Green Bay Packers running back Josh Jacobs had two touchdowns against Denver Sunday.
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From Brett Favre to Aaron Rodgers and now Jordan Love, the Green Bay Packers have been led by one of the NFL’s top offenses for more than three decades now.
The 2025 Packers were an anomaly in these parts, a defense-first team spearheaded by dynamic defensive end Micah Parsons.
After Parsons suffered what’s believed to be a torn ACL Sunday, though, it will likely be up to the offense to do much of the heavy lifting down the stretch.
Green Bay (9-4-1), which also lost wideout Christian Watson, right tackle Zach Tom and safety Evan Williams in Sunday’s 34-26 loss at Denver, is now ½-game behind Chicago (10-4) for first place in the NFC North. The Packers also plummeted to the No. 7 seed in the NFC.
“It’s a team game, complementary game,” Green Bay running back Josh Jacobs said. “Even when we were struggling in the beginning of the year, the defense picked us up. It’s always vice versa, some games we’re going to struggle and some games they’re going to struggle.
“But it’s just about playing complementary ball and coming in and picking your brother up. I feel like for us, especially as an offense and the amount of weapons that we have, it’s definitely possible. Any day could be anybody’s game. We know that. Just trying to lock in on the details and figure everything out.”
That could be harder to do on the defensive side of the ball.
Parsons was Green Bay’s most dynamic defender since Hall of Famer Reggie White 30 years ago. With Parsons leading the way, Green Bay entered Sunday No. 5 in the NFL in total defense and sixth in points allowed.
Parsons was first in the league in pressures (60) and had 12.5 sacks — marking the fifth straight year he’d reached at least 12.0 sacks. Replacing him isn’t just a tall order. It’s likely an impossible one.
“All I know is that gives us more guys up front more opportunities when they come to rush to cause havoc,” defensive end Rashan Gary said. “With his absence, we gotta step up.”
In 2024, when Parsons was still playing in Dallas, the Packers turned linebacker Edgerrin Cooper loose more as a pass rusher. Green Bay will likely do that again, as defensive ends Gary (no sacks since Week 8), Kingsley Enagbare (2.0 sacks in 2025) and Lukas Van Ness (1.5 sacks) have had underwhelming seasons.
“We got other guys that just need to step up and make plays and fill that role not to have too much of a drop off from (Parsons),” defensive tackle Karl Brooks said. “We still got everything in front of us, bro.”
If the Packers are to make some noise down the stretch, though, they’ll likely need to lean heavily on their offense.
Green Bay carried a four-game winning streak into Denver and was averaging 27.3 points per game in that stretch. The Packers’ running game had come to life in recent weeks and quarterback Jordan Love was heating up the second half of the season.
Green Bay is still beat up on the offensive side of the ball, as well.
Watson has been the Packers’ best wide receiver since returning in Week 8. Tom is Green Bay’s best offensive lineman. Standout tight end Tucker Kraft tore his right ACL on Nov. 2, and starting center Elgton Jenkins suffered a fractured fibula on Nov. 10.
Still, with Love, Jacobs, wideouts Jayden Reed, Matthew Golden and Romeo Doubs, and an offensive line that has improved this season, the Packers probably have more firepower on the offensive side of the ball than on the defense.
“Yeah I think our offense is built for anything we desire,” Reed said. “It’s just our job to go out there and execute the right way, not have penalties, not hurt ourselves. We just gotta all be on point to give ourselves the best chance.”
Love agreed.
“I think there’s still so much more out in front of us that it’s just that mindset where we just got to stay together,” Love said. “We’ve been here before in these tough games, we’ve just got to stay together and keep going.”
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/robreischel/2025/12/15/with-micah-parsons-out-the-green-bay-packers-offense-will-have-to-do-the-heavy-lifting/
