GLENDALE, Ariz. – Micah Parsons has always had this mythical gear he hits when the game is on the line.
The Packers defensive end found it and then some Sunday at State Farm Stadium.
Playing behind veteran quarterback Jacoby Brissett, Arizona opened the game with a 15-play, 59-yard scoring drive but it was Parsons who helped keep the Cardinals out of the end zone.
With the game tied at 20, Parsons again came through in the red zone with a sack of Brissett that lost 11 yards for the Cardinals on third-and-goal.
Making the moment extra sweet was the fact it was Parsons’ first three-sack game after notching three 2½ sack performances in his first four-plus seasons.
Ariz. Glendale. When the game is at stake, Micah Parsons always hits this legendary gear.
On Sunday at State Farm Stadium, the Packers’ defensive end found it and then some.
In front of 64,810 spectators, the Packers defeated the Arizona Cardinals 27–23, and Parsons used every weapon in his toolbox to deliver one of his best performances to date.
A career-high three sacks, four tackles for loss, and five quarterback hits were all noteworthy. Most significantly, he recorded four pressures in just the fourth quarter.
Parsons rushed from almost everywhere on the defensive front, seeing more 1-on-1 rush opportunities than he’s seen this season. Jonah Williams and Paris Johnson, both tackles for the Cardinals, had a difficult time when they were on the edge.
Parsons stated, “Something just switches when it’s time to win the game.”.
“I believe it was the first time this season that I was permitted to rush by my opponents, but I don’t think it was my best pass-rush performance. Take a look at the looks I’ve been receiving—double tight ends, chips, full slides, and other guys just stepping up, to be exact. “,”.
Parsons and the defense had a rough day, but they both gave it their all when it was needed in a knockdown, drag-out game against the Cardinals, who outscored Green Bay in both total yards (330–262) and time of possession (34:10–25:50).
Arizona began the game with a 15-play, 59-yard scoring drive behind seasoned quarterback Jacoby Brissett, but Parsons was instrumental in keeping the Cardinals out of the end zone.
Parsons forced Arizona to settle for the first of three field goals from Chad Ryland after he and Nate Hobbs combined to tackle Bam Knight on first-and-goal. On third down, Parsons beat Johnson to Brissett.
Despite Parsons being sacked for a hip-drop tackle in the second quarter after chasing down Brissett on second-and-14, Green Bay stopped Arizona on its second scoring drive; this would become a recurrent theme.
“I don’t believe so. When asked if he could have done anything differently, Parsons responded, “That’s just an effort play.”. “That guy, who’s roughly my size at quarterback, is in my hurry, and I just did what I thought. I didn’t hip drop on purpose; I just hope that when I arrive on Tuesday or Monday, I don’t have a fine in my locker. “.
Later in the second quarter, Parsons drew an elusive offensive holding penalty on a run play, but he didn’t find Brissett again until the fourth quarter.
On third-and-goal, Parsons again saved the Cardinals with a sack of Brissett, which cost them 11 yards. The game was tied at 20.
The Packers’ courageous 10-play, 48-yard offensive drive, which culminated in a 1-yard Josh Jacobs touchdown, gave them a 27-23 lead after holding Arizona to three points and forcing a turnover on downs on the Cardinals’ next possession.
With less than two minutes left, the Packers’ defense successfully held onto their early lead of the day. The Cardinals were forced to burn their second timeout when Parsons recorded a third sack of Brissett on first down for a 9-yard loss, even though the team had reached the Green Bay 26 with less than a minute remaining.
Parsons and the Packers managed to hold on for the victory despite two incompletions and a Brissett scramble, which was encouraging for a team that has had trouble preventing points from being scored in the fourth quarter this season.
Safety Xavier McKinney stated, “There were a couple of them … where it happened so fast I didn’t even have to do much back-pedaling.”. It seems as though the play never really began because of how quickly he can return there. That’s just his ability, in my opinion. “.
The fact that it was Parsons’ first three-sack game after recording three 2½-sack performances in his first four or more seasons added to the sweetness of the moment.
Even without defensive linemen Devonte Wyatt (knee) and Lukas Van Ness (foot), the Green Bay pass rush managed to record six sacks and 12 hits on Brissett during the day, which was enhanced by Parsons’ performance.
Although Parsons and McKinney agreed that the defense has a lot of work ahead of it, Sunday served as yet another reminder of why the Packers sent Pro Bowler Kenny Clark and two first-round picks to Dallas in order to acquire Parsons at the start of the season.
These were the times the Packers had imagined.
“The player you see now is the same one you saw from Dallas making big-time plays,” defensive end Rashan Gary said after he had two quarterback hits and a crucial strip sack at the beginning of the third quarter.
