The main reason why the Dallas Cowboys decided to trade Micah Parsons to the Green Bay Packers is because GM Jerry Jones did not want to meet the dynamic edge rusher's contract demands. But that might not be the only reason why decision-makers in Big D allowed Parsons to pack his bags.
There's no question that Parsons is one of the most prolific sack artists in all of football. He's a menace when permitted to pin his ears back and rush the passer from his spot on the edge. One way to neutralize a player like that is to run the ball right at him. That kind of game plan stops Parsons from chasing the quarterback with reckless abandon.
That strategy was employed to near perfection by the Carolina Panthers in their upset victory over Green Bay on Sunday. Quarterback Bryce Young and his offense did not light the scoreboard up, but they did play keep away form Jordan Love and his offensive weaponry. Ironically, it was former Cowboys running back Rico Dowdle that helped Panthers head coach Dave Canales and his staff pludgeon Green Bay's defensive front.
Dowdle plowed ahead against Parsons and his defensive line mates for 130 yards and two touchdowns on 25 carries. In fairness, not all of those efforts came at Parsons' expense. The rest of Green Bay's front is undersized, and it showed against the Panthers. Defensive tackle Kenny Clark helped the Packers stuff the run last year, but he headed to Dallas in the trade that brought Parsons to Green Bay.
Packers run defense is a real problem after Micah Parsons trade
In fairness to Parsons, he did show up against the run on Sunday. He posted 1.5 stuffs, which was his highest total of the season. That statistic should not confuse fans who are curious about Parsons' run-defending abilities. At best, Parsons is an average edge player when it comes to neutralizing opposing ground games. It's more accurate to call him a below-average player when it comes to working against the run.
Combine that with his exceptional ability to rush the passer and it still makes Parsons one of the most valuable edge rushers in football. The Packers gave up a king's ransom to make sure he can harass opposing quarterbacks when they drop back to pass in the playoffs. No one in Green Bay is going to get too concerned about Parsons' work against the run in a relatively meaningless game in early November.
Still, Parsons' struggles against the Panthers must have put a smile on the faces of Cowboys front office members who have been skewered on social media for their decision to part with such an elite defender. Dallas knew Parsons wasn't perfect and it showed against Dowdle and Carolina's ground game.
At the very least, Parsons' struggles against the run should be monitored moving forward. The Packers need to play more beef up front to allow him to play to his strengths. If they don't, their playoff hopes could end at the hands of a physical ground game like the Panthers employ. That might be enough to help Jerry Jones sleep a little easier at night.