Matt LaFleur Just Confirmed What Everyone’s Starting to Realize About Micah Parsons’ Dominance Against the Packers’ Defense.QQ

quang quang2 weeks ago

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Parsons has transformed the Packers’ defense with his individual performance, but also with how opposing offenses are forced to adjust their protection schemes.

Green Bay Packers defensive end Micah Parsons (1) against the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday, October 12, 2025, at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wis.Green Bay defeated Cincinnati 27-18.Wm. Glasheen USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin

Micah Parsons is second in pressures per game in the NFL. He leads the Green Bay Packers with 29 through five games. While the volume of sacks isn’t necessarily there — he’s had 2.5 sacks this season —, it’s clear how much Parsons has been impactful for the defense.

Not only because of his individual production, but also considering how much opposing offenses have to adjust. Quick throws and specific blocking schemes are always on the table to avoid a game-wrecking performance from the star edge rusher.

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Head coach Matt LaFleur knows exactly how impactful Parsons has been, and he doesn’t shy away from it.

“He’s been very impactful. The way teams scheme against us, it’s pretty obvious what they’re trying to do,” LaFleur said on Thursday. “In some instances, there’s an O-lineman, a tight end, and a back right where he is, which is great for the other guys. Those other guys have to win their one-on-one opportunities. Based on the coverage and concepts, it kind of dictates how fast the ball gets out of the quarterback’s hands.”

It’s not a coincidence that Rashan Gary (17 pressures and 4.5 sacks), Lukas Van Ness (16 pressures and 1.5 sacks), and Devonte Wyatt (13 pressures and two sacks in four games) are all having career years for the Packers.

Correct holding calls would help

A big topic of conversation around Green Bay this week is how much Micah Parsons has been held, and how frequently refs don’t call them.

Matt LaFleur indicated that teams regularly send complaints to the league, but the specific case of Parsons will be a topic of a pre-game conversation with the refs before the Packers face the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday.

“You surely send stuff in occasionally, but that’s definitely going to be a conversation pre-game,” LaFleur expressed.

When asked about what the Packers can do to make safety Xavier McKinney more productive in terms of numbers like he was last year, LaFleur reinforced that the productivity upfront to generate pressure is creating scenarios where the safeties don’t have much to do when they’re playing deep.

“With how quickly quarterbacks are throwing, it’s hard for those longer plays to develop and take shots down the field,” the head coach explained. “I think Arizona does a nice job, and they want to push the ball down the field, so we’ll see what their plan is.”

Micah Parsons has that transformative power, and it will feel even more impactful when holding calls are part of the equation.