By Robert Marvi

Copyright newsweek

The first piece of proof that the Green Bay Packers are serious contenders following their acquisition of edge rusher Micah Parsons came with their resounding 27-13 win over the Detroit Lions, a team some have been picking to win the NFC this year, on Sunday.Parsons had one sack as Green Bay successfully stymied Detroit’s explosive offense, as Detroit couldn’t get into the red zone until after the two-minute warning in the fourth quarter.The Packers’ offense wasn’t too shabby either. Quarterback Jordan Love went 16 of 22 and threw two touchdown passes, and 10 of their players had at least one reception.Head coach Matt LaFleur said that running backs Josh Jacobs and Chris Brooks did an excellent job of blocking to open up the passing game. In fact, he said Jacobs and Brooks exhibited the best pass protection he has seen from running backs since becoming the Packers’ head coach in 2019.Read more: Packers’ Christian Watson Move Proves He Will Return in 2025LaFleur came up as a quarterbacks coach with the Washington Redskins and Atlanta Falcons under Kyle Shanahan when Shanahan was the offensive coordinator. Last year, the Packers were fifth in rushing attempts and rushing yards as Jacobs ran for 1,329 yards and 15 touchdowns.On Sunday, Jacobs had 66 rushing yards and one touchdown on 19 carries. Overall, the Packers ran the football 25 times for 78 yards, while Detroit could muster just 46 rushing yards on 22 attempts.Pass protection was a big strength for Green Bay last season. Pro Football Focus ranked it third in that category, and in 18 games, it gave up just 24 sacks. A good chunk of the credit for that excellent pass blocking goes to Zach Tom, the 26-year-old starting right tackle. PFF gave him an 85.8 overall grade, which ranked sixth among offensive tackles in the NFL.Read more: Jaguars’ Travis Hunter Speaks Out After Quiet NFL DebutThe team does have quite a bit of work to do before it can even think about hoisting its first Vince Lombardi Trophy in 15 years. Love has to prove he’s an elite or near-elite quarterback, and the Packers need someone to step up and become a certifiably Pro Bowl-caliber wide receiver.But when Jacobs and Brooks, among others, provide outstanding pass protection, both tasks become a little bit easier.For more on the Packers and general NFL news, head over to Newsweek Sports.