Packers writer is not concerned about the Packers being able to stop Jahmyr Gibbs, David Montgomery, and the Lions' run game

The Detroit Lions will head to Lambeau Field this Sunday to take on their NFC North rivals, the Green Bay Packers, to start the 2025 season. This will be a big game, and the addition of Micah Parsons to the Packers only makes it bigger.

In our first game preview of the season, we sat down with our Packers beat writer, Wendell Ferreira, to ask a few questions about the Packers to get an idea of what the Lions are looking at this Sunday.

Do you expect to see a lot of blitzing with Parsons in Green Bay now?

Ferreira: "If something will change, I actually expect less blitzing. The idea of trading for an elite pass rusher like Micah Parsons is to get consistent pressure with four, which is something the Packers failed to achieve last season. Defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley is not a big fan of sending extra bodies anyway, but he leaned on simulated pressures last year.

It worked, and the Packers were seventh in defensive DVOA despite handling injuries in the secondary and an underwhelming performance of the defensive front. With Micah Parsons in the mix, Hafley should be even more active to call disguises, due to Parsons’ alignment versatility as an edge defender, off-ball linebacker, and situational interior rusher."

Does it concern you that the Packers have seemingly gone all in to rush the passer at the expense of being able to stop the run?

Ferreira: "Not really, for two reasons. First, the two pieces that the Packers lost along the defensive line (Kenny Clark and TJ Slaton) didn’t play as well against the run in 2024 as their name recognition would indicate. You may believe in PFF grades or not, but just to have a general idea, Clark got a 57.1 PFF run grade, and Slaton's was 45.0. And this ties with the second point. Stopping the run is as much about bodies and math as it is about specific players. Between 2019 and 2023, under head coach Matt LaFleur and defensive coordinators Mike Pettine and Joe Barry, the Packers were 32nd in rush EPA and success rate against the run.

Last year, with essentially the same pieces they had in 2023, but under a new scheme with Hafley, Green Bay was eighth in rush EPA and ninth in success rate. Hafley spends more resources to stop the run, with active safeties in the box and prioritizing tackling in practice throughout the season. At least last year, it didn’t affect the passing defense either, so it’s a combination that seemingly works."

Is Matthew Golden already WR1 in Green Bay?

Ferreira: "He will be soon, but it’s hard to imagine a rookie being the WR1 from the get-go in such a complex offense like Matt LaFleur’s. Presumably, the coaching staff will design some looks, and Golden is incredibly polished for a young wide receiver. However, Jordan Love trusts Romeo Doubs as his X, and Jayden Reed was an explosive part of the offense last year.

I expect Golden to be a starter from the jump, and eventually he will be the primary receiver, but the Packers are in no rush to put him there—especially because LaFleur has said multiple times that WR1 is a concept he doesn’t care much about."