Meet the linebacker redefining the position — here’s why he belongs at the center of every defense.QQ
Jerry from Rockford, IL
Good morning. Not trying to double up but a serious questionnaire. After watching the all-22, Mr. Parsons is a force on the field, and I think the trade of two first-round picks was worth it. He’s gonna change the North like we can’t believe. What say you?
You guys have thrown so many names at Spoff and me over the past decade in terms of which veteran players the Packers should trade for. Micah Parsons was the one worth waiting for.
Bill from San Antonio, TX
It seems like Parsons has now made two game-saving sacks. Dallas and Arizona.
You want your top players to show their best form in winning time and that’s an area Parsons excels. He’s a rare breed who gets better as the game wears on.
Jeremy from Rendon, TX
I don’t know if there is a question here, but I noticed in Monday’s Inbox there was not a mention of Quay Walker. He played one of his best games I’ve seen. Even Coop seemed to be more active. It’s a win for sure and I for one was nervous about the Cardinals. It seems as though the tagline for this team is “They Just Make Things Hard…for themselves.” Jeff Hafley does not appear to be calling the same type of attacking defense he did last year. Any thoughts on why that may be?
Spoff probably could write a 5,000-word column after most games, but the man’s gotta go home and sleep at some point. But yeah, both Walker and Edgerrin Cooper played great. You ask about playing a more “attacking” style of defense, but Walker factored heavily into the pass-rush plan. He finished with three QB hits and 1½ sacks to go along with his team-high nine tackles. As Matt LaFleur said, Walker is having “a hell of a year” while directing Hafley’s defense. He’s everything you want in a middle linebacker.
Dave from Waterford, OH
Maybe our defense isn’t playing as well as we had hoped, or expected, but watching Dallas (No. 1 offense) and the Bengals (with Joe Flacco) shows that those two teams are pretty darn good on the offensive side of the ball.
The defense knows it needs to play better. Xavier McKinney said after the game: “We for damn sure can’t do this against good teams because it’s not gonna work.” I get where he’s coming from because this locker room and the fans have huge expectations for this year. But here’s what’s scary to me…the Packers still have one of the league’s best defenses, particularly when you look at how few yards they’re allowing per pass play and against the run. What’s exciting is the Packers have a good defense that’s hungry to be even better.
Bruce from Lakewood, CO
Mike: Enjoyed your Rapid Reaction and I wonder if you thought of that key moment in “Hoosiers” when Coach Norman Dale calls a play near the end of the championship game. His respectful players can’t hide their disappointment. He asks what’s wrong and Jimmy simply says. “I’ll make it.” I love having a coach who can back his players when appropriate. Excellent article.
It’s a coach’s job to prepare their players, but it ultimately comes down to the athletes on the field to win the game. Jordan Love and Co. wanted that opportunity and LaFleur trusted them to make it happen…and they did.
Jeff from Belen, NM
Unfortunately, I was unable to watch the game, but I did follow it. Maybe because I didn’t watch it gave me a different perspective. I thought it was a great win. Albeit not a pretty win, but a really gutsy win. Clearly the Packers didn’t play their best game. But that’s the NFL, things don’t always go the way you think they should. So, I guess I’m puzzled as to why people are acting like the Packers lost. Of course they need to get better, and so do 31 other teams.
Josh Jacobs’ words postgame hit home for me. The Pro Bowl running back pointed out games like Sunday were the ones Green Bay occasionally let slip through its grasp last season. At the end of the day, teams gotta scratch and claw for as many wins in September and October as they can find while working to improve. Listen, nobody wants a 42-10 Packers rout more than my Monday alarm clock, but a win is still indeed a win.
