One of the most highly anticipated games of the season is set to take place on Sunday Night Football between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Green Bay Packers. Not only are they two historic franchises, but all eyes will be on Aaron Rodgers as he faces his former team for the first time in his career.
The biggest obstacle between Rodgers and a win tonight will be Packers star Micah Parsons. Before the start of the season, the Dallas Cowboys made a blockbuster move, trading All-Pro Parsons to the Green Bay Packers in exchange for defensive tackle Kenny Clark and two first-round picks. The deal sent shockwaves across the NFL, as it’s rare to see a player of Parsons’ elite caliber and game-changing impact dealt away.
Micah Parsons Continues Dominant Ways in Green Bay
A quick glance at the box score might not fully capture Parsons’ impact on his new team, but make no mistake, he’s been instrumental in transforming the Packers’ defense. His relentless pressure and versatility have made him a cornerstone of Green Bay’s pass rush, helping the unit emerge as one of the best defenses in the NFL.
Green Bay is only allowing just 20.4 points per game, and is the 10th-best unit in the league based on PFSN’s Defense Impact metric.
In six games with the Packers, Parsons has recorded eight solo tackles, 5.5 sacks, 13 quarterback hits, and five tackles for loss. In the 27-23 win last week, he recorded three sacks.
While Parsons has been everything the Packers have hoped for, the Cowboys also have a reason to be happy with their haul.
Kenny Clark Providing Stability for Dallas Defense
If the Cowboys were going to trade Parsons, they wanted a defensive tackle back, along with draft picks. Clark has played a crucial role in the Cowboys’ run defense early in this season. Despite Dallas’s poor defense, Clark is not someone to blame for their struggles.
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He is holding up his end of the bargain in the interior, but the Cowboys’ defense is allowing 141.3 rushing yards per game, which is surprisingly worse than their 137.1 yards per game last season.
The Cowboys may be in a more significant rebuild than they are willing to admit. That is why acquiring two extra first-round picks could mean a lot for their future. Dallas has four first-round picks in the subsequent two drafts, and those are picks they must hit on.
