Micah Parsons Reflects on Fatherly Bond with Dan Quinn Ahead of TNF Showdown
One of the marquee games in Week 2 of the NFL slate comes on Thursday Night Football when the Green Bay Packers host the Washington Commanders in a battle between two NFC playoff teams last season and a pair of teams expected to be contenders in 2025.
The Packers looked great in their Week 1 win over the Detroit Lions, which also served as their first game with Micah Parsons in the lineup. The Commanders were a little more up and down, but they were able to shut down a hapless New York Giants offense in a 21-6 victory.
Thursday night’s game will also be a reunion for Parsons with Commanders head coach Dan Quinn. The two worked together with the Dallas Cowboys when Quinn was the defensive coordinator there at the start of Parsons’ career. Ahead of the matchup, Parsons had some very nice words for one of the most influential figures on the start of his career, via Matt Schneidman of The Athletic.
“Dan’s my guy. Even going through the process over the years, he’s always reached out, just checking on me as a person,” Parsons said. “Never really cared about football, always telling me how much his wife miss me and how he wants to see me in Hawaii one day. That’s just my guy. He know it’s just like a father figure, uncle, however you wanna put it. That’s my guy and we’re gonna go forever. We’re in this for the long run and maybe our journeys might cross again one day.”
While Quinn spends most of his time focused on the Washington defense, his offense will have its hands full dealing with Parsons. The former All-Pro didn’t have a full workload in Week 1 as he navigates both getting settled in with a new team as well as dealing with a lingering back injury, but there is a chance that he sees some more snaps in Week 2 with a game under his belt.
Even in just 30 snaps on Sunday, Parsons logged two pressures and a late sack of Jared Goff in Green Bay’s 27-13 victory. It is always very difficult to get Jayden Daniels on the ground, but there may be nobody better equipped to do it than Parsons, and the two will square off in prime time on Thursday.
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.
