NEW ORLEANS: Micah Parsons is, it may be said, an authority on the Philadelphia Eagles. During his incredible four-year career, the Dallas Cowboys’ top edge rusher has faced their NFC East foe in seven games and recorded five sacks, 19 solo tackles, six tackles for loss, and six quarterback hits.
Parsons offered Super Bowl LIX tickets to Cowboys veterans at a USAA Salute to Service event on Saturday, where I had a conversation with him. I also questioned him on how the 2024 addition of running back Saquon Barkley, who has become one of the best free-agency acquisitions in recent NFL history, has altered the offense of the NFC champs. Parsons had witnessed Philly’s offense in a variety of forms over the years, and he is well aware that it has changed due to the “Saquon Effect,” as he described it.
And it’s prepared for Super Bowl LIX against the Kansas City Chiefs. “It just made them more explosive,” Parsons stated. “Over the last two years, they have had running backs like D’Andre Swift and Miles Sanders who were Pro Bowl caliber.
Apart from [Detroit Lions running back Jahmyr] Gibbs and perhaps one or two other backs, not many players in this league possess the Saquon Effect, which is the ability to run long distances without getting caught or stopped at the one-yard or 15-yard line. Few people are able to avoid NFL chase angles and similar situations. In that regard, he has undoubtedly increased their explosiveness and energy.
The Eagles are really more likely to generate their explosive plays from the run game than the throw game, which is quite uncommon in the NFL these days, I told Parsons. Barkley has scored 31 rushes of 15 yards or more this season, while quarterback Jalen Hurts has contributed four more.
You’re dealing with a ratio that is uncommon to see, as Hurts has completed 19 passes of 20 yards or more on 45 attempts this season. “You don’t,” said Parsons. “And that only demonstrates how they changed their strategy from “We must win with Jalen” to “We can now win with Saquon.” And that simply improved them greatly.
I asked Parsons what he would say to Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo if Spagnuolo phoned him up and asked him how to best stop Hurts in the aerial assault, given that Hurts’ performance in the passing game has been a bit of a mixed bag this season.
As a passer, “Jalen likes to roll out to his right,” Parsons stated. Therefore, they must be able to control that edge and maintain the freedom of that left hand, whether it’s [end] George Karlaftis or [end] Charles Omenihu. In my opinion, you won’t defeat [Eagles right tackle] Lane Johnson very often anyhow.
‘Hey, I’ll make sure he doesn’t get out of the pocket.’ You have to be the person who’s willing to make sacrifices. I’m going to make Jalen uncomfortable by pushing Lane into the pocket. Make him go to the opposing end side or into Chris Jones’ position as a defensive tackle. “They’ve got to be able to shut down that left side, so he can’t roll out to his right.” Parsons, however, is aware of what he is saying. Hurts’ running issue is his own; it is reasonable to argue that the Eagles’ run and pass games are connected by Hurts’ ability to run out of potential passing opportunities, or vice versa. “Yes, when you have explosive gadget plays, Saquon is moving out of the backfield, and you have [tight end] Dallas Goedert and [receivers] A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith, all of your thoughts are on ‘How do we slow these guys down?'” We’re like, ‘Oh my God, now we’ve got to worry about Jalen throwing the ball,’ when you’re rushing and everyone is scurrying.”It clearly poses such a threat. In Super Bowl LIX, the Eagles’ unique and multifaceted system will cause the Chiefs a lot of problems, and even players like Parsons, who are well-versed in it, find it extremely difficult to stop it.
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