Micah Parsons would've loved nothing more than to blow out the Dallas Cowboys in his first meeting against his old team on Sunday. Instead, the Green Bay Packers' star pass rusher was forced to settle for a 40-40 tie at AT&T Stadium as head coach Matt LaFleur's team failed to hold a lead long enough to leave the Lone Star State with the victory.
As usual, Parsons was the Packers' best defender as he finished with a team-high eight pressures and a 94.3 Pro Football Focus pass rush grade. While one would've blamed him for celebrating that performance, that isn't who the four-time Pro Bowler is. Parsons leads by example and isn't afraid to voice his displeasure, leading to his putting Green Bay's defense on notice after the game.
"Giving up 40 points, bro, I don’t care where we’re playing," Parsons said, according to The Athletic's Matt Schneidman. "That’s just unacceptable."
Micah Parsons Calls Out Packers' Defense After Allowing 40 Points vs. Cowboys
Even if the Packers had won, surrendering 40 points isn't a good look on any given Sunday. Green Bay let Dallas score twice on the ground and three times through the air, giving up a whopping 436 total scrimmage yards and 6.5 yards per play along the way. It's safe to say LaFleur & Co. would be sitting 2-2 if it wasn't for the offense bailing the defense out.
The Packers' poor defensive showing is made worse by the Cowboys being without top receiver CeeDee Lamb. Instead, it was fellow wideout George Pickens who did most of the aerial damage, as he snagged eight catches for 134 receiving yards and a pair of touchdowns — including a 28-yard score with 43 seconds remaining. Had Green Bay stood its ground, overtime wouldn't have been needed.
It doesn't help that the Packers also gave up an average of 4.5 yards on 26 carries to the Cowboys' backfield. Green Bay's run defense was always going to take a hit after trading Kenny Clark to Dallas, and that situation was further proven by the team's inconsistent ground stoppages this weekend.
Hopefully, the Packers' defenders listen to Parsons' words and come back stronger going forward. "Defense wins championships" isn't just a saying: it's the truth. Green Bay boasted a top-five defensive unit en route to winning Super Bowl XLV almost 15 years ago, and playing at that level again would improve the odds of ending this season in championship glory.
The Packers are on their bye in Week 5, giving the defense plenty of time to get their heads straight and return to an acceptable playing level in Parsons' eyes.