The Bears know what they have to do when they get to the line of scrimmage Sunday against the Cowboys.
‘‘Every snap, you’ve got to be aware of where [No.] 11 is at,’’ center Sam Mustipher said.
No. 11 is Micah Parsons, the Cowboys’ all-world linebacker who was drafted one spot below Bears quarterback Justin Fields last year. He’s ranked first in the NFL in pressures (36), second in sacks (eight) and tackles for loss (nine), fourth in quarterback hits (14) and fifth in forced fumbles (two).
He also might lead the league in the number of nightmares he gives opposing offensive coordinators.
Technically an off-the-ball linebacker, Parsons moves to the edge roughly three-quarters of the time, usually to rush the passer. When he approaches the line, Mustipher needs to identify where Parsons is. So does Fields. Then the Bears have to block him — no small feat for tackles Braxton Jones and Riley Reiff, the latter of whom figures to replace Larry Borom (concussion).
‘‘He’s an animal; you can’t act like he isn’t,’’ running back David Montgomery said. ‘‘He’s a dog, so it’s going to be a big challenge for us. . . .
‘‘He’s one of those guys that you just always keep an eye on, always be sure that you know where he is on the field, because he can wreck a game.’’
The challenge, offensive coordinator Luke Getsy said, is to find ways to handle Parsons without knowing exactly where he’ll be on every play.
‘‘If you don’t, he’ll make you look bad, for sure,’’ he said.
How bad? No one has been sacked — or fumbled — more than Fields, and that was before guard/center Lucas Patrick went to injured reserve with a toe injury and Borom suffered a concussion.
Parsons, who was listed as questionable with a shoulder injury Friday but is expected to play, wins a league-high one-third of his pass rushes, according to ESPN. The Bears might not have the advantage of Fields’ speed, either. Parsons told Cowboys reporters this week that the two have raced before and that he won.
‘‘It’s not even close,’’ he said.
Parsons reminds Getsy of former Packers edge rusher Clay Matthews, who moved to inside linebacker in 2014 because of injuries. He might be better than Matthews was that year. Of the 27 players with better than 30-1 odds to win NFL MVP, Parsons is the only defender. He might have a chance to win the award, too, as the best player on a Cowboys defense that leads the league with 29 sacks, 32 hurries and 90 pressures. Only one team allows fewer points than the 14.9 the Cowboys give up each game.
The Eagles found a creative way to slow Parsons down Oct. 16, running read-option plays to freeze him. Rushing from the end, Parsons had to pause to read whether speedy quarterback Jalen Hurts would hand the ball off, keep it or throw it.
‘‘They just didn’t block him,’’ Fields said. ‘‘They just made him the ‘read’ most of the time. So, of course, that’s one way to get him to stop the rush.’’
The Cowboys will be ready for that tactic this time.
‘‘He’s a freak, man,” said tight end Cole Kmet, who will be asked to help block Parsons with chips. ‘‘His explosiveness off the line, his ability to play both on the line, off the ball. . . .
‘‘Third-down situations, he’s going to be looking to tee off. It’s going to be on us to establish the run game early and kind of wear those guys down and stay out of those third-and-long situations when it’s obvious passing downs.’’
First, however, they’ll have to find Parsons.
‘‘He’s amazing,’’ Getsy said. ‘‘And the challenge of knowing where he’s at is definitely one of the biggest tasks to be able to have success against these guys.’’
