The Green Bay Packers traded for Micah Parsons to solve their long-standing issues at edge rusher. As it turns out, the disruptive defender might also help the storied franchise solve some more subtle issues inside their own locker room.
It's safe to say that some players on the roster got a little too high on their own supply after that ballyhooed 2-0 start to this season. That all came crashing down in an ugly 13-10 loss against the Browns in Week 3, a game that slipped through Green Bay's fingers thanks to an all-around collapse in the fourth quarter. The lackluster effort dropped the Packers to 2-1 on the year and reopened a competitive race in the NFC North.
No NFL team will survive the lengthy gauntlet of a 17-game regular season without a dip in performance. The talk ahead of Green Bay's Week 3 game was more troubling than anything that happened on the field against the Browns. Fortunately, Parsons' reaction to the words of some of his teammates bodes well for improvement moving forward.
Micah Parsons setting the tone in Packers locker room after Week 3 loss
Parsons' college teammate, Rasheed Walker, told reporters on the Wednesday before the Cleveland game that he believed the Packers could go undefeated. Parsons' reaction to hearing the left tackle's statement was pure perfection: "You should always share your dreams in private", the edge rusher said, because some people won't understand them. In other words, Walker and his teammates should not boast of future successes in the media in the coming weeks. Walker has claimed he won't talk to NFL reporters again after the embarassing exchange.
Of course, that maturity also showed up on the field. Quarterback Jordan Love is more media savvy than his offensive line, but he threw a late-game interception that ultimately ended Green Bay's chances of putting the victory away against the Browns.
Interceptions happen, but this was one throw that Love should never have made. He claimed not to see Cleveland safety Grant Delpit as he broke on the ball and secured the pick. The idea that a safety might drop off a tight end to take away a deeper throw isn't uncommon strategy in the modern NFL. It's the sort of move Love should have been looking for at this stage in his career.
The challenge for the Packers in the coming weeks will be to learn how to walk and talk like legitimate Super Bowl contenders. The arrival of Parsons should give his teammates a strong example of what that looks like on a daily basis. He's the sort of mature, leader that can help Green Bay make the challenging transition from good to great.