Eagles Focused on Bears, Despite Comments from Micah Parsons, Chris Simms

The Cowboys' star pass rusher took aim at Jalen Hurts while Simms, who was an abject failure in the NFL, double-downed and said the Eagles' QB is not the MVP

Micah Parsons took the first jab, then came Chris Simms with the haymaker.

Parsons said earlier in the week that Eagles QB Jalen Hurts was, more or less, a system quarterback. It’s not even Cowboys week, yet there it was – the first shot across Hurts’ bow.

Never mind that it taxes the memory if Parsons even played in the first meeting between the two teams. Wait…there was the time Hurts rolled out of the pocket, waiting to see what Parsons would do – cover A.J. Brown running behind him or attack the QB.

Parsons just stood there undecided, and the Eagles made a big play in what was a 26-17 team against a Dallas team that came in talking about how the Eagles haven't seen a defense like theirs, yet.

Laughable to think about now.

The Eagles were forced to answer questions about Parsons and his take during the week as they prepared to play the Chicago Bears.

Maybe that was Parsons’ devious plan – to take the Eagles’ focus away from a three-win Bears team with the Cowboys on deck next week.

Unlikely.

“I’m going to worry about the Chicago Bears this week, mate, worry about this game,” said left tackle Jordan Mailata at his locker earlier this week. “Micah should worry about his game this week, too. We’ve got the Chicago Bears, not the Chicago Micah Parsons.”

Cornerback James Bradberry went on The Jim Rome Show on CBS Radio and addressed Parsons’ comments.

“He’s entitled to his own opinions, and you can’t stop somebody from having their own opinion,” said Bradberry. “It’s up to us if we allow it to manifest and, like, play a role in how we prepare.

“We’re not really paying his comments no mind and then when it’s time to go play the Cowboys we’re going to play the Cowboys, but right now we have Chicago. We aren’t worrying about what he says.”

Here is the link to listen to more of Bradberry on Rome's show

Chris Simms on Hurts being MVP front-runner: “They have the best O-Line in football, 2nd best WR duo, a great TE.. There’s just no way he’s more valuable than Mahomes, Allen, or Burrow, no way. If Minshew is in, the #Eagles are still damn good. I’m sorry.” pic.twitter.com/B6qfzihrBn

— Eagles Nation (@PHLEaglesNation) December 15, 2022

Nick Sirianni said he hasn't reinforced focusing on the Bears to his players.

“No offense, you guys are asking them about it and they're saying, well a lot of the times I'm hearing what they are saying is we're focused on the Bears,” said the Eagles head coach.

“So, we don't take much stock into that. Listen, our job is to get ready for the Bears and that alone. So, we're solely focused on that. We’re solely focused on what we need to do to win this game. We’re solely focused on doing the things that we can control.”

At least Parsons is a terrific player, a favorite to win defensive player of the year.

Simms is a never-was NFL quarterback, yet somehow he has become an expert on quarterbacks. Actually, he hasn’t.

Here is a YouTube clip of Jon Gruden trying to coach Simms

What Simms appears to be is somebody whose ego, or jealousy, maybe, won’t allow him to admit a mistake.

Remember when he ranked his top 40 quarterbacks and didn’t have Hurts in his top 40, yet he had QBs such as Kellen Mond (No. 37), Drew Lock (33), Taysom Hill (24), Sam Darnold (19), and, well, you get the idea – Simms hasn’t a clue.

Yet, he double-downed on his boneheaded-ness by claiming earlier this week that Hurts isn’t the MVP of the league while responding to what Parsons said.

Chris Simms' QB NFL quarterback rankings prior to the 2021 season / NBC Sports

“There’s just no way he’s more valuable than (Patrick) Mahomes, (Josh) Allen, or (Joe) Burrow, no way,” was part of what Simms said on whatever platform employs him. “If Gardner Minshew is in, they’d still be really damn good.”

Part of Simms’ ridiculous claims was that the Eagles have the best rushing attack. Well, can somebody tell the player who couldn’t cut it in the NFL that Hurts IS PART OF THE RUSHING ATTACK?

There are as many holes in what he said as he had in a game that led him to wash out of the pros after five years, a 7-9 record as a starter, a 58% completion percentage, and 18 interceptions to just 12 touchdowns.

Jason Kelce is somebody who has succeeded in a league where Simms failed.

Here were his thoughts on Hurts as an MVP, which the Eagles’ center revealed on his most recent ‘New Heights’ podcast with his brother, Kansas City Chiefs TE Travis Kelce.

‘Combined with the stats he deserves MVP because, one, the team has the best record in the NFL,” said Kelce. “The offense has put up (50 touchdowns). I think if you look at our offense as a whole and how we’ve moved the ball and how important Jalen is for all of that to work, I think that’s a clear reason he’s the MVP in my mind.

“His dynamic ability to make plays on the ground or through the air allows our coaches to be creative and do things that other teams can’t do and won’t do. It forces defenses to defend us in ways that open things up all over the field.

“All of these things are done largely because of Jalen. The offensive line’s job is easier, the receiver’s job is easier, the running backs’ job is definitely easier. When you talk about an MVP, you’re talking about a guy that makes the whole thing go.”

Ed Kracz is the publisher of SI.com’s Fan Nation Eagles Today and co-host of the Eagles Unfiltered Podcast. Check out the latest Eagles news at www.SI.com/NFL/Eagles or www.eaglesmaven.com and please follow him on Twitter: @kracze.