Micah Parsons has transformed the Green Bay Packers' defense. It isn't just his sacks, but also how everything becomes easier for his teammates.
At least, that's the theory. Parsons draws double teams, even triple teams, as opposing offenses throw everything at the Packers' All-Pro pass-rusher. That creates favorable matchups across the board, where former first-round pick Rashan Gary should benefit.
But that's not how it's playing out. Gary has gone missing in recent weeks, with his pressures and sacks plummeting, and his snap count also decreasing. The Packers' pass rush has become Parsons or nothing, and that's a dangerous world to live in if this team has serious Super Bowl hopes.
Packers need far more from Rashan Gary to take advantage of Micah Parsons' impact
If you look at Gary's season numbers from afar, all looks well. His 7.5 sacks in 10 games tie Detroit's Aidan Hutchinson and Denver's Jonathon Cooper. But it becomes more concerning once you dive deeper.
Gary has recorded zero sacks over the Packers' past three games, and his impact is also decreasing. According to Pro Football Focus, Gary had at least four pressures in six of Green Bay's opening seven games. Since then, he has had just seven pressures in the past three games.
Sacks don't always tell the full story, and pressures give us a much better gauge of a pass-rusher's impact. Gary had only two against the New York Giants, with zero hits on the quarterback.
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Per PFF, Gary is winning on 11.4 percent of his pass-rush snaps, which is good for just 61st among edge defenders. Again, he should benefit from more favorable one-on-one matchups, but it's not happening consistently.
For perspective, Parsons ranks third by winning on an incredible 24.7 percent of his pass-rush snaps. Even Lukas Van Ness wins on 15.3 percent of his snaps, good for 33rd in the NFL. Van Ness only made 1.5 sacks in his five games before getting hurt, but he is generating more consistent pressure than Gary when he's on the field.
It's also unclear why Gary is playing such a low number of snaps. Kingsley Enagbare outsnapped him in the win over New York.
Gary featured on just 39 snaps against the Giants, one fewer than Enagbare. Again, for perspective, Parsons played 61. In the loss to the Philadelphia Eagles, Parsons played 53, Gary 38, and Enagbare 33.
According to Pro Football Reference, Parsons has played on 76.2 percent of the Packers' defensive snaps this year, and remember that he started the season on a pitch count. Since Week 5, Parsons has featured on 334 of 397 defensive snaps, which is 84.1 percent.
Gary has played just 248 snaps in that same stretch, which is 62.5 percent. And it's not like Van Ness is taking his opportunities — he has only played in one of those six games due to injury. Despite Van Ness' absence, Gary still isn't playing a full-time role, even when he is the clear No. 2 edge defender behind Parsons.
He's in a dream position. Parsons draws so much attention that it should make life as easy as it's ever been for Gary as a pass-rusher. He's no longer the offense's top focus. Now, he should dominate in favorable matchups.
The Packers gave Gary a four-year, $96 million extension a little over two years ago. They drafted him 12th overall in 2019. It's about time he started playing to that level on a consistent basis, which should be more reasonable than before, with Parsons barely leaving the field opposite him.
The Philadelphia Eagles don't just win because they have Jalen Carter or Jordan Davis or Moro Ojomo, but also because they added more pass-rush talent, like Za'Darius Smith and Jaelan Phillips. The latter already has a sack and a game-winning stop in his first two games with the Eagles.
Green Bay's pass rush should be on that level. Parsons is playing his part. Not only does he have PFF's highest pass-rush grade, but he also ranks second in pressures with 56. According to ESPN, Parsons has a pass-rush win rate of 23 percent, which is tied for second at his position.
But the Packers need so much more from Gary.
He has 7.5 sacks, but his lack of consistent pressure is making the pass rush far too one-dimensional. Either Parsons gets home, or nobody does. Gary has to fix that.