That felt good. The Detroit Lions had dominated the recent rivalry and shown zero humility during their two-year reign atop the NFC North. The Green Bay Packers ushered in a new era in Week 1 with a 27-13 victory over their most recent rivals.
Dominant. Emphatic. Convincing. Choose any word you like. Here are two more: Micah Parsons. He made his presence felt immediately. Forget the pitch count Jeff Hafley deployed — Parsons wasted no time becoming the Lions' worst nightmare.
The Packers made an early-season statement and put their division rivals on notice. They have already matched last season's win total against NFC North opponents, and they're just getting started. Who were the biggest winners and losers for the Packers in Week 1?
Biggest winners and losers for Packers in statement victory over Lions in Week 1
Winner: Micah Parsons
Game. Changer. If that's Micah Parsons on a pitch count with no preseason, just imagine the level he can reach by December. Parsons provided further proof of how bad a decision it was for Jerry Jones to make him available for trade. He raised the entire level of the Packers' defense.
Parsons pressured Jared Goff on his first very snap, but that was just the start. He later created an Evan Williams interception by hurrying Goff's pass, and he made life miserable for Lions All-Pro right tackle Penei Sewell. Finally, Parsons provided the moment Lambeau had waited for, chasing down Goff for a fourth-quarter sack.
Jeff Hafley recognized a weakness in Detroit's new-look offensive line, and responded by regularly sending Parsons down the middle — just as we predicted.
This is just the beginning. Parsons is already making his presence felt.
Winner: Jordan Love
Jordan Love didn't show any signs of the left thumb injury that required surgery at the start of preseason. Outside of a brief third-quarter wobble where he almost threw a pick and then had one saved by a Lions penalty, Love looked in control all afternoon.
He finished the day with 16 completions on 22 attempts for 188 yards, two touchdowns, and a passer rating of 128.6. Love threw two beautiful touchdown passes to Tucker Kraft and Jayden Reed, and looked in command for much of the game.
Winner: Evan Williams
Evan Williams made the PFWA All-Rookie Team last year and is already building on that impressive effort. In the second quarter, he jumped a route by Amon-Ra St. Brown to intercept Goff, a game-changing moment.
Williams offered nothing in coverage, earning the Packers' best PFF defensive grade of the day, an elite 92.1 score.
Winner: Lukas Van Ness
This is the Lukas Van Ness we've waited so long to see. It's one thing to make an impact in training camp, but it's another to make it happen in real games against the best teams. How about half a sack, one QB hit, and three pressures?
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PFF also credited Van Ness with four stops. He made plays against the run and pass, and showed early signs of a third-year breakout. If Van Ness takes that next step alongside Parsons and Rashan Gary? Look out.
Winner: Edgerrin Cooper
Edgerrin Cooper is a star. What's new? The second-year pro was everywhere, making a team-best 12 tackles, including eight solo. Per PFF, he made eight stops, two pressures, and earned an elite 89.9 coverage grade.
Parsons' arrival makes everyone better. Cooper already looks better in Year 2, and he is backing up predictions that an All-Pro season is on the way.
Loser: Javon Bullard
With Nate Hobbs out, the Packers relied on Javon Bullard to handle the slot duties, an area he struggled with last season. It's a tough matchup against the Lions' scary pass-catching group, but Bullard had a rough performance. Per PFF, he allowed 10 completions on 11 targets for 72 yards.
The Packers will need a lot more from Bullard if he's going to become a regular in the first-team defense.
Loser: Injuries
It was almost the perfect day, but injuries partially ruined it. Right tackle Zach Tom exited the game with a hip injury, which was a direct consequence of Aidan Hutchinson's dirty hit on Jordan Love. The Packers also lost edge-rusher Brenton Cox Jr., cornerback Bo Melton, and left guard Aaron Banks to injury.
There's concern with such a quick turnaround to Thursday's game with the Washington Commanders.