The Green Bay Packers' 27-23 win over the Arizona Cardinals was anything but pretty, unless you only watched Micah Parsons. Parsons dominated the game from start to finish, thwarting the Arizona front against the run or pass.
The fifth-year edge rusher padded his stat line in the desert, racking up five tackles, four for a loss, five QB hits, three sacks, and 10 pressures. Surprisingly enough, it was the first time in Parsons' electric career that he tallied three sacks in a single game. He's had 2.5 sacks on three other occasions, but three full sacks now stand as a single-game best mark in his career.
Parsons' monster performance not only stands out as a career day, but as an example of what the Packers need out of him, particularly in the fourth quarter, to match their lofty in-house expectations.
Career-best performance underscores Micah Parsons' value as the tone-setter for Packers' defense
Four of Parsons' pressures and two of his sacks came in the fourth quarter alone, helping the Packers to preserve their late lead. That kind of production is what the Packers have been missing this season when the witching hour arrives every week.
Finishing strong was a point of emphasis for the Packers this week, though it was more so from the standpoint of sustaining leads rather than clinging to one that was acquired within the final minutes. Regardless, it's a positive sign for the Packers' defense going forward if they can bring this trend into future games. It's an even better sign that Parsons is the one leading the charge.
RELEVANT: Packers just had major problem exposed despite escaping with win
The Cardinals didn't have answers for Parsons late. On the first sack Parsons picked up in the fourth quarter, the Cardinals left their right tackle, Jonah Williams, on an island with Parsons. The Cardinals tried to pay some extra attention to Parsons throughout the game with chips and help, but it hardly seemed to faze Parsons, who had a positive impact on more than half of his 35 pass-rush attempts.
And if Parsons wasn't getting home, his teammates feasted. The defense finished with six sacks, 12 QB hits, and even came up with their third turnover of the season. That's the type of impact the Packers expected out of Parsons when they traded two first-round picks for him ahead of the season.
With a career day under his belt, now the key is building consistency, not just for Parsons, but the entire defense. An opportunity awaits next week against Aaron Rodgers and the Pittsburgh Steelers to replicate the performance. Rodgers has only been sacked nine times this season, close to the league average.