering the circumstances, the Cowboys defense played admirably, but perhaps no player’s presence was missed more than Micah Parsons.

Parsons was diagnosed with a high ankle sprain after Dallas’ Week 4 win and was placed on a week-to-week schedule, leaving a glimmer of hope that he would return for Sunday’s big NFC game against the Detroit Lions. Jerry Jones kept that door ajar during his radio appearance Tuesday on 105.3 The Fan in Dallas.

While Parsons’ toughness is well documented, even he can’t beat a high ankle sprain in two short weeks. The Cowboys will be without their all-world pass rusher against the 3-1 Lions.

This is certainly not optimal for the Cowboys’ chances, but Week 8 always felt like the most realistic return date for Parsons.

As Parsons steps out of his trunk and off the scooter he used to get around the facility earlier in the week, Patrik Walker of the team’s official website noted that the Star Pass Rusher was “walking with a pronounced limp.”

Parsons was a DNP in practice all week, but he worked with the resistance cords. That’s a strong indication he’s on track to return for Dallas’ first game after the bye: a road date with the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday night football.

Despite missing last week’s game, Parsons still ranks ninth among edge rushers with 21 pressures and is tied for seventh with five quarterback hits this season, according to Pro Football Focus. He’s also fifth in pass-rush wins and ninth with 11 defensive stops, so he’s made his presence felt against the run and wreaked havoc on opposing QBs as well.

With Parsons officially ruled out, the Cowboys are behind their top four defensive ends: Parsons, DeMarcus Lawrence (on IR with a foot injury), Marshawn Kneeland (on IR with a knee injury) and Sam Williams (out for the season with a torn cruciate ligament).

As if things couldn’t get any worse, linebacker and leading tackler Eric Kendricks won’t play due to shoulder and calf injuries.

If there’s a silver lining for Cowboys fans, it’s that cornerback DaRon Bland is on track to make his season debut. However, the team will be remarkably short on players against one of the conference’s best teams.

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