Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones believes he made the right choice for his franchise by shipping Micah Parsons to the Green Bay Packers. It might not take long for the 82-year-old former oil magnate to realize the error of his decision.
From the outset, Parsons, a two-time first-team Associated Press All-Pro who’s twice finished in the top-three of Defensive Player of the Year voting, will have the chance to make his former team regret its choice to send him away. The Packers open their regular season against the defending NFC North champion Detroit Lions, a team that’s had their number since 2022.
Micah Parsons is going to make an instant impact for the Packers
Parsons should almost instantly inject some life into the Packers’ pass rush, which graded out as 26th in ESPN Analytics’ eam pass rush win rankings a campaign ago. Green Bay had 45 sacks on the season, led by Rashan Gary’s 7.5, but 20 of them were recorded in three games.
According to that same company’s edge pass rush win rate rankings, Parsons was the third-best edge rusher in the NFL at getting around offensive linemen. He had a 23 percent pass rush win rating, meaning he beat his block within 2.5 seconds. Only Houston’s Danielle Hunter (26 percent) and Cincinnati’s Trey Hendrickson (24 percent) had better success.
The Packers have only beaten the Lions once in their last seven meetings. Detroit swept their home-and-home bill a campaign ago, winning 24-14 on the road and 34-31 at home a little over a month later. Goff was sacked only once in each outing, combining to go 50 for 63 for 428 yards, four touchdowns and an interception.
However, entering this season, the Lions are breaking in a new offensive coordinator. John Morton takes over for new Chicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson in that position. Morton was previously a play-caller for the New York Jets in 2017, spearheading an attack that ranked 28th in yards and 24th in points scored.
Morton has a reputation for being pass happy, which could allow Parsons the chance to get after Goff and throw him out of wack.
Meanwhile, Dallas will be tasked with containing Philadelphia’s Jalen Hurts, a job that’s much easier with Parsons than without him. FanDuel Sportsbook tabs the Cowboys as 8.5-point underdogs against the defending Super Bowl champions.
If Parsons can help the Packers exorcise their Lions demons while Dallas struggles in primetime, it will be the player who has the last laugh, not the owner.