Micah Parsons has had a major impact in his first season with the Green Bay Packers.
The Green Bay Packers knew what they were getting when they traded Kenny Clark and two first-round picks for Micah Parsons. Parsons has proven to be worth the price tag as he is producing at an elite level.
Through 11 games, Parsons has 10 sacks, 20 quarterback hits, and leads the league with 60 pressures. He has been one of the best defensive players in the league and will likely finish second in Defensive Player of the Year voting behind Myles Garrett.
Parsons' impact goes beyond the numbers as he demands so much of an offensive line's attention that it frees up Green Bay's other pass rushers.
This was on display in the Packers' dominant defensive performance on Sunday, as they held the Minnesota Vikings to six points and had five sacks. Parsons had two of the sacks, but also disrupted Minnesota's offensive line on one of Devonte Wyatt's sacks.
The pass rush will be pivotal down the stretch as the Packers look to make a deep playoff run. Green Bay's pass rush struggled in the playoffs against the Philadelphia Eagles last season, as there were multiple plays where Jalen Hurts had all day in the pocket to deliver downfield.
Parsons should turn that weakness into a strength in the playoffs, as he will get pressure on the quarterback while also freeing up his teammates to get one-on-one opportunities.
If Rashan Gary, Devonte Wyatt, and Lukas Van Ness can take advantage, Green Bay's pass rush should be near impossible to contain.
The Packers are in their most important stretch of the season, facing three straight divisional opponents. Green Bay started it off well with a win over the Vikings. The NFC North is a tight battle between the 8-3 Chicago Bears, 7-3-1 Packers, and 7-4 Detroit Lions.
Green Bay will take on the Lions on Thanksgiving in a pivotal matchup for playoff seeding. The Packers took down Detroit in Week 1, 27-13, but their offense has looked better since then.
Green Bay will rely on Parsons and the pass rush to keep dominating down the stretch, starting with their matchup against the Lions.