It’s been a while since the Carolina Panthers have seen the Dallas Cowboys. In fact, it’s been three years . . . since the Panthers came out victorious in a season-opening clash back in 2018.

Anyway, let’s get reacquainted. We linked up with Cowboys Wire managing editor K.D. Drummond to see what “Dem Boys” are currently all about ahead of the Week 4 matchup.

Panthers Wire: Panthers coaches and players have praised Dak Prescott all week for seemingly everything he can do at the quarterback position. What do you think makes Dak so special?

Cowboys Wire: Leadership. For all of the immense physical talent that was Tony Romo and was wasted under Jason Garrett, Prescott’s ability to lead is something this organization hasn’t seen since Troy Aikman in the 90s.

He has a strong enough arm, good enough mobility and plenty of intelligence under center to diagnose what the defense is trying to do to him and the offense. His leadership though is what will make him a champion one day.

He’s willing to be open and honest about his shortcomings, he’s able to inspire his troops to run through walls for him and he’s capable of being the face of the most valuable and visible franchise in all of sports. To some those might seem less-than relevant, but they are important in Dallas.

Panthers Wire; Even though he doesn’t necessarily play from the same exact spots Jeremy Chinn does, Micah Parsons may be giving Panthers fans a familiar feel to their stud safety. What about the rookie linebacker/defensive end should excite the franchise most moving forward?

Cowboys Wire: Parsons didn’t play football last year, but nobody could tell. He instantly was making plays in training camp.

Parsons hasn’t played defensive end since high school, but nobody could tell. He instantly was the best pass rusher on a field that included Joey Bosa.

He does everything well. His speed is explosive, he doesn’t take bad steps because his ability to process what the offense is trying to do is incredible. He has a bevy of pass-rush moves that betray his youth. His change of direction is elite, which speaks to his talent off the line of scrimmage.

Most importantly, he’s showing things that weren’t seen in his Penn State tape. He seems a shoe-in for Defensive Rookie of the Year and a future Defensive Player of the Year candidate.  Linebackers don’t matter, but he’s no linebacker. He’s a unicorn.

Panthers Wire: Speaking of familiarity, how about unfamiliarity? Give us a Cowboy that Panthers fans may not be acquainted with, but should keep an on eye for Sunday?

Wide receiver Cedrick Wilson is a great fill-in for Michael Gallup who is sidelined with a calf strain for at least another week. Paired with tight end Dalton Schultz, the Cowboys’ offense has been able to keep humming because of timely contributions.

However, the name Panthers fans will likely know after Sunday is rookie three-technique Osa Odighizuwa. He’s 6-foot-2 and weighs just 280 pounds, but his first-step quickness gets him into the backfield on a regular basis. He had 1.5 sacks last week and honestly it should’ve been three takedowns if he wasn’t so shocked how quickly he got to the quarterback on a couple occasions and hiccuped.

Dallas is very shorthanded on the defensive line right now, but it hasn’t yet been an issue because of moving Parsons around and having “Odiggy” in the middle.