12.5 Sacks Are Gone and Brenton Cox Is The Packers' Wild Last Hope

Alright, 12s, buckle up, because what's happening over in Green Bay is a wild example of what happens when a dominant force disappears. We're talking about Micah Parsons, people. Dude's sidelined, and get this, he ain't expected back until October. That's a HUGE chunk of the season gone, leaving the Packers with one massive, screaming question right here in the early season: who in the world is gonna rush the passer for them? This situation is already making waves across the league.

The Sack Attack Disappears

Think about this, last season, the Packers racked up 36 sacks. Sounds decent, right? Wrong. A staggering 24.5 of those sacks are OFF THE FIELD this year, straight up gone. Parsons himself? He brought down quarterbacks for 12.5 sacks, almost a third of their total! Devonte Wyatt chipped in with four, and the rest of their edge guys combined for another four. That leaves them with a measly 11.5 sacks returning to the field. Talk about a talent drain! There's been some chatter around Lukas Van Ness, sure. But let's be real, his career high is four sacks, and that was over a full 17-game rookie season. The real wild card, the guy who might actually be their secret weapon, is Brenton Cox.

Cox's Unbelievable Surge

Remember when the Packers traded Preston Smith back in 2024? Everyone thought it was to open up the field for Van Ness. Nope. Cox was the guy who actually stepped up. He exploded for four sacks in just seven games right after that trade! This dude was inactive for the first nine games of that season, but he was so domi

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nant in practice, they couldn't keep him on the bench on game day. And the numbers don't lie. In those seven games, Cox rushed the passer 97 times. Pro Football Focus, folks, they had him at 12th in pass-rush win rate among 130 edge defenders! Even crazier, in PFF’s pass-rush productivity, which measures sacks, hits, and hurries per snap, Cox was SECOND overall. We're talking about putting him above guys like Myles Garrett, Micah Parsons, Trey Hendrickson, and Nick Bosa. Only Aidan Hutchinson was ahead of him! That's a who's-who list of destruction, and Cox was right there with them. Cox himself knows the score. He said it straight up during minicamp, "A lot of the guys have had to pick up the slack since Micah has been out. And, you know, that’s what we’re here to do. I definitely think I’m talented enough to pick up the slack and get to the quarterback." That's the confidence we love to see! Now, the bummer for Cox was a groin injury in Week 1 last season, which kept him out until Week 16. Talk about bad timing. But he jumped back in for that Week 18 game at Minnesota, snagging one sack and four pressures. He's not shying away from it. "Not really disappointing," he said. "I played hard, got hurt. It happens. This year, just a better opportunity for me to show it again. You know, it wasn’t a fluke. It’s who I am, it’s who I’ve been on all levels of football." This season is his shot to prove that burst wasn't just a fluke, and for the Packers, with Parsons out until October, they're going to need every single ounce of that talent. It's on Cox, plain and simple, to keep that pass rush alive while the Emerald City watches!

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.