Seven days earlier, Jerry Jones sat at the podium and, with a straight face, proclaimed that he traded all-world pass-rusher Micah Parsons to improve his Dallas Cowboys' run defense.
Reality struck the Cowboys like a bolt of lightning in Thursday's season opener, and we're not talking about the one-hour weather delay. Jones ate those words as he watched the Philadelphia Eagles slice open his new-and-improved run defense to the tune of 158 yards and three touchdowns.
The Green Bay Packers emphatically, comprehensively won the trade before Parsons could even pull on Curly Lambeau's famous No. 1 jersey for the first time.
Cowboys' first game without Micah Parsons made the trade even sweeter for the Packers
Dallas showed the fight and resilience that eluded them for much of last season, falling to the defending champs by only four points, but the Eagles exploited a Micah Parsons-sized void at the heart of the Cowboys' defense.
Jones vowed that Kenny Clark's arrival would solve the run defense concerns, but the Pro Bowl defensive tackle failed to deliver a sizeable impact on debut. Clark came close to a sack, but Pro Football Focus also credited him with a missed tackle, and his 56.9 run defense grade was among the team's worst for the evening.
Even former Packers running back AJ Dillon broke out a nine-yard run on Dallas' shaky defense.
The run defense is the least of Jones' issues. The Cowboys undoubtedly felt Parsons' absence — Jalen Hurts only threw seven passes under pressure, per PFF. Hurts had time in the pocket, and when he needed to extend plays and wait for a receiver to shake free, he could do so without the fear of a Hall-of-Fame pass-rusher hunting him down.
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Hurts finished the evening without a touchdown pass, but he only had four incompletions on 23 pass attempts. He did most of his damage on the ground, turning 14 attempts into a game-best 62 yards and two touchdowns.
Trading away their all-star pass-rusher may not have hurt the Cowboys' run defense, but it sure didn't help it, either.
Dallas truly missed his relentless energy and willingness to chase down Hurts when he extends plays. Parsons did it repeatedly when the two teams met last season, and he registered two sacks during the game at AT&T Stadium.
Take out Clark and insert Parsons, and the Cowboys may have upset the Eagles in the season's curtain raiser.
Instead, he's preparing to tear down a Lions offensive line already on the ropes after losing Frank Ragnow and Kevin Zeitler. The Cowboys so dearly missed Parsons' game-wrecking talent, a further reminder that this lopsided trade has only one winner.
Parsons hasn't played a snap yet, but he will soon confirm the reality Jones faced on Thursday night. The Packers won this trade, and it's not even close.