Next Giants-Cowboys rivalry: Thibodeaux vs. Parsons
Giants edge rusher Kayvon Thibodeaux, left, and Cowboys linebacker Micah Parsons. Credit: Jim McIsaac; AP
Kayvon Thibodeaux doesn’t see himself in a competition with Micah Parsons.
“I play defense, he plays defense,” the Giants rookie said this past week. “Like, I’m not trying to beat him.”
That’s technically true. Just as Saquon Barkley was not playing against Derrick Henry or Christian McCaffrey in the first two games and just as Daniel Jones has not been playing against Eli Manning’s legacy his entire career.
Thibodeaux won’t be asked to line up and face Parsons when the Giants host the Cowboys on Monday night. But in a bigger picture, they may go head-to-head for many years to come.
Two of the most exciting young defensive players in the division on two of the biggest rivals in the league? It’s the kind of discussion for which bar stools and sports talk radio were invented. And while Thibodeaux may scoff at the idea that he’ll be measured against Parsons — “Who’s doing the measuring?” he asked before raising a derisive eyebrow when told it would be done by the rest of us — the reality is the two linebackers could be jostling for Pro Bowls and All-Pro honors and other NFL hardware for years . . . not to mention the twice-a-season meetings.
One of the best parts about the Giants-Cowboys animosity has always been the off-field debates in which the fan bases engage. Giants and Cowboys players have been compared and contrasted with each other for most of their shared history. Only the names change.
Who would you rather have: Saquon or Zeke? Romo or Eli? Tiki or Emmitt? Staubach or . . . never mind. That was a dark time for the Giants.
Now “Kayvon or Micah?” is about to be added to the eternal yardstick over which the franchises fight. That the Giants could have had Parsons for themselves in the 2021 draft had they not traded back and selected Kadarius Toney means Thibodeaux has a lot to live up to just to get to an equilibrium in any discussion.
Oh, yeah, there’s also the fact that he hasn’t yet played an NFL snap.
That should change on Monday night. Thibodeaux, who sprained his right knee on Aug. 21, sat out the first two games of this season after being classified as doubtful on injury reports. This week he practiced rigorously, is listed as questionable and almost certainly will be making his pro debut on one of the league’s biggest stages in a game between two of the league’s most marquee franchises.
The Giants themselves are more worried about finding and containing Parsons in this game than wondering whether Thibodeaux can start to follow his path toward NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year status and potential Defensive Player of the Year consideration.
“He’s a problem,” Giants coach Brian Daboll said of Parsons. “He’s a dynamic football player. He can line up in multiple spots and he does. You’ll see him at linebacker, you’ll see him at defensive end. He has rare pass-rush ability. We’re going to have to have a good plan for him. He’s fun to watch when you’re not getting ready to play him, I’ll give him that compliment. He just does things that are pretty impressive all over the football field.”
Parsons had 13 sacks as a rookie and already has added four more to his totals this season. No one ever had 17 sacks in his first 18 NFL games before he did it (he sat out one game last year).
Those numbers have caught Thibodeaux’s attention.
“He’s the guy, that’s it,” he said. “He’s greatness as of now. He’s on a roll.”
Thibodeaux has yet to start his.
One very big element missing from Parsons’ accomplishments, though, is that he has yet to have a significant moment against the Giants. In his two games against them in 2021, he did not have any sacks and was part of only nine combined tackles. The Cowboys won those games, but the Giants were able to do something few other teams did: make Parsons disappear.
That’s where Thibodeaux could take the early lead and put his fingerprints on this rivalry between the teams — and possibly the budding one between the players — with an impressive unveiling.
More significantly, he knows it is a chance to make an immediate name for himself beyond just the scope of the Giants and Cowboys.
“I’m just trying to play to the best of my ability knowing that it’s going to be a great game and there’s going to be a lot of eyes on us,” Thibodeaux said. “[If] you make plays in the Super Bowl, you’re probably going to be looked at as a better player than you are because it’s the Super Bowl, because it’s the height of the game. So big games like this — whether it’s a national championship, Super Bowl, Monday Night Football, and I’m not saying it compares to the Super Bowl, but in a sense where everybody is watching — if you do better, it will amplify.”
Besides, he added with a smile: “We’re in New York.”
Thibodeaux might not realize it, but for all the attention lavished on the Cowboys, that’s an advantage Parsons does not have.
Tom Rock began covering sports for Newsday in 1996 and became its NFL columnist in 2022. He previously was Newsday's Giants beat writer beginning in 2008.
