The Green Bay Packers improved to 2-0 Thursday night with a 27-18 victory over the Washington Commanders. While the offense found its rhythm, Green Bay’s defense dominated once again.
The Packers have now shut down two of 2024’s top five scoring offenses through two weeks.
Green Bay’s defense made significant strides last season and was expected to perform well again this year. However, the trade with Dallas for former Penn State star Micah Parsons has elevated the unit to another level.
After the move from Dallas, Parsons is playing with extra motivation.
Parsons Reveals Motivation Factor
Parsons developed into one of the country’s top edge rushers during two seasons at Penn State. He spent his first four NFL seasons in Dallas, where he thought he’d found a long-term home.
Cowboys owner Jerry Jones and the four-time Pro Bowl linebacker couldn’t reach agreement on a new contract. The impasse ended with Dallas trading Parsons to Green Bay.
The goodbye was difficult for Parsons, who formed close relationships during his four years in Dallas. Now he’s more motivated than ever to make an impact with his new team.
Micah Parsons in his first two games as a Packer:
90.2 pass rush grade
10 pressures
1.5 sacks
25.0% pass rush win rate pic.twitter.com/VaxleJBnnc— PFF (@PFF) September 12, 2025
“There’s nothing more motivating then when you find out that people you love don’t truly believe in you and they thought less of you,” Parsons told Kaylee Hartung of Amazon Prime Video.
Parsons has played limited snaps in his first two games with Green Bay. He’s already making his presence felt.
The linebacker has recorded 1.5 sacks, four quarterback hits and one tackle for loss in two games.
“THANK YOU JERRY!”
Packers fans chant for Micah Parsons
(via @NFLonPrime)pic.twitter.com/HZKNWy92bz
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) September 12, 2025
Parsons played approximately 45 percent of Green Bay’s defensive snaps against Detroit in Week 1. The plan was to increase his usage to over 50 percent Thursday night.
Green Bay will work on integrating Parsons more into the defense during the extended break before next Sunday’s game, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
The Packers defense has looked dominant through two weeks. The possibility of improvement with increased Parsons usage presents a challenge for opposing offenses.
