GREEN BAY, Wis. – Micah Parsons hates push-ups, thinks offensive players get away with it far too often and had to change his mask last game because he poked his eye and burst a blood vessel on a play that didn’t result in a penalty.
And the Green Bay Packers defensive end said it all knowing it could come back to haunt him — both when his team faces the Philadelphia Eagles next month and when the NFL hears his comments.
Although Parsons said Thursday he didn’t think the NFL would do anything to remedy the situation, Packers coach Matt LaFleur said he plans to at least talk to officials before Sunday’s game against the Arizona Cardinals about what he perceives to be missed calls.
“It’s definitely a pregame conversation,” LaFleur said.
LaFleur said earlier in the week that he thought Parsons was “frustrated by this, and there are some that are egregious, and I think those need to be called out.”
It doesn’t seem like Parsons thinks much will change.
“No, I don’t think it matters,” Parsons said. “The refs are going to call what they call. All we can do is just hope we’re called a fair game. Sometimes I don’t care what the fans want. If your team holds up, they should have better tackles, better guards. S—, don’t blame us for that.”
According to ESPN Research, Green Bay has had just six holding penalties called against its opponents this season, tied for third-most in the league (although the Packers already had their bye week and have played one fewer game than all but five other teams).
“Five years without getting a call, you eventually stop worrying about it,” Parsons said. “I think I just have to keep going. It’s the chase, yeah. That’s part of the challenge. You have to keep going. And it’s boring. It worries them. They know it.
“That’s what being one of the best is. It comes with certain territory, plays you hate and plays the league lets slide. They know you can tell how they call plays. They don’t call offsides on offense, but they will call it on defense. They won’t call offensive pass interference, but they will call defensive pass interference. We know what they’re trying to do. They want to charge the points so that the fans can be happy. They will call the defensive outfit, but they will not call an offensive outfit. Let’s wake up.”
Parsons leads the NFL with 4.6 pressures per game, according to ESPN Research. He was credited with five pressures Sunday against the Cincinnati Bengals but did not record a quarterback hit for the only time all season.
Parsons also said there are double standards when it comes to player safety. He said that when a Bengals player poked his eye and burst a blood vessel, there was no call for illegal hands to the face. He said he changed to a more protective face mask during the game.
“If you say it’s about protecting the players, then protect all the players,” Parsons said. “Don’t just protect one side of the ball. I don’t mind guys hitting from the outside, but the running backs want to come in and [hit] players while we are engaged with offensive linemen, they are complete bulls—. It’s not good football. This is not safe football.
“You want to fine guys who hang their heads [and leading with the helmet]but you can be engaged in an offensive tackle and a guard can put his head right in your head. What are we talking about here? Look how many times this is caught on camera, guys putting their heads down and trying to clean your clock. But you can’t do that to offensive players. S—. You will be fined $50,000. I might get fined for that [news] conference.”
Those weren’t the only comments Parsons made that might get attention. Parsons posted on social media his disdain for the Eagles’ push play after they ran it four times in a row in last week’s game against the New York Giants.
The Eagles have lost two straight games after starting 4-0, and despite their success with the surge, they have scored just 17 points in each of their last two games.
“S—, if you ask the Eagles’ offensive players, they’ll probably tell you, ‘That’s the best thing we’re doing on offense right now,'” Parsons said. “It’s the most consistent thing they have. It could come [back] and bite me one day.”
The day could be Nov. 10, when the Eagles face the Packers at Lambeau Field.
