The Dallas Cowboys made sure the Tampa Bay Buccaneers didn’t have a Merry Christmas with a 26-24 win over Todd Bowles’ team at AT&T Stadium.

With the Cowboys officially eliminated from playoff contention before a snap had been played against Tampa Bay thanks to the Washington Commanders defeating the Philadelphia Eagles, Micah Parsons’ mentality changed.

Going from a player who was trying to make the playoffs to being the villain in the Buccaneers’ Christmas story.

And it was one he rather enjoyed.

“I think that’s the best part, we got nothing to lose,” said Parsons, who recorded a sack in the game to give him 50 for his young career, putting him in company with an elite collections of legends. “They got everything to lose. Seeding, positioning, potential elimination, so it’s good to be on the opposite end there.

“Well, it’s not good, but it is nice.”

Head coach Mike McCarthy praised his team’s character in the win. With Parsons embracing the villain role – his identity would be “The Lion” – the Cowboys, with two games left, have a chance to wreak havoc on the NFC East.

The Philadelphia Eagles and Washington Commanders are the last two opponents on Dallas’ schedule, and you can bet your house that there won’t be any shortage of motivation for McCarthy’s team in the final fortnight of the season.

With two division rivals up next, both of whom are in the playoffs, the Cowboys can seriously dent their momentum, especially the Eagles, who are still fighting for the NFC’s No. 1 seed.

It would be a shame if Parsons and the Cowboys took it away, wouldn’t it?

There’s pride to play for, no doubt, and that was embodied well by the locker room in the win over the Buccaneers. But now the entire Dallas roster will aim to play the role of villain for its NFC rivals.

With Micah taking center stage.