GREEN BAY, Wis. — As Evan Williams stood in front of his locker, I could see his mind working. The second-year safety looked off into the distance and pursed his lips, in search of the right words to describe why exactly Micah Parsons’ integration into the Packers has been so seamless. That’s not just as the superstar pass rusher that he is, but as a leader, too.
For Williams, being a leader is more of a byproduct of actions and habits than being vocal. And Parsons “stuck out like a sore thumb” in that regard in his first Packers practice shortly after being acquired from the Cowboys in late August.
“The bigger caliber of players, it’s not typical for those type of people to be sprinting to the ball 30 yards downfield — especially as a pass rusher with how heavy he is — and [doing so] persistently,” Williams informed me. “Throughout a few the primary group durations, he’s a man that makes a pass-rush transfer, may get a sack or not, and he is sprinting to the ball downfield. A minimum of for me, that’s simply one thing that issues. It earns loads of my respect, simply in how the man works.
“I really feel prefer it gained loads of the group’s respect,” he continued, “simply placing on that movie and seeing how he is available in day-after-day and has the identical mentality towards getting a bit of higher every day, particularly for a man that’s clearly very good. To nonetheless be centered on the method like that, it’s fairly particular.”
Micah Parsons celebrates after Inexperienced Bay’s 27-23 highway victory in opposition to the Cardinals in Week 7. (Picture by Christian Petersen/Getty Photographs)
Parsons’ play this season has been fairly particular.
He’s been as marketed for the Packers (4-1-1), with 5.5 sacks (tied for sixth) and 13 quarterback hits via six video games. Parsons leads the NFL with 41 pressures, together with a league-high 17 within the fourth quarter, in response to Subsequent Gen Stats. He’s the one NFL participant with a 20-plus proportion strain fee and a 20-plus proportion double group fee, which speaks to how troublesome he’s to dam.
Parsons had his finest recreation but as a Packer in final week’s win over the Cardinals, with a career-high three sacks — two of which got here within the fourth quarter — en path to NFC Participant of the Week honors. He registered 10 pressures in 32 move rushes general within the recreation, per NGS.
Now that Parsons is acclimated to his new group, he is seeking to kick his recreation into excessive gear. He’ll look to proceed his dominance this week in opposition to the Steelers (4-2) on Sunday evening, when Aaron Rodgers performs the Packers for the primary time.
“For this commerce to work out, we gotta win video games. We gotta go for a shot on the [Super Bowl],” Parsons stated Thursday. “That’s a query I’m about to reply later ultimately of the 12 months. If we don’t do something, then it’s like I did not do sufficient. So I’ve to strive my finest to verify I carry the fellows together with me.
“Potential is a motherf—er,” he continued. “I feel lots of people have potential in life. I feel everybody has potential. … Those that capitalize on potential are only a few. We now have to capitalize on our potential and get higher.”
‘There’s no one higher than him within the league’
Once I informed Rashan Gary that it’d already been two months since Parsons’ arrival, he shook his head.
“Rattling, time flying!” the sting rusher exclaimed from his locker.
The play speaks for itself. However Gary desires you to know that Parsons is “all the way down to earth.” He’s welcoming. He’s humorous and goofy, too. Within the assembly room with the youthful defensive linemen, he has a manner of joking round with them and holding it gentle whereas additionally acknowledging that want for enhancements.
Throughout his first week in Inexperienced Bay, Parsons had his household come to city to cook dinner for the defensive position.
“I might say for an individual that don’t know Micah,” Gary informed me, “folks may assume due to his standing or how folks view him that he may be a cocky man. However nah, man.”
The Packers’ D-line held a watch celebration for the Monday Evening Soccer doubleheader this week, however Parsons made it a degree to ask Williams and different teammates.
“It might be very simple for somebody like him to — I don’t wish to say an enormous head or an enormous ego — however it will be simple to be bigger than life in a way,” Williams informed me. “He’s only a man that’s simply one of many guys. Anyone can speak to him. … He got here in and actually simply made pals with everyone.
“It’s simply the little issues like that which might be fairly particular. He doesn’t maintain any grudges. He doesn’t really feel like he’s above anyone or something.”
Parsons has slot in seamlessly with the Packers, whereas additionally giving Rashan Gary (No. 52) an opportunity to face fewer double-teams. (Picture by Christian Petersen/Getty Photographs)
It is no totally different on the sector, even because the Packers’ finest defensive participant.
In video games or earlier than drills in apply in opposition to Inexperienced Bay’s offense, it’s not unusual to listen to Parsons giving teammates a pep speak:
Alright, everyone do your job!
Do your 1/eleventh and we going to be good!
We now have a few of the finest gamers within the league on this huddle proper now!
“Simply the little phrases of encouragement like that really feel like they add to his presence, they usually make us all believe in him and in our entire group,” Williams informed me. “They only give us the type of swagger that we have to perceive that after we’re taking part in our greatest ball, no one can actually mess with us.”
It reveals up on the stat sheet.
Inexperienced Bay has been vulnerable to giving up massive move performs in current weeks and the takeaway numbers are pacing decrease than a 12 months in the past, however the Packers have saved opponents’ factors down. They’ve allowed 23 or fewer factors in 5 of their six video games this season. The group ranks tenth in scoring protection (20.8 factors allowed per recreation) and sixth in whole protection (288.5 yards allowed per recreation).
The fourth quarter is the place the Packers’ protection has performed a few of its finest ball. It is tied for third in pressures (39) and sixth in speeding yards allowed (21.0) within the interval.
Gary has confronted a double group on a career-low 4.1% of his move rushes, in response to Subsequent Gen Stats, largely as a result of presence of Parsons. The 2 have mixed for 62 pressures and 11 sacks, rating third and fourth-most amongst edge duos, respectively.
“It’s a swagger,” Gary informed me of getting Parsons on the sector. “One thing that you simply really feel. One thing that you simply see. Simply the vitality of understanding that ‘I’m unblockable. All we’d like is a one-on-one. It’s solely going to take us one rush.’ … That’s what separates him: understanding that he can’t be blocked and shoot, any play will be the perfect play and be that game-changer.”
Packers proper sort out Zach Tom has seen the protection’s confidence develop with Parsons.
“You possibly can see him getting increasingly more snug being a frontrunner, which is good to see,” Tom informed me. “On the finish of the day, he’s the catalyst of the protection. When he’s making performs, the protection is flying to the ball. There’s no one higher than him within the league.”
My final query for Gary: Of all of the issues Parsons does properly, what’s his largest power?
The Professional Bowler didn’t hesitate.
“Trigger havoc. Placed on the tape,” he informed me. “Wherever 1 at, simply watch him. … It won’t pop up within the stat sheet on a regular basis, however he causes offenses hell, and offensive coordinators are fascinated by him.”
And he is fascinated by main the Packers on a deep playoff run.
Ben Arthur is an NFL reporter for FOX Sports activities. He beforehand labored for The Tennessean/USA TODAY Community, the place he was the Titans beat author for a 12 months and a half. He coated the Seattle Seahawks for SeattlePI.com for 3 seasons (2018-20) previous to shifting to Tennessee. You possibly can observe Ben on Twitter at @benyarthur.
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