Micah Parsons and the Green Bay Packers have been dealt a difficult hand this season, and for a brief moment last week, they were finally near full strength.

Unfortunately, fate comes at you fast in the National Football League.

Heading into week sixteen, the outlook at 1265 Lombardi Avenue has shifted drastically.

Utter Devastation

Wins and losses aside, the biggest takeaway from the Green Bay Packers’ game at Mile High was the injury to Micah Parsons.

As of this morning, the damage to Parsons’ knee is believed to be season-ending, and if there’s one player that Packers couldn’t afford to lose, it’s him.

Heading into the game, The Lion led the league in pass rush wins, producing seventy-eight pressures and a win rate of 22.4%.

The next closest Packer has over thirty fewer pressures, and the win rate drops to 13.5%.

Parsons also paced the league in fourth quarter sacks and quick pressures, and his ability to close games has been directly responsible for a few of Green Bay’s wins this season.

Defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley will still have many of the same pieces that made the Packers’ defense flash last season available to fill the void, but the jury is out on whether or not a return to that style of play will be effective at this point in the season.

The pass rush, even with the help of superstar, has left much to be desired at times, and Parsons’ athleticism alone has done a lot to cover up the team’s deficiencies at cornerback.

In his absence, more than a few players will have to step up, and they’ll have to do it fast.

Regardless of how the rest of the year plays out however, it’s difficult to stomach the effect that Parsons’ injury will have on the entire organization moving forward.

The Packers (rightfully) invested much of their future to obtain the former All-Pro, and without him, they face an uphill battle, both in terms of salary flexibility and draft capital.

Depending on how long Parsons is sidelined, which will likely be into next season, the ripple effect could be great.

One moment, Green Bay is on a four game winning streak, leading one of the AFC’s best by two possessions, and the next, the entire season is in the balance.

Football can be a cruel game, and Parsons finally getting a holding call in the first half might’ve been an omen.

All You Need is Love

It goes without saying that Jordan Love will be relied upon to carry the Green Bay Packers through the rest of season, and the weight is only getting heavier.

Love has flirted with the MVP conversation all year, and for the most part, that continued against the Broncos.

Despite the existence of the second half that we’d all like to forget, Love had one of the best halves of his career on Sunday, looking dominant in the first frame, and if he can keep stringing together these performances, Green Bay will still have a chance.

To start the game, Love went eight of eight for one hundred yards, one of his best streaks to begin a contest, then, he concluded the first half with two hundred and fifteen yards, the most in any half of his tenure thus far.

The Packers offense was firing on all cylinders, and if not for a few missed opportunities in the redzone, the lead before the half would’ve been even larger.

Even after the fallout, the team still had its chances.

Love has consistently proven that he can keep the Packers in games this season, and even though he didn’t come up with a miracle, the loss was kept to a single possession.

As the Green Bay Packers defense degrades to average at best, the offense will face its steepest challenge of the season to maintain an upward trajectory.

Fortunately, that side of the ball got a boost from some better injury news this morning, as wide receiver Christian Watson and offensive lineman Zach Tom are both believed to have avoided major injuries.

That small favor will keep at least one unit in tact, and they’ve been heating up at the right time.

Time To Regroup

In my time as a Packers fan, I’m not sure I’ve experienced a loss as demoralizing as this one, but even though the low is at it’s lowest, Green Bay is still in the fight.

This is not a playoff exit.

There are three regular season games remaining, and barring total implosion, there is very meaningful football left to be played.

So what’s next?

The division, for starters.

The Green Bay Packers head to Chicago this week to take on the rival Bears, and the winner will likely come away with the NFC North.

If we can go into their house and beat them without our game breaker, we’ll definitely have something to hang our hat on.