Micah Parsons’ return to Dallas is the kind of storyline that grabs all the headlines. But the Cowboys are trying to treat it as just another week.

Now with the Packers, Parsons is coming back to AT&T Stadium for the first time since the offseason trade, and while fans see it as a homecoming, head coach Brian Schottenheimer has only one focus: slowing him down.

Schottenheimer admitted that preparing for Parsons brings a unique kind of pressure. “It is even harder to sleep when you know Micah is on your mind, because I have witnessed him do things that I haven’t seen in Green Bay,” he said. “Like I mentioned, man, I am really looking forward to seeing Micah. I really can’t.”

Through three weeks, Parsons has been exactly what Green Bay hoped for—disruptive and dominant. He’s logged 116 defensive snaps, generated 19 pressures, added 1.5 sacks, and opened lanes for teammates like Rashan Gary, who already leads the NFL with 4.5 sacks. Thanks in large part to Parsons’ presence, the Packers’ defense is No. 1 in points allowed (14.7 per game) and top three against both the run and total yardage.

“[Jake Ferguson] is going to have a big section [of the play call sheet] this week, Fergie’s playing really well right now…” Schottenheimer said. “Jalen Tolbert‘s a guy that you guys all know let us in touchdowns last year with seven, he’ll have to step up if CeeDee doesn’t play.”

The Cowboys are likely to play without All-Pro receiver CeeDee Lamb and offensive linemen Tyler Booker and Cooper Beebe. That means the burden on tight end Jake Ferguson and wideout Jalen Tolbert will lighten. Nevertheless, Schottenheimer is positive: “We can still defeat the Packers if we don’t have CeeDee [Lamb] and [Tyler Booker] and the guys that we are missing. But the only way to do that is if you play well and you execute.”

Micah Parsons is ready for a painful return

For Micah Parsons, the encounter is not just against any quarterback. It is about going up against Dak Prescott, his ex-teammate.

“It’s going to be painful,” Parsons said to The Associated Press correspondent Rob Maaddi regarding the possibility of sacking Prescott. “That’s my guy. He was always like a good mentor for me. But you know how it is, he always told me if I ever faced him that it’ll be a great matchup, so I’m excited to see what Sunday brings itself.”

The Cowboys traded Parsons to the Packers shortly before the season began, following a long contract standoff. Just a month later, he will be returning to Dallas to aid Green Bay’s sixth consecutive win in this NFC rivalry, backed by his pass-rushing talent.

As a result of Parsons’ addition to the defense, the Packers went 2-0. However, Schotty & Co. can take notes from the fact that the Packers lost the battle of defenses, 13-10, against the Cleveland Browns in Week 3.

In the games that Parsons has appeared in, he has racked up 5 tackles, 6 hits on the quarterback, and is second in the NFL in terms of QB pressures. The Cowboys are 1-2 without Parsons, their defense allowing yardage ranking 30th in the NFL.

Parsons had also cooled down the hype, saying, “I did not fight the fate that the trade happened weeks ago. For me, it is just about playing one more game and being my disruptive self, which is what I am best at.”

But between those calm words lies the reality of the matchup. Facing Prescott won’t feel like “just another game”. For Parsons, the open challenge will be both his parish and personal.