Micah Parsons made his Green Bay Packers debut in front of the team that traded him, and it did not go well. Dallas beat Green Bay 27-10 at Lambeau Field on Sunday, holding Parsons to zero sacks and one quarterback hit while the offense controlled the ball for nearly 36 minutes.
Parsons was traded to Green Bay in a stunning offseason deal after his relationship with Jerry Jones broke down. The star pass rusher signed a four-year extension worth $188 million in the process, and Sunday was billed as one of the most watched revenge games in recent NFL memory.
Dallas offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer had a plan. The Cowboys ran quick game on early downs, kept two backs in to chip Parsons on longer drop-backs, and used tight end Jake Ferguson to bracket him on any obvious pass rush situation. Parsons was frustrated by the second quarter and visibly gassed by the fourth.
Dak Prescott looked comfortable in his second year under Schottenheimer, going 22 of 30 for 268 yards and two touchdowns. CeeDee Lamb had a monster afternoon with nine catches for 138 yards, exploiting a Green Bay secondary that lost Jaire Alexander to a groin injury in warm-ups.
The Packers offense never found rhythm. Jordan Love threw for 189 yards but was sacked four times, including twice by Dallas rookie edge rusher Dylan Stewart. Green Bay’s inability to run the ball with Josh Jacobs, who had 54 yards on 15 carries, made the offense one-dimensional and predictable.
Head coach Matt LaFleur was measured after the game. He said the team needed to be better everywhere, that one game is not a season, and that Parsons will be a difference-maker over the long haul. He is right on all three counts.
Parsons himself declined to make excuses. He praised the Cowboys’ game plan, credited Ferguson for a strong day, and said he expected to play a lot cleaner in Week 2. That kind of accountability is why the Packers paid to get him in the first place.
Dallas leaves Lambeau with a huge road win and a lot of momentum. The Cowboys travel to New York next week to play the Giants, and Dak looks like he is ready to play at an MVP level again after a rough end to last season.
The Packers get the Washington Commanders next Sunday. It is a game they should win. If they do not, the panic in Green Bay will get loud fast, and Parsons will start hearing questions about his fit that he does not deserve.
A longtime sports reporter, Carlos Garcia has written about some of the biggest and most notable athletic events of the last 5 years. He has been credentialed to cover MLS, NBA and MLB games all over the United States. His work has been published on Fox Sports, Bleacher Report, AOL and the Washington Post.
