Commanders HC Reveals Micah Parsons Scheme vs. Packers

Dan Quinn knows Micah Parsons as well as anybody in the NFL, and the Washington Commanders head coach is already putting schemes in place to stop the roving All-Pro pass-rusher against the Green Bay Packers in Week 2.

Quinn coached Parsons to some of his best football with the Dallas Cowboys, but he knows the Commanders need two things to keep his former protege quiet when they visit Lambeau Field for Thursday Night Football. Namely, recognition and numbers.

Without those things, the Commanders risk franchise quarterback Jayden Daniels getting overrun by a fearsome Packers front seven. It’s a group built on more than just Parsons’ explosiveness and versatility.

Unfortunately, Washington’s offensive line struggled to contain a New York Giants unit with similarly dynamic playmakers in Week 1.

Dan Quinn Has Answers for Micah Parsons

Quinn made Parsons a star by shifting the former Penn State stud all across the front. This roaming blueprint stressed offensive lines to identify Parsons’ starting point and react to how he rushed the pocket.

The first priority for the Commanders is knowing where Green Bay’s No. 1 is before every play. As Quinn told reporters on Tuesday, September 9, “like Micah and other great players, you want to, you know, know where they are to how to go play, and if you have vulnerability in a spot, you want to make sure you can fortify that to his strengths. You don’t just leave it to chance.”

Those words imply the Commanders will commit extra blockers to Parsons once they zero in on his position. It makes sense, especially when Washington’s offense is home to a powerful supplementary force, rugged tight end John Bates.

The latter usually shows his true value in the running game, but Bates also made his presence felt as a pass-protector last week. Notably on this play against 2025 NFL draft third-overall pick Abdul Carter (51), highlighted by Last of the Fullbacks.

Carter is another flexible pressure specialist who shares many similarities with Parsons, but the rookie lacks the veteran’s elite speed around the corner. It’s a quality Quinn talked up when he revealed “in Dallas he was one of our fastest players, so that’s the hardest thing to simulate for an offensive tackle to see the first couple, two or three steps. It’s not at a speed that you can simulate in a practice rep. I think there’s been some rushes that he could surprise some people if you haven’t faced him, knowing that he can really jump off the ball,” per Commanders.com Senior Writer Zach Selby.

Slowing Parsons down will mean putting another body in his path. Either by keeping a tight end over him on the line of scrimmage or by chipping with a running back.

There is some good news thanks to the offseason trade that acquired marquee left tackle Laremy Tunsil. The five-time Pro Bowler kept Parsons under wraps as a member of the Houston Texans last season, when the multi-faceted edge defender “matched up against Tunsil for three snaps and had zero pressures,” according to Selby.

Tunsil can handle his end, but Parsons is most likely to slide across to rookie right tackle Josh Conerly Jr. This year’s 29th pick impressed on his debut, but Conerly needs help to avoid being left on an island and losing.

He did lose against Brian Burns, when the Commanders slid a double team toward Kayvon Thibodeaux on Tunsil’s side of the line, per Bleacher Report’s Brandon Thorn.

The play highlighted the difficulty the Commanders face tying to slide protection when there are multiple gifted pass-rushers on the field. It’s an issue that won’t go away against Parsons and the Packers.

Commanders Can’t Ignore Protection Problem

Daniels took three sacks and was pressured as many times by the Giants, per Pro Football Reference. Some heat was inevitable when the Giants put Carter, Burns and Thibodeaux into the lineup, but Quinn won’t have enjoyed seeing his QB1 taking enough punishment to appear on the injury report for this week.

Quinn should be particularly unnerved by how easily Carter got to Daniels from a standup alignment rushing over center Tyler Biadasz, highlighted by Talkin’ Giants.

Parsons regularly caused havoc with this same scheme on Quinn’s watch. Stopping a repeat will be tough enough for the Commanders when the Packers can also unleash skilled edge disruptors Rashan Gary and Lukas Van Ness, as well as versatile defensive tackle Devonte Wyatt.

This group combined with Parsons for a quartet of sacks against the Detroit Lions last week. Every member of the contingent is talented, but Parsons demands special answers.

Browns Make Notable Move In Latest Power Rankings

The Cleveland Browns entered the season with big questions, especially on offense.

They looked much better than some people anticipated in Week 1, and while the Cincinnati Bengals have never been a barometer to determine whether a team is a true contender, the Browns held their ground.

Unfortunately, outplaying them and being better than the Bengals in almost every aspect of the game didn’t get the Browns a victory.

Yet, Gary Davenport of Bleacher Report has acknowledged that they were better than anticipated, and he bumped them up from No. 30 to No. 27 in his power rankings.

“Silver linings time, Browns fans! Sure, Cleveland just outplayed the Cincinnati Bengals in just about every facet of the game. Out-gained the Bengals 321-147. The Browns converted over half of their third-down attempts. Yet in the most Cleveland way imaginable (two tipped-ball interceptions and a pair of missed kicks, including an extra point), the Browns managed to somehow lose the game. Yes, the Browns need a new kicker (buh-bye, Andre Szmyt). Cleveland also desperately needs Quinshon Judkins to get up to speed quickly. The Browns averaged all of two yards per carry on the ground against a bad Bengals defense,” Davenport wrote.

The Browns open the season with a difficult schedule, so this was a loss they couldn’t afford.

They were the better team, and there are encouraging signs for the remainder of the season, but with two divisional games, three games against highly ranked NFC North teams, and one of those games being played overseas, things don’t get any easier.

The Browns were at home, in front of their fans, and let a huge opportunity slip through their fingers.

That’s not the sign of a winning team, and head coach Kevin Stefanski will have to make sure to keep the morale high ahead of the Week 2 matchup against the powerful Baltimore Ravens.

The Browns are arguably much better and more competitive than most people give them credit for.

Now, they face a tough test on the road against Baltimore, perhaps the only other NFL team that squandered a better chance to win its opener.

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