The Dallas Cowboys put up a good fight against the Philadelphia Eagles for about a quarter and a half. A game that was 14-7 late into the second quarter quickly evolved to 27-7 before halftime. When the dust settled, the Cowboys were trounced 41-7 by their rivals.

It was a good afternoon for those who want Dallas to tank for draft position. Cooper Rush had arguably his worst game in a Cowboys uniform, while cornerback Andrew Booth had one of the worst games you will ever see from a defensive back.

In a perfect world, the Cowboys would obviously have had Dak Prescott under center and Booth would either be a healthy scratch or on the practice squad. That Rush and Booth were the centerpieces of the blowout loss is a sad summary of the health of the roster.

If it seemed like Micah Parsons was the only star player on the field for Dallas, well that’s because he was. It was Parsons, DaRon Bland and Brandon Aubrey.

As if this team needed any more injury concerns, Parsons was seen walking to the locker room postgame with an apparent injury. Calvin Watkins of the Dallas Morning News caught Parsons favoring his mid-section.

Cowboys star Micah Parsons dealing with mysterious injury after Week 17 loss vs. Eagles

That doesn’t look overly concerning, but Parsons is definitely in discomfort. It seems Parsons is protecting his rib cage, but there is no way to know exactly what he’s dealing with until he or the team addresses it to the media.

Parsons and CeeDee Lamb have led by example for the last two months. With virtually nothing to play for but pride, Parsons has played the best football of his career down the stretch.

Since Week 10 (he returned from injury in Week 10), Parsons ranks first in sacks, pressures, pass-rush win rate and multi-sack games. He didn’t pad the stat sheet on Sunday, but he made his presence felt with a tackle for loss and a hit that knocked Kenny Pickett out of the game.

Parsons’ return had a domino effect on the rest of the defense. It’s no coincidence the defense’s turnaround coincided with his return to the lineup. From Weeks 10-16, Dallas led the league with 15 takeaways and 28 sacks.

It’s possible that Parsons’ injury is nothing serious, but that he is dealing with something leaves the Cowboys with a difficult decision to make for next week’s finale.

If Parsons pushes to play, Dallas might have to protect the player from himself – much like they did with Lamb – and shut him down.