The Green Bay Packers have made the playoffs for three straight seasons as the seventh seed in the NFC. They began the season as one of the top Super Bowl contenders, but injuries to Micah Parsons and Tucker Kraft ruined Green Bay’s chances of winning the division.
The biggest story coming into the season for the Packers was their blockbuster trade for Parsons. Here are the details on that trade:
Micah Parsons’ Trade Details
In return for Parsons, the Dallas Cowboys received defensive tackle Kenny Clark and two first-round picks. The Cowboys used one of those first-round picks to land Quinnen Williams from the New York Jets before the trade deadline.
A simple look at the stat sheet doesn’t do Parsons’ impact justice, but he was a driving force behind the Packers’ defensive rise. His nonstop pressure and ability to line up anywhere in the front have turned him into the centerpiece of Green Bay’s pass rush, helping the defense develop into one of the league’s toughest units.
Before his injury, Green Bay at one point was allowing just 18.8 points per game and was the ninth-best unit in the league based on PFSN’s Defense Impact metric. However, Parsons’ injury has made the Packers’ defense vulnerable, and they are no longer a formidable unit.
In 14 games with the Packers, Parsons recorded 19 solo tackles, 12.5 sacks, 26 quarterback hits, and 12 tackles for loss. While Parsons has been everything the Packers have hoped for, the Cowboys also have a reason to be happy with their haul.
Green Bay Packers’ Stats and Insights for Wild Card Round
Team:Â The Packers have won 13 of their last 15 games in Chicago. In Week 16, the Packers had a 10-point lead at the two-minute warning in the fourth quarter. The Bears tied the game and went on to win in overtime.
Playoffs:Â Matt LaFleur is 3-5 career in the postseason. Green Bay has scored at least 28 points in the three wins and 21 or fewer in four of the five losses.
QB: Jordan Love posted a QBi of 91.3 (A-) in his first postseason game against the Dallas Cowboys in the 2023 Wild Card round. Love has graded at a C level in his two other postseason starts.
OFF:Â The Packers committed six turnovers in the last five games after having seven in the first 12 games.
DEF:Â Green Bay received DEFi grades of C (Week 14) and C- (Week 16) against Chicago this season. The Packers had a D+ or worse in three of the final six games.
