After the Week 3 loss to the Atlanta Falcons on Thursday Night Football, it looked as though the Green Bay Packers' season was done for. It wasn't just a defeat for the Packers, they were embarrassed. Meanwhile, five weeks later, the Packers returned to Thursday's primetime with a winning record, and a chance to keep up in the tightly contested NFC North.
In Week 8, the Packers defeated the Carolina Panthers 27-19 to improve to 5-3 on the season and to keep pace for second place in the division behind the undefeated Minnesota Vikings. While Green Bay's passing offense will understandably get some attention for the win, the defense deserved more credit. That's because the Packers' pass rush made Thursday night miserable for Panthers quarterback Bryce Young.
The Packers' pass rush pressured Young on 22 of his dropbacks, sacking him six times, which matched his six completions made on 16 pass attempts, according to ESPN Research.
The reality is that while the Packers' defense has majorly helped them pick up wins, they will only get better once Micah Parsons returns.
Packers' defense will only get scarier once Micah Parsons is cleared from injury
The fact that the Packers' defense has played this well without their superstar just goes to show how great a job defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon has done eight games into the season. As mentioned earlier, the Packers exploited the Panthers' weakness along the line of scrimmage, and it ultimately helped them secure a win. That was even with the Panthers trying to orchestrate a comeback attempt late in the game.
Imagine how dominant the win could have been if the Parsons were cleared. Those pressure numbers could have been scary.
Green Bay fans have been waiting to see when Parsons could make his season debut. He is expected to return to practice next week.
Once Parsons does return, he will make the defense infinitely better. In his first season in Green Bay before his injury, Parsons recorded 41 combined tackles (19 solo, 22 assisted), 27 quarterback hits, and 12.5 sacks in 14 games.
Now, Packers fans will wait to see if he will be cleared after his expected return to practice next week.
Micah Parsons' return could help shift NFC North championship sweepstakes
The focus will be on when Parsons can return. Maybe it's Week 9 against the New England Patriots. Maybe it will be in their Week 10 game against the Minnesota Vikings before their bye. Whenever his return happens, the Packers can continue building upon their defensive identity. And it could help them keep pace and possibly surpass some of their division rivals.
As fans all know, the Vikings are the only undefeated team left in the NFL following the San Francisco 49ers' and Kansas City Chiefs' losses in Week 7. Minnesota has the best defense in football, thanks in part to the play-calling from coordinator Brian Flores. But their offense, despite having wide receiver Justin Jefferson, is among the worst. The Packers, with a healthy Parsons, should make games more difficult for the Vikings and starting quarterback Kyler Murray.
Then there are the Chicago Bears, whom the Packers already defeated quite easily back in Week 5. However, the Bears made their big splash hours before kickoff of Packers vs. Panthers, as they acquired superstar defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons from the Tennessee Titans in exchange for two first-round picks (2027 and 2028) and a fourth-round pick (2027).
As for the Detroit Lions, they may be the most vulnerable, but the Packers still lost to them. Granted, the officiating and questionable roughing-the-passer penalties didn't help their chances. The Packers will wrap up the regular season with a matchup against the Lions, and it may very well determine whether they make the playoffs.
The Packers are doing fine without Parsons, yes. But they would much rather have him on the football field soon. From there, the sky is the limit for the pass rush, and the wins could start to flow (if head coach Matt LaFleur doesn't collapse in the fourth quarter).
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