The Philadelphia Eagles beat the New Orleans Saints in an intense Week 3 game that featured injuries and pointed comments from CJ Gardner-Johnson that didn’t sit well with Dallas Cowboys linebacker Micah Parsons. In his postgame interview, Gardner-Johnson called the Saints “contenders,” despite entering Week 3 with one of the NFL’s most potent offenses.
“They’re not pretenders, they’re imposters. They’ve got Derek Carr, remember that,” the Eagles safety said.
While Gardner-Johnson was simply trying to take aim at the Saints, the Cowboys linebacker took a stand against the “pretenders'” comments.
“I don’t know who CJ is [Gardner-Johnson] “He thinks he is, man,” Parsons said on his show, The Edge with Micah Parsons. “We’ve been dealing with this cat for a while. I mean, we just have to be a little realistic here, I think Derek Carr validated himself way before CJ ever did.”
Cowboys vs. Eagles vs. Saints?
Cowboys’ Micah Parsons continued his response to the “pretenders” question.
“With all due respect, I’m not taking anything back, but Derek Carr has been a Pro Bowl quarterback — the most selected quarterback — before… Let’s be real,” he said. “Derek Carr has always been a damn good player. [good] strategist.”
Besides Parsons’ reaction, fans could argue that Gardner-Johnson said all of these things out of frustration with the way some of his teammates were beaten by the Saints.
For example, Eagles receiver DeVonta Smith suffered a concussion after Khristian Boyd hit him with his helmet early in the fourth quarter. Then, Saints offensive tackle Trevor Penning pushed Darius Slay out of bounds, prompting a strong reaction from Slay’s wife, Jennifer, on social media.
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Likewise, Pro Bowler Lane Johnson suffered a concussion scare, while star wide receiver AJ Brown remains out with a hamstring injury.
“That’s the worst piece of crap I’ve ever seen in football, man,” Gardner-Johnson said of the hit that left Smith concussed. “You all saw that the forward progression was stopped. The fact that they tried to go after one of our key players shows what kind of team they are. They’re leading the way.”
Additionally, Saints fans may be even more upset that their team is being labeled a “favorite” rather than a “contender.” Despite having one of the most explosive offenses in the league, the team could not overcome the Eagles’ defense, eventually losing 15-12.
Although the season is still underway, there are already several interesting storylines that are emerging. Anything can happen in the NFL, and fans should stay tuned.
