There’s reason for Dallas Cowboys fans to be optimistic after Week 1, but what Dallas ultimately achieves this season will be compared and contrasted with how Micah Parsons and the Packers perform following the blockbuster trade that sent Parsons to Green Bay.

It’s only one game, but the Packers looked how many Cowboys fans feared they would after adding Parsons: a juggernaut. They beat the Lions, widely pegged as a Super Bowl contender before the season started, 27-13 in a game that wasn’t all that competitive.

Parsons’ fingerprints were all over the lopsided win, and Packers head coach Matt LaFleur couldn’t help but praise the two-time All-Pro in his postgame availability.

Cowboys fans will be sick after seeing Matt LaFleur’s postgame quote on Micah Parsons

“It looked like a speed of light, a shooting star coming out of the sky and closing ground fast,” LaFleur said about Parsons’ game-clinching sack of Jared Goff.

While sickening for Cowboys fans, LaFleuer is spot on.

Parsons emerged from the scrum like a lion closing in on wounded prey. Goff looked like he was running with bricks tied to his cleats, while Parsons ran like he had a jetpack strapped to his jersey. Per Next Gen Stats, Parsons hit 18.47 miles per hour on the sack.

Of course, Cowboys fans saw Parsons chase down opposing QBs dozens of time the previous four seasons. While this particular sack came with Green Bay in the driver’s seat and looking to ice the game, Parsons’ impact was felt throughout the game.

Parsons played just 29 of 65 defensive snaps due to his back injury. He still finished with three pressures, which were the second most on the Packers behind Lucas Van Ness. His pressures resulted in a two-yard loss on a completion and an interception as Goff rushed a pass into tight coverage.

Even when Parsons didn’t generate pressure, his mere presence benefited the rest of Green Bay’s defensive line. It was the same story when he was with the Cowboys. That’s exactly why sacks are a silly way to measure his performance.

If you’re tired of the Parsons discourse, it’s only just getting started. The Packers’ dismantling of the Lions suggests they’ll be playing deep into January, while the Cowboys looked like they’ll be in the thick off the NFC playoff race as long as they stay healthy.