NFL Divisional Round X-Factors: Can Micah Parsons disrupt 49ers’ dominance?

Despite some matchups that perhaps lacked a little verve on paper, Super Wild Card Weekend definitely delivered the drama. 

Many of our Wild Card X-Factors did, too. Bills running back James Cook scored the first touchdown in Buffalo’s chaotic win over the gutsy Dolphins, Jaguars tight end Evan Engram shredded the Chargers defence during what was the third-largest NFL postseason comeback ever and Giants defensive coordinator Wink Martindale contained one of the NFL’s greatest game-breakers in Vikings wideout Justin Jefferson en route to victory in Minneapolis. And Brock Purdy’s performance speaks for itself. 

Now on the cusp of another exciting few days of football as the Divisional Round rolls in, let’s dive back in and highlight some X-Factors that could come up clutch this weekend.

Gabe Davis, Bills wide receiver

Following a bumpy regular season, ‘Playoff Gabe Davis’ may actually be a real thing. Their wild card matchup was a rough outing overall for the Bills, but despite the sheer chaos that went down at Orchard Park against Miami, Davis actually tied teammate Stefon Diggs for a team-high nine targets as he grabbed six receptions for 113 yards and a touchdown. We know Josh Allen loves to throw the ball downfield, and the only guys who run those routes with any regularity are Diggs and Davis. Davis also leads the team with a 24 per cent target share over the last month.

One juicy tell the Bengals’ defence has is their propensity to let secondary wideouts torch them – not only do they rank 31^st in DVOA (according to Football Outsiders) versus opponents’ second wide receiver, they proved that theory correct last weekend when Bengals cornerback Eli Apple got absolutely roasted by Ravens receiver Demarcus Robinson.

If that’s any indication of what’s in store on Sunday afternoon, then western New York is going to be a very, very happy place indeed.

Micah Parsons, Cowboys linebacker

The Cowboys are the most puzzling of the remaining playoff teams. When they are good, they look unbeatable, and when they struggle, they look absolutely terrible. There seems to be no in-between this season, but on Monday night the former held true, thanks mostly to two players: quarterback Dak Prescott and linebacker Micah Parsons.

We know quarterbacks have outsized influences on games due to the very nature of their position, but the impact a single linebacker may have can sometimes be minimized. That’s less so for Parsons – he is a game-wrecker. He has a relentless, Terminator-style motor that pushes his aggression from the first snap to the final whistle. He can operate on the edge, ripping his way past offensive linemen, or can be slid back into a coverage role, lurking right in the middle of the field.

Parsons doesn’t always get home, it’s true – that’s the case for all pass rushers. However, the unrelenting nature of his constant attack can have an effect on even the most seasoned quarterbacks, as we saw against Tom Brady. If Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn can scheme Parsons into ways that have him getting his hands on Brock Purdy early and often, that extremely talented 49ers offence might be a little more off pace than they’re used to.