Despite NFC loss, Cowboys’ Micah Parsons brings the wood at 2022 Pro Bowl

Micah Parsons can’t turn it off, even at at the league’s all-star walkthrough; Trevon Diggs and CeeDee Lamb also had memorable moments. | From @ToddBrock24f7

The NFC lost the 2022 Pro Bowl, 41-35, to their AFC counterparts. But thae final score is not why anyone watches the Pro Bowl. The league’s all-star event is more for the unique moments that the scrambled-squad exhibition provides: this quarterback throwing passes to that receiver, the best running backs rushing behind the best of the best lines, every position group on the field a murderer’s row with no weak spots.

It’s fantasy football come to life, even if the resulting action often doesn’t look like football at all, what with the complete lack of things like tackling and all.

But Cowboys rookie linebacker Micah Parsons must have tossed the memo where they talked about this being just a walkthrough.

Not a particularly hard hit, except maybe to Pittsburgh’s Diontae Johnson, who likely assumed this was two-hand touch.

Parsons, though, clearly came to Las Vegas looking to collect more pelts. Earlier in the skills showdown, he won a foot race against noted speedster Tyreek Hill, who was running at little more than a jog. Parsons also took the NFC to a Madden 22 Pro Bowl win, earning the MVP award for his work at the controls alongside Minnesota wide receiver Justin Jefferson.

Unsurprisingly, the ultra-competitive Parsons issued a warning that he intended to take things just as seriously on the real-life gridiron.

“I already told them I’m going hard as heck. I’m going to be like Sean Taylor out in that joint,” Parsons told NFL Network on Saturday, referencing the late Washington cornerback’s brutal hit on AFC punter Brian Moorman during a fake punt in the 2007 Pro Bowl. “They’re going to tell me to slow down. They’re going to be so mad.”

Indeed, Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes didn’t look thrilled after Parsons flattened him and stripped the ball as he tried to roll out for a Hail Mary pass attempt to close out the first half of play.

Like Parsons, Cowboys cornerback Trevon Diggs was making his first Pro Bowl appearance, after his 11-interception season. Of course, the league’s regular-season pick leader came up with another one, off New England’s Mac Jones.

But the second-year standout also got to do something he’d been lobbying for all season when he lined up as a wide receiver on offense. And in one of those only-in-the-Pro-Bowl moments, his brother Stefon (normally a wide receiver for Buffalo) lined up opposite him in defensive coverage.

After a season where Cowboys players and fans had plenty to say about officiating, the refs appeared to miss Stefon’s hold of his younger brother.

The siblings also met up on a goal-line play, with Stefon juking Trevon badly for an AFC score. It may have been payback for Trevon winning the Best Catch competition over Stefon and two other wideouts.

But the brothers made up, and by game’s end, shared a special jersey swap.

Wide receiver CeeDee Lamb had four catches on the day, including a two-point conversion from his former college quarterback, Kyler Murray.

Punter Bryan Anger was the fourth Cowboys player attending this year’s Pro Bowl, but he did not get into the game.

Offensive linemen Zack Martin and Tyron Smith opted out of this year’s game despite being named to the NFC roster. Quarterback Dak Precott was invited as an alternate, but he also declined to participate, citing a desire to begin prep for the 2022 season.

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