'Thank You Jerry!' Packers’ Gamble on Micah Parsons Looks Like a Steal After 2-0 NFC Statement Start

Micah Parsons Led Defense Redefines Green Bay Packers’ Ceiling

The Packers improved to 2-0 for the first time since 2020 by beating Washington 27-18 in a game that felt more lopsided than the score. Jordan Love completed 19-of-31 passes for 292 yards and two touchdowns. Tight end Tucker Kraft posted 124 receiving yards on six catches. Yet the defining story was the defense, now built around Parsons and how it suffocated Jayden Daniels.

Washington’s quarterback, who shredded defenses last season en route to the Commanders’ first NFC title game since 1992, was held to 217 total yards. That was the third-lowest mark of his career in a game he finished. His 57 percent completion rate ranked fifth-worst in 22 starts. By yards per play, it was his worst performance. Green Bay blitzed Daniels on 46 percent of his dropbacks, the highest rate of his career, and limited him to 3-for-11 for 26 yards and one touchdown on those plays, per ESPN.

Parsons’ arrival has allowed defensive coordinator Joe Barry to use an aggressive scheme the team rarely deployed last season, when it blitzed at the league’s second-lowest rate. Combined with Rashan Gary and Lukas Van Ness, the Packers’ front has now made two straight high-powered offenses look ordinary. Detroit scored 13 points in Week 1 and rushed for only 44 yards. Washington gained 51 yards on the ground in Week 2, its lowest since Week 18 of 2023, and advanced inside the red zone once in 11 drives.

Parsons’ on-field impact and the Lambeau chant underscore how the trade has reshaped the NFC narrative. The “Thank you, Jerry!” chorus will echo if Green Bay maintains this form.