Micah Parsons brings a different aura to Green Bay.
It started when he emerged from the tunnel at Lambeau Field – wearing a No. 1 jersey not seen in Green Bay since Curly Lambeau wore it himself. It culminated with his impressive chase down of Jared Goff with 4:16 left in the fourth quarter for his first sack as a Packer.
That moment was the topper on a 27-13 victory Sunday against the two-time defending NFC North champion Detroit Lions in Week 1. When the Packers traded Kenny Clark and two first-round picks to the Dallas Cowboys and signed Parsons to a four-year, $188 million contract, this no longer is about the playoffs in Green Bay. It's about the Super Bowl.
Welcome to Green Bay, Micah Parsons 🤩
— NFL (@NFL) September 7, 2025
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The timing could not be better. Aaron Rodgers – who led Green Bay a victory in Super Bowl 45 XLV in 2010 – finished off a 34-32 victory with the Pittsburgh Steelers in the early set of games. The Packers could not afford to lose in Week 1 for the sake of general manager Brian Gutekunst and coach Matt LaFleur.
They didn't. Parsons, even in just 29 snaps, made a huge difference on defense. Jordan Love threw two first-half TDs and almost – but didn't – make the big mistake.
Micah Parsons gives Packers elite defense
That is not a hot take. It's fact, and a handful of plays against the Lions showed exactly why the Packers' investment paid off.
On third-and-5 in the second quarter, Parsons lined up at defensive tackle and pushed through the Lions' rebuilt interior line. That forced a Goff incompletion and a field goal. On third-and-seven with 1:12 remaining in the half, a Parsons' pressure led to an interception by Evan Williams.
With 5:06 left in the third quarter, Rashan Gary and Lukas Van Ness combined for a sack on third-and-6. Parsons' presence matters, and Green Bay defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley will be able to create more pressure with a nasty defense that has several Pro Bowl-caliber pieces. In the fourth quarter, the pressure seemed to wear down Goff and the Lions new-look offensive line.
The Packers have really have not had an elite offense-defense combination since the days of Rodgers, Clay Matthews Jr. and Charles Woodson, and before that, not since Brett Favre and Reggie White.
Yes, the comparisons to White and Parsons are patently unfair. White had 198 career sacks and is in the conversation when it comes to greatest defensive player of all time. White made his Green Bay debut on Sept. 5, 1993, and he tackled Los Angeles Rams running back Jerome Bettis twice in that debut. The Packers won 36-6, and Green Bay fans knew a Super Bowl was in the future with White and a young Favre.
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Jordan Love shines in fast start
Love is in the spotlight this season in his third year as a starter. He led Green Bay to back-to-back playoff appearances the last two seasons, but the Packers finished just 1-5 in the NFC North.
Love came out hot in the first quarter. He hit 8 of 12 passes for 93 yards, including 3 of 4 passes on third down. That included a 15-yard TD pass to tight end Tucker Kraft. Green Bay had a 10-0 lead with 3:58 left in the first quarter.
Jordan Love going DEEP to Romeo Doubs 🎯
— NFL (@NFL) September 7, 2025
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After a Detroit field goal, Love hit Romeo Doubs for a 48-yard pass on a post and followed with a 17-yard TD pass to Jayden Reed.
Love had a blip in the third quarter when he nearly threw an interception to Detroit linebacker Alex Anzalone then did throw a pick to Brian Branch, whose return for a TD was negated because of a defensive holding call. Those were close calls.
Still, Love finished 16 of 22 passing for 188 yards. It was more than enough.
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Will Micah Parsons lead Green Bay to a Super Bowl?
This raises the stakes in the NFC North. Detroit had won six of the last eight meetings against the Packers under coach Dan Campbell, and to be blunt they toyed with Green Bay in two victories last season, especially on fourth down. The Lions led the NFL with 33.2 points per game last season, but Goff (31 of 39, 225 yards, TD, INT) was limited to check-downs and Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery were held to 46 yards on 2.1 yards per carry.
How much of that is losing offensive coordinator Ben Johnson to Chicago? That will take much longer to answer.
The Packers are still that good on defense – and that makes them a real Super Bowl contender. Green Bay has won four Super Bowls, and those four teams ranked no lower than third in scoring defense.
Packers' scoring defense in Super Bowl winning-seasons
| YEAR | RECORD | PPG | RANK |
| 2010 | 10-6 | 15.0 | 2nd |
| 1996 | 13-3 | 13.1 | 1st |
| 1967 | 9-4-1 | 14.9 | 3rd |
| 1966 | 12-2 | 11.6 | 1st |
Is this a Week 1 overreaction? Maybe. Philadelphia – the defending Super Bowl champion – remains the team to beat in the NFC, and Green Bay plays Washington in Lambeau Field on Thursday in Week 2. The Lions, Vikings and Bears are part of a loaded division, and Green Bay plays the AFC North and NFC East this season. And yes, there are dates with Jerry Jones and the Cowboys in Week 4 and Rodgers and the Steelers in Week 8.
It's a long way to the Super Bowl, and Week 1 reactions for the short-lived. But for the first time since Rodgers left, it feels like a real possibility in Green Bay.
That feeling can go a long way with a player like Parsons.
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