After the Cowboys lost their fourth consecutive game on Sunday to the Eagles, Parsons noted he wanted to win for Martin and other veterans. Parsons was talking about Martin and also mentioned coach Mike McCarthy’s own job status, which set off a firestorm of criticism toward the linebacker.

As the old saying goes - and it's a bit cliche - "defense wins championships.'' And to Dallas Cowboys pass-rushing linebacker Micah Parsons, the answer to all of "America's Team's'' woes are contained in those three "secret'' words.

It was Parsons’ words, not his play, that stole the spotlight. Parsons was asked after the game about the job status of head coach Mike McCarthy, which is understandably a topic of interest as the Cowboys fell to 3-6 in McCarthy’s final year of his contract.