Parsons had barely been with the Packers a week and already made a massive impact as the defense flummoxed the Lions. Once Parsons is comfortable, look out. As Rashan Gary told our Mike Silver, “Once he and I figure some stuff out about how each of us likes to rush, watch out. It’s gonna get spooky for sure.”

And they’ve already matched their 2024 win total in NFC North games. But with the Pack’s five remaining divisional matchups occurring over the final seven weeks of the schedule, this team would be wise to make a lot of hay over its next nine contests.

The defense showed up in a big way against the Lions. And it wasn’t just Micah Parsons, either. They looked the part of a Super Bowl contender.

No team looked more complete against a quality opponent in Week 1. The Packers’ defense made the Lions look bad, and that’s with Micah Parsons playing limited snaps. The Packers’ offense was an efficient machine. Is this the best team in the NFL?

Who else could it be? From the Lambeau Field crowd going wild during his pregame introduction to the reaction after his fourth-quarter sack, it was all about Parsons on Sunday. And he delivered. In just 29 snaps, he had three pressures, including a sack and another that forced an interception by safety Evan Williams. What’s more is that Parsons opened things up for everyone else. Three other defensive linemen recorded sacks as well. “That’s why he’s here, right?” Packers coach Matt LaFleur said. — Rob Demovsky

Since head coach Matt LaFleur arrived in 2019, the Packers haven’t had many big wins that didn’t include an explosive offensive performance. Sunday’s wire-to-wire victory over Detroit was almost exclusively the result of Green Bay’s front seven controlling the line of scrimmage on defense. That kept the Lions offense from operating on schedule and forced quarterback Jared Goff into obvious (and uncomfortable) passing situations.

We only saw Green Bay’s newly acquired edge rusher Micah Parsons for a handful of snaps, but he already registered his first Packers sack and won his matchup against All-Pro tackle Penei Sewell pretty handily. If this is the version of Green Bay’s defense we get in 2025, the NFC is in trouble.

The excitement surrounding this year’s Packers squad was turned up to 11 after acquiring Micah Parsons 10 days before the regular season began.

Parsons is a legitimate difference-maker, but the Packers coaching staff must be thrilled with the team’s defensive performance against the rival Lions, who managed only 246 yards.

Parsons did register his first sack wearing green and yellow, but the rest of the defensive front came to play like the Packers haven’t seen in recent years.

Lukas Van Ness was a constant presence, which is a great indication for his development. Devonte Wyatt generated a sack and three quarterback hits. Rashan Gary registered 1.5 sacks and three quarterbacks as well.

Once Parsons finds his footing as part of his new team and hits full stride at some point this season, the Green Bay defensive front will be frightening for opponents.

That wasn’t even the Packers at their best, yet they made a statement that they intend to be the new kings of the NFL’s best division. Jordan Love and Micah Parsons are really just getting started.

Jeff Hafley was one of the league’s standout coordinators a year ago, earning himself an interview for the Jets’ head coaching job. His treatment of Micah Parsons in a short window against a very good Lions team bodes well for more of those in the future. For more on Hafley, check out my blurb on last year’s rising head coaches list. For more on Parsons, watch him make life potentially difficult for Jayden Daniels in just a matter of days.