(Photo: Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images, 247Sports)
By Mark Eckel
This is why you do what it takes to get a player the caliber of Micah Parsons.
It's why the Green Bay Packers traded two first-round draft picks and the popular and talented Kenny Clark to the Dallas Cowboys and then made Parsons the highest paid non-quarterback in the league.
Parsons, the brilliant edge rusher, made all the difference in the Packers come-from-behind 27-23 win over the Arizona Cardinals, Sunday in Arizona.
The win moved the Packers to 4-1-1 on the season, kept them in first place in the NFC North and could move them to the No. 1 spot in the NFC, depending on the outcome of the Tampa Bay Bucs (5-1) game Monday night in Detroit.
Parsons recorded three of the Packers six sacks of Cardinals quarterback Jacoby Brissett and had constant pressure on him all afternoon. The third sack came on the Cardinals final drive and helped preserve the Packers win.
Unlike their first three wins this season where the Packers played from ahead, they needed to come back three different times against a Cardinals team that should be better than their 2-5 record.
The final comeback was climaxed by Josh Jacobs second touchdown of the game, a 1-yarder that made the score, 27-23, with 1:50 to play.
Here are the rest of the highlights and lowlights from the Packers first road win of the season.
Offensive Hero: His numbers don't jump off the page, but tight end Tucker Kraft (5 receptions, 58 yards and a touchdown) seemed to make every big play including a third-down catch and a fourth-down catch on the game-winning drive.
Offensive Zero: There was no player who stood out as that bad. Let's give it to the head coach and play caller, Matt LaFleur, who made some strange decisions on third down in a terrible first half. And didn't have the offense ready to play at the start of the game.
Defensive Hero: Parsons was the obvious star. But linebacker Quay Walker and defensive end Rashan Gary also played well.
Defensive Zero: You could give it to the secondary in general, where safety Evan Williams was not good, but cornerback Nate Hobbs was worse. Hobbs was beat time and again and was also called for two costly penalties.
Play of the Game: On their final drive, down 23-20, the Packers faced 4th-and-2 from the Cardinals 29-yard line. LaFleur sent kicker Lucas Havrisik out for a 47-yard field goal attempt to tie the score. He then called time out and sent the offense back on the field. Jordan Love hit Kraft on the left sideline for a 15-yard gain and a first down at the 14, Three Jacobs runs later and the Packers had their first lead of the game.
Turning Point: Arizona led 23-20, forced the Packers into a three-and-out and had a 4th-and-1 at their 48-yard line. They went for it and Brissett's quarterback sneak was stopped by what looked like all 11 Packers — linebacker Isaiah McDuffie was credited with the tackle. The Packers got the ball back with 5:51 left and went on a 10-play drive to win the game.
Turning Point II: The offense did little or nothing the entire first half and got the ball back with seven seconds left after Arizona scored to make it 13-3. Love found Romeo Doubs for 22 yards, the Packers called time out and Havrisik came out and kicked a Packers record 61-yard field goal to make it 13-6. It kick-started the offense that went onto score 21 second-half points.
This and That: In all four of their wins the Packers have scored exactly 27 points. … Love finished 19-for-29 for 179 yards with a touchdown. Doubs had six catches for 72 yards. …After being a game-time decision to play, Jacobs started slowly but ended up with 55 yards on 13 carries and the two TDs. He has 25 of those yards on the final game-winning drive. It's the third straight game he had two touchdowns. … The Packers did not help themselves with 10 more penalties for 94 yards. …The defense forced it's third turnover of the season when Rashan Gary forced a Brissett fumble and Evan Williams recovered. … The best third down team in the league going into the game, the Packers were just 3-for-10 on third down. They were 2-for-3 on fourth down. Arizona was 7-for-14 on third down, but 0-for-2 on fourth.
Injuries: Wide receiver Dontayvion Wicks left the game for the second straight week and did not return.
Inactives: Injured defensive tackle Devonte Wyatt (ankle) and defensive end Lukas Van Ness (knee) were both ruled out Friday. Kicker Brandon McManus (calf) was a game-time decision and sat out for the second consecutive week. Rookie tackle Anthony Belton (ankle) was out for the third game. Healthy inactives were guard Donovan Jennings and tight end Ben Sims.
Up Next: This is the week that has been circled on a lot of calendars. The Packers are back on the road for a Sunday night game in Pittsburgh against the Steelers (4-2) and quarterback Aaron Rodgers. As the great philosopher Terrell Owens once said, 'Get your popcorn ready.'