The Green Bay Packers arguably played their best defensive game Sunday night against the Dallas Cowboys. Based on what linebacker Zaire Franklin said after beating the Cowboys, that’s not a coincidence.
Franklin sees his unit improving each and every week. The veteran linebacker hinted that the Packers defense could be one of the elite units around the league by the end of the season.
“I think it’s just a credit to who we can be. Obviously, we’ve got a lot of things to continue to clean up and get better at. But I feel like we’re a defense on the rise,” Franklin told reporters, via The Athletic’s Matt Schneidman. “I think every week we continue to get better and better.
“Taking the ball away. Stopping the run. Limiting explosive plays. I mean, that’s recipes for being great. Like I said, we’ve got some stuff to clean up. But I think the ceiling is extremely high.”
In Week 6 against the Cowboys, the Packers did all of that. Green Bay held Dallas to only 48 rushing yards, as the Cowboys averaged 3.2 yards per rush. Quarterback Dak Prescott threw two interceptions, and the Cowboys’ longest play from scrimmage was only 18 yards.
Behind the strong defensive effort, the Packers defeated the Cowboys 23-13.
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About a month ago, the Packers defense appeared to be a significant mess, particularly against the run. In Week 3 versus the Atlanta Falcons, the Packers allowed 242 yards on the ground in a 35-14 loss.
But since then, they have limited offenses which are supposed to have strong rushing attacks. In Week 4, the Buccaneers had 141 rushing yards versus Green Bay while last weekend, the Bears gained 81 yards on the ground.
Holding Dallas to 48 rushing yards was Green Bay’s best effort in run defense yet this season.
The Packers defense has started forcing big mistakes too. Since losing to the Falcons, Green Bay has forced nine turnovers in the past three contests. On Sunday, the Packers picked off Prescott twice inside the Green Bay 30-yard line, taking away likely points each possession.
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After Sunday, it’s easy to be bullish about the Packers defense. The Green Bay defense has led the team on a 3-game winning streak. The unit has also done that without top edge rusher Micah Parsons.
The Packers defense appears to be getting better anyway. But once Parsons is back, the unit will definitely improve, especially in pass defense. The Packers will be adding one of the best edge rushers in the entire league when Parsons returns.
According to two league insiders, Parsons is targeting a return around Week 9. If that’s the case, Green Bay will have to play two more contests without him.
But with the way the Packers defense is playing, that shouldn’t be a major concern. Then when he comes back, Parsons will provide a significant boost.
With that, combined with how the rest of the defense is performing, as Franklin put it, the sky could be the limit for the Packers defense.
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