Even without Jalen Hurts, the Philadelphia Eagles offense did whatever it wanted against the Dallas Cowboys. While Micah Parsons and the defense didn't put forth their best performance, Cooper Rush put them behind the eight ball early with a telegraphed pick-six.
It didn't help that Andrew Booth had a woeful game at cornerback. Rush and the offense completely stalled out after a promising second drive. The game, for all intents and purposes, was over at halftime.
We don't put too much stock into the 41-7 loss, but it says a lot that the Eagles have reaped the benefits of being aggressive in the offseason.
Saquon Barkley is on the verge of breaking the single-season rushing record, while C.J. Gardner-Johnson, whom they signed to a three-year, $33 million contract in free agency, hauled in two interceptions, including the aforementioned pick-six that set the tone.
Parsons was asked after the loss about dethroning Eagles in 2025, as well as the hurdle in general the Cowboys will have to overcome with the NFC East as a hole (excluding the Giants) trending upward, and gave a sobering response.
Micah Parsons has brutally honest answer about Cowboys' future
First and foremost, Parsons said the Cowboys have to get healthy. The All-Pro mentioned that multiple starters won't be back until the middle of next season. DeMarvion Overshown and Trevon Diggs headline that list.
Parsons says the team "has to plan for that." Whether that means spending more in free agency or re-signing important depth pieces, it sounds like the 24-year-old superstar doesn't want the front office to sit on its hands. That's when Parsons took a deep dive into the division.
"As far as our division, it’s going to be tough," said Parsons, via LoneStar Live. "I look at Jayden Daniels as a franchise quarterback. I’m going to be facing him for the next eight to 10 years of my life. Hurts is a franchise guy. So, every team pretty much has a franchise guy that I’m going to get used to. The Giants might go ahead and get a franchise guy."
RELATED: Mysterious Micah Parsons injury adds more insult to Cowboys' humiliating loss
Parsons is not wrong about the NFC East. The Eagles obviously aren't going anywhere, though their salary cap in 2025 and '26 may force them into some tough decisions.
The Commanders, meanwhile, clinched a playoff berth with their overtime win over the Falcons on Sunday Night Football. They've won 11 games and counting in Dan Quinn's first year as head coach. While Quinn has enforced a strong culture in Washington, rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels is already a star.
Daniels ranks sixth with a 69.4% completion rate to go with 3,530 passing yards and 25 touchdowns to nine interceptions. He's fourth in the NFL with a 72.3 QBR. He's an exceptional pocket passer but his mobility makes him more dangerous. He has 864 rushing yards, which averages out to 54.0 per game, with six TDs to boot.
We're not even going to give the Giants the time of day.
There is absolutely nothing wrong with what Parsons said. Getting healthy is obviously the most important thing for Dallas, but the team's passive approach to the 2024 offseason is not going to work if it wants to get back on top of the NFC East.
The Eagles and Commanders are going to be a problem for a long time.