To the shock of absolutely nobody, Micah Parsons, even with a bad back, looked dominant in his debut with the Green Bay Packers on Sunday afternoon, helping his new team to a statement-making 27-13 victory over the Detroit Lions at Lambeau Field.
Given the situation with his ailing back—and perhaps in part due to not having all that much time to practice with his new teammates—the four-time Pro Bowler was limited against the Lions, taking just 29 of Green Bay's 65 defensive snaps. But that didn't stop him from making his presence felt, as Parsons tallied three pressures on Jared Goff, the second-most for the Packers behind only Lukas Van Ness.
And the results of those three pressures were a 2-yard loss on a completed pass, an interception, and, of course, his first sack in a Packers uniform. And if Parsons' performance alone wasn't enough to make Dallas Cowboys fans cringe (and probably cry a little), his comments afterward certainly did, as he had no problem taking a direct shot at his former team.
Micah Parsons clearly took a shot at the Cowboys after his Packers debut
"These last six months was super draining, super toxic for everyone," Parsons said. "It's something that I don't think no player should have to go through ... The fact that I was traded a week before the season was really outrageous and rough. It's something where I could've been with these guys getting better and better, and we could've had probably (an) even more dominant start.
“These guys embraced me. They believe in my talents. They believed in me, and I'm just gonna give these guys everything I have because I know what's at stake and I know what they gave up for me to be here, and I'mma do what it takes for us to win."
As Parsons pointed out, the Packers are obviously going to be even better once he gets fully acclimated. And that's a scary thought, as it's certainly not easy to shut down a high-octane offense like Detroit's. Yes, innovative OC Ben Johnson is gone, as he's now the head coach of the Chicago Bears, but holding a team that a season ago averaged a league-leading 33.2 points and 409.5 yards, the second-most in the NFL, to just 13 points and 246 yards is impressive.
As Cowboys fans well know, even when Parsons isn't directly involved with the play when on the field, he demands so much attention that it opens up opportunities for his teammates. And his new Green Bay running mates took full advantage, and they're only going to get more and more as the season progresses.
Given a few more weeks, Parsons will undoubtedly be closer to being at full strength and ready to kick things up a notch. And you know what happens in a few weeks? That, of course, is his return to AT&T Stadium for the Packers' Week 4 matchup with the Cowboys. And that should be a scary thought for any offensive player in a Dallas uniform.