Micah Parsons Makes Instant Impact in Green Bay Packers Debut

There was something different about the Green Bay Packers on Sunday.

Jordan Love carried an MVP air and the new-look defense was dynamite with Micah Parsons pulling down Jared Goff for a sack in his first game in green and gold, a cameo that had the Lambeau Field crowd ablaze from his first snap.

This wasn't the same team that lost to the Lions in a 34-31 heartbreaker last season. It wasn't the crew that came up short at Philadelphia in the postseason.

The difference, in short, was Parsons.

"I just feel like his presence out there was different," Love said. "The energy he brought to the crowd when they announced his name and then to be able to get that sack was big-time."

Parsons brought consistent pressure and was around Goff regularly despite limited time for football conditioning while dealing with back issue and spending most of August in an abrasive standoff with the Dallas Cowboys. Well, Jerry Jones and the Cowboys are going to regret this one.

Parsons sounded like he plans to rain fury on the team that held onto him until one week before the regular season began when he makes his return to Dallas in Week 4.

"These last six months was super draining, super toxic for everyone," Parsons said Sunday of the end of his four seasons in Dallas. "It's something that I don't think (any) player should have to go through. The fact that I was traded a week before the season was really outrageous and rough."

His second pressure of Goff led to Evan Williams' interception and NFL Next Gen Stats put his top speed at over 18 mph on the sack of Goff.

"I didn't even get to really burst out yet, you know what I mean," Parsons said. "I'm going to keep getting better. There's a lot of things that I want to fix. I feel like I didn't have a complete game and, obviously, that's going to happen not playing for six months. But I can take this and build on it, and we're going to be a really good football team."

The Lions (0-1) are nowhere near done, and tests are certain to be constant in the NFC North. We'll find out Monday if the Bears and Vikings are capable of running with the top dogs in the North.

For one Sunday in Green Bay, the Packers made sure Parsons knew things were different around here.

Head coach Matt LaFleur had the team's defense introduced prior to the game, and asked that No. 1 — Parsons' new uniform number — be the final player introduced.

"It gave you chills, for sure," wide receiver Jayden Reed said. "Just seeing Micah run out the tunnel and the crowd erupting – just to know that was real life, that was crazy."

LaFleur couldn't wipe the sideways grin off of his face for four quarters.

"It looked like the speed of light or a shooting star just coming out of the sky and closing ground fast. I mean, that's why he's here, right?" LaFleur said.

The next team to find out what real life is like at Lambeau Field is the Washington Commanders, who visit Thursday night in primetime.

Parsons is still nursing a sore back and said he was exhausted at the end of the game Sunday, the toll of physical and emotional output. But defensive teammates felt his presence in the way the Lions' offense adjust to what was coming.

Rashan Gary had 1.5 sacks, three QB hits and seven tackles. Defensive tackle Devonte Wyatt had a sack and Lukas Van Ness was more noticeable than ever. Gary said it came down to "Just 1 being on the field," referring to Parsons.

He won't know for a day or two if the snap count he described as "justified" will remain in place, but Parsons is eager to relive Sunday.

"That's the scary part," Parsons said. "I'm not going to tell you what I need to fix, I just know mentally I can be more dominant, I can turn things around and just create more havoc. Obviously with the limited play count coming in, that has an impact, too, but it's going to come. ... I'm excited about that."