The Green Bay Packers defeated the Cincinnati Bengals, but defensive end Micah Parsons has a message for his head coach and the world that there is still a long way to go. Following the victory that had Green Bay at 3-3-1, Parsons made a thoughtful statement after the head coach spoke about the defense.

“The first half, it just shows who we are,” Parsons said after the game.

In the first half, the Packers’ defense stopped the Bengals’ new quarterback, holding Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins to three receptions for 28 yards. Green Bay was up 10-0 at the end of the first quarter.

He continued to say, “We held them to 9-20, so I’m just happy we got a win. But we’re gonna get to that point where we get teams under 14-10.” Felt like he was sending a message to the head coach, Matt LaFleur, after the coach called out the defense.

But the second quarter had other plans, ones showcasing LaFleur’s wrath and Parsons’ “completeness” bulletin. Flacco was on fire in the second, dishing to his top receivers for chunk yards and a jaw-dropping touchdown catch by Chase to slice the Bengals down to six. Chase put the game away with 10 catches for 94 yards, and Higgins contributed 62, part of a Bengals’ offense that had more than 200 second-half yards and 16 points. Parsons’s work in upgrading was not wasted.

The Packers have not forced a second-half punt since Week 4, when they defeated Cleveland, and have had only two takeaways through the season. Even against a quarterback who just joined the Bengals, Green Bay could not take advantage.

The Packers plugged gaps and tackled well, showcasing exactly the kind of effort Parsons praised from the first half. “We’ve been showing glimpses,” he said, and those glimpses were visible early in the game; however, they faded later.

It was the offense that helped the Packers. The Green Bay Packers stifled the Cincinnati Bengals’ offense, limiting them to under 70 total yards, but the game wasn’t sealed until a pair of fourth-quarter touchdowns lifted the Packers to a 27-18 win at Lambeau Field on October 12.

Josh Jacobs led the charge with 150 total yards and two touchdowns, while rookie receiver Matt Golden delivered his best performance as a pro, helping Green Bay rebound after lackluster showings against the Cleveland Browns and Dallas Cowboys.

Jordan Love contributed 26 rushing yards. He threw 19 of 26 for 259 yards, a touchdown, and a 101.3 passer rating.

LaFleur on Green Bay’s defense

Following the game, the head coach didn’t shy away from answering the reporters whether he was disappointed with how his defense played in the second half. His instant “Absolutely” spoke volumes. “There were a lot of critical situations where they were able to make a play and we didn’t,” LaFleur went on. “That kept them in the game.”

LaFleur was infuriated by a defense that played like a feared presence early but disintegrated in the fourth quarter. The Bengals did 10½ and 11-play scoring drives, grinding down Green Bay’s lead with mistake-free, deliberate football. Flacco’s fourth-down touchdown pass to Chase, a 19-yard throw between two Packers defensive tackles, was symptomatic of the breakdown of focus that has bitten the unit for weeks.

While LaFleur refrained from being critical of players, he insisted that failing to produce takeaways and plays is unacceptable. “It would be nice to get a takeaway,” he had said straight out. Green Bay’s defense has only two takeaways this season, statistics that betray LaFleur’s frustration.

Parsons’ criticism was almost word-for-word the same as the coach’s. These are two men who appear to be saying that the Packers’ defense can be effective but only if it is purely focused. Parsons’ comment was not about being argumentative; it was a wake-up call, a call to his team that the ceiling for the team is a lot higher than what it is.