Micah Parsons signed a four year, $188 million contract with the Green Bay Packers after they traded for him in late-August.
You could make the case Parsons is underpaid.
Parsons was the best player on the field Sunday as the Packers survived a scare and edged Arizona, 27-23.
Josh Jacobs scored the winning touchdown with 1:50 left and Parsons had a huge sack on Arizona’s final drive of the game.
Green Bay improved to 4-1-1, while Arizona lost its fifth straight game and fell to 2-5.
Here’s the Good, Bad and Ugly from the Packers’ win.
THE GOOD
MICAH PARSONS: Imagine what the Packers’ defense would look like if they hadn’t traded for Parsons?
On a day when Green Bay’s defense was picked apart, Parsons was terrific with three sacks, four tackles for loss, five quarterback hits and 10 pressures.
Parsons saved his biggest sack for last, when Arizona was driving late, and he dumped quarterback Jacoby Brissett for a 9-yard loss. That sent the Cardinals back to their own 35 with just 27 seconds left.
Arizona couldn’t block Parsons with one man and had a hard time stopping him with two. Parsons now has 5.5 sacks this season.
PLAYS OF THE GAME: Two plays more than any other helped the Packers emerge victorious.
First, Arizona went for it on fourth-and-1 from its own 48 with just less than 6 minutes left. Jacoby Brissett ran a quarterback sneak, but was stopped by linebacker Isaiah McDuffie for no gain.
Then on a fourth-and-2 from the Cardinals’ 29, quarterback Jordan Love hit Tucker Kraft for 15 yards. Josh Jacobs then had a 1-yard touchdown run to give Green Bay a 27-23 lead it made stand up.
LUCAS HAVRISIK: Havrisik is handling kicking duties only because Brandon McManus is out with a quadriceps injury. Havrisik continues to shine, though, and is probably earning himself a shot somewhere else after McManus returns.
Havrisik set a new franchise record with a 61-yard field goal as the first half ended to pull the Packers within 13-6 at the break. The previous franchise record was a 58-yarder by Mason Crosby.
“He’s got a big leg,” Packers special teams coach Rich Bisaccia said of Havrisik.
Havrisik also made a 31-yard field goal and all three of his extra points.
When Havrisik’s time in Green Bay ends, he seems likely to get a job opportunity somewhere else.
JUMPSTART: Rashan Gary gave the Packers a lift in the third quarter with a strip sack of Jacoby Brissett. That was just the third turnover Green Bay has forced this season.
Safety Evan Williams recovered the fumble, and four plays later, Josh Jacobs had a 7-yard TD run that tied the game, 13-13.
THIS AND THAT: Rookie receiver Matthew Golden had a huge 8-yard grab on fourth-and-2 on Green Bay’s opening drive. … Quay Walker, Green Bay’s fourth year linebacker, had 1.5 sacks. … Tight end Tucker Kraft caught five passes for 58 yards and had a seven-yard touchdown.
THE BAD
END OF THE ROAD: Green Bay hadn’t allowed a first quarter point all season. That impressive streak came to an end when the Cardinals put together a 15-play, 59-yard drive on their opening series that ended with a 32-yard field goal from Chad Ryland and gave Arizona a 3-0 lead.
ROUGH QUARTER: Arizona had five first downs in the first quarter vs. just two for Green Bay. The Cardinals outgained the Packers, 70-36, and had 46 rushing yards vs. just seven for the Packers.
FLAG FEST: The Packers averaged 8.0 penalties per game the first five weeks of the season. On Sunday, Green Bay had 10 penalties for 94 yards.
Micah Parsons and Barryn Sorrell jumped off sides. Malik Heath lined up offsides. Aaron Banks had a false start penalty. Parsons was issued a 15-yard penalty for a hip drop tackle.
The Packers were flagged for anything and everything.
For that to happen any time — much less this deep into the season — is inexcusable.
SPECIAL TEAMS FAR FROM SPECIAL: Green Bay tied the game, 20-20, early in the fourth quarter.
Arizona’s Greg Dortch then returned the ensuing kickoff 39 yards, and Aaron Mosby was flagged 15 yards for a facemask.
That allowed the Cardinals to begin at Green Bay’s 45-yard line. Six minutes later, Chad Ryland drilled his third field goal of the game and Arizona took a 23-20 lead.
On the ensuing kickoff, Green Bay reserve safety Kitan Olidapo was flagged for holding and the Packers began at their own 16.
INACTIVES: Green Bay’s inactive list included the following starters: kicker Brandon McManus, defensive end Lukas Van Ness and defensive tackle Devonte Wyatt. The other inactives were tackle Anthony Belton, guard Donovan Jennings, tight end Ben Sims and running back Pierre Strong Jr.
THE UGLY
UNFORGIVABLE: Arizona tight end Trey McBride caught 111 passes in 2024 and made the Pro Bowl. He’s the No. 1 option on Arizona’s offense.
Amazingly, though, McBride found himself wide open on both of his touchdown receptions.
On the first — a 15-yarder in the final seconds of the first half — it appeared safety Javon Bullard blew the coverage and McBride was left alone in the right corner of the endzone. That score gave Arizona a 13-3 lead.
Then with the game knotted, 13-13, late in the third quarter, McBride lined up in the right slot and came off the line untouched. No one picked McBride up, he came free across the middle, ran cornerback Nate Hobbs over and plowed in for a 12-yard touchdown.
“Yeah, he’s a great player,” Packers defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley said of McBride this week. “I think he’s one of the best tight ends in the league. I remember coming off the field last year really being impressed with him.
“He’s a lot faster than you think and he looks faster on the field than he does on tape, and he’s strong and he’s explosive and he’s got good hands and he played with the right mentality and mindset. I love the way he plays football.”
BACKUP OR HALL OF FAMER?: Jacoby Brissett has been a career backup with an 84.4 lifetime passer rating.
On Sunday, the Packers made him look like a first ballot Hall of Famer.
Brissett completed 25-of-36 passes — including 14 in a row at one point. Brissett threw for 279 yards, two touchdowns, no interceptions and had a 110.8 passer rating.
DREADFUL HALF: Green Bay had a forgettable first half and trailed, 13-6, at the break. The Cardinals outgained the Packers, 180-98 and scored on three of their four drives.
Arizona also went 5-for-9 on third downs, while Green Bay was 1-for-5. The Cardinals also held the ball 17 minutes 19 seconds vs. just 12:41 for Green Bay.