For all the controversy and noise that's surrounded the Cincinnati Bengals of late, there are fewer individual lightning rods as bright as Green Bay Packer superstar Micah Parsons.
A loud contract dispute with the Dallas Cowboys that everyone expected to get resolved ultimately resulted in a blockbuster trade from America's Team to Titletown. Cincinnati just pulled off a big move themselves — albeit for an aging vet in Joe Flacco, not an All-Pro in his prime like Parsons.
In any event, Parsons is a heck of a quote whenever he sounds off. That held true ahead of his favorable matchup against the Bengals at Lambeau Field.
Micah Parsons knows not to mess with Bengals WR Ja'Marr Chase
This was a classic instance of "game recognizing game" or whatever the kids say. Can you tell I wasn't born in the 90s?
Anyway, Parsons was asked for his general opinion on Bengals superstar and reigning Triple Crown receiver Ja'Marr Chase. He did not disappoint in the slightest with his analogizing:
While analogizing getting to the QB as "hunting the gazelle," #Packers DE Micah Parsons described #Bengals WR Jamar Chase perfectly👇 pic.twitter.com/57LRa7jh1g
— Cameron Ezeir (@EzeirCameron) October 9, 2025
"Ja’Marr Chase is like the jaguar. He’s one of them special ones that you just don’t f*** with. […] Or like the hippo — like the hippos in the water, you don’t f*** with the hippos. But he's a special breed of his own. He's one of the those. He's a special breed. He's gonna do what he do, and it's just like, we gotta slow him down. We gotta stop him, but I know who he is, and I expect him to make plays. Do what he do. That's the standard I have for those type of guys."
If I had to pick which similarly elite player will have the biggest impact on the gridiron in Sunday's Week 6 clash, it'd have to be Parsons.
I appreciate the optimism Chase and Tee Higgins have expressed about Flacco joining the fold. However, it's a tall order to get a road win as a two-touchdown underdog while still getting acquainted with new teammates and a fresh playbook.
On the other side, Parsons is fresh off a bye and gets to face a Bengals pass protection unit that has had serious issues for years running. Whether it's beating Cincinnati's tackles off the edge with raw speed/power, or stunting inside to slip past a troubled interior trio, this Bengals o-line has to have Parsons licking his chops to tee off.
One way the Bengals can combat Parsons' brilliance and shorten the game to a degree is by establishing the run with Chase Brown. They've failed to do that all season. To me, though, it's better to go down swinging with that and some aggressive, downfield launches from Flacco than getting too pass-happy, falling behind, and playing into Parsons' hands.
Guess we'll see if Bengals head coach Zac Taylor is reinvigorated by Flacco's presence and comes to Lambeau with a fresher game plan than he's had during the team's three-game losing streak. Any signs of life from what's been a putrid offense would be a welcome visual.