While Green Bay Packers fans spent the bye week trying to erase any memory of their ugly tie with the Dallas Cowboys, Micah Parsons has been stewing on it.
Despite the Packers' defense dominating in the opening three games and much of the first half in Dallas, the way they fell apart later on has Parsons concerned. The Cowboys quick-passed them into submission, the perfect antidote to the Packers' fierce pass rush. Parsons wants an instant response against the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 6.
"You know, you should be pissed off," said Parsons. "We just gave up 40 points. We're talking about how we can't give up 20 and how we shouldn't lose games. That's how you lose games."
"We should punish these guys. We want to leave a statement. It should be a statement win. It should be a statement on defense," he added. "Running to the ball. That's contagious. How we showed them statements those first couple weeks — I told the guys: be phenomenal or be forgotten."
Micah Parsons demands more from Packers' defense after their worst performance yet
Parsons is right. We've seen how good this defense can be, and it wasn't just due to the pass rush getting home every time, but also the willingness of every player to swarm to the football.
We saw less of that against the Cleveland Browns in Week 3, and they looked like a different team versus Dallas. That energy? Vanished. Far too much standing around and watching.
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That needs to change. In theory, the Packers should be energized coming out of their bye.
They also don't have to play an offense as elite as Dallas'. While we can call out Green Bay's defensive effort, the reality is that the Cowboys executed a perfect game plan, requiring Dak Prescott to play at an MVP level. And he did. The Packers were close on several plays, but Prescott remained one step ahead.
It's less of a concern against Joe Flacco, who will likely make his first Bengals start only five days after arriving. He will need the league's shakiest offensive line to hold up.
Parsons said the Packers "should punish these guys." He's right. Winning is all that matters, but Green Bay has an opportunity to make an emphatic statement after a frustrating performance before the bye.
We'll learn a lot about this team. In Parsons' words, it's time to be "phenomenal or be forgotten."