It’s been a little more than two months since the Packers pulled the trigger on one of the biggest trades in franchise history when Kenny Clark and two future first-rounders went to Dallas for star pass rusher Micah Parsons. It’s safe to say that, at 5-1-1 and with the best record in the NFC, things worked out well so far for Green Bay.
Parsons has 6.5 sacks on the season, through seven games, along with 14 quarterback hits and six tackles for a loss. He has elevated the Packers defense to a fearsome unit, sixth in the NFL in yards allowed. They’re rated No. 5 at Pro Football Focus for pass rushes, and No. 3 for overall defense.
While there are a number of contributors who deserve a tip of the cap, there’s no doubt that it has been Parsons who has elevated the group as a whole.
And on Thursday, it was announced that the league is recognizing that: Parsons won the NFC’s Defensive Player of the Month Award.
Micah Parsons Has Been the No. 1 Pass Rusher in the NFL
Per the release from the Packers after the NFL announcement: “The fifth-year pass rusher took home the NFC honors for the month of October after tallying nine tackles, six quarterback hits and four sacks in three Packers victories. Parsons was previously honored with an NFC monthly award in September 2023 as a member of the Dallas Cowboys.”
The team has seen elevated defensive performances from all over the roster, especially when it comes to pressuring the quarterback. Green Bay has an average of 3.0 sacks per game this season (eighth in the NFL), up from 2.6 last year.
The attention he is given by offensive lines has helped free up Rashan Gary for 7.5 sacks, just two off his career high. Again, via PFF, Parsons is rated the No. 1 pass-rusher in the NFL.
Packers Matt LaFleur Lauds Micah Parsons Defensive Presence
Said coach Matt LaFleur about Parsons’ impact on the Packers, and the way the team has helped unleash him: “He’s been outstanding. All those guys are kind of feeding off one another. Certainly he gets a lot of attention in regards to protections and a lot of times he’s defeating a chip. Then, they might even slide to him, which opens up opportunities for everybody else.
“I do think (defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley) Haf’s done a really good job and D.C. (defensive line coach DeMarcus Covington) of trying to get creative in terms of you’ve seen him rush inside, outside. It does put a little bit of stress on the offense in regards to you’re not quite sure where he’s going to line.”
Packers Can Be a ‘Top 3’ Defensive Line
Parsons, for his part, has tried to deflect accolades to his Packers teammates, and by all accounts, he has been a very good presence in the locker room. He told reporters last week that interior defensive lineman Devonte Wyatt makes his life easier on the edge, to which Wyatt laughed and said, “He makes my life easier.”
“My thing has been bonding with him off the field, just knowing what type of person he is,” Wyatt said. “And knowing what type of rusher he is.”
Wyatt, who missed two games with an injury, said that now healthy, the Packers defense will only keep getting better. “We’re a Top 5 defense, Top 5 defensive lines,” he said. “Top 3 if you ask me.”
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