Blogging The Boys
The Dallas Cowboys will host the Green Bay Packers on Sunday Night Football. These two teams have a long history, from the Ice Bowl to many memorable playoff battles within the last ten years. After dominating the Pack in the playoffs in the ‘90s, it’s Green Bay that now has the Cowboys’ numbers, ending their season three times since 2014. And the last matchup in 2023 still lingers heavily in the hearts of Cowboys fans.
At the moment, it feels like these two teams are heading in two different directions. After a blockbuster trade that sent Micah Parsons to the Midwest, the Packers are poised for a deep playoff run. Conversely, the Cowboys are still trying to find their way as they work through a year that includes a new coaching staff. On the surface, many aren’t expecting much in what could be a lopsided affair. It certainly could go down like that, but Cowboys fans are hoping for a different result. Here are five things to keep an eye on when these two teams square off under the NBC lights.
Let’s immediately address the elephant in the room, or the lion in this case. Micah Parsons is one of the game’s most disruptive defensive players. We spent the entire summer navigating a supposed contract dilemma that ultimately led to him being traded to the Packers a week before the season started. People can pretend to make nice and act like there is no ill will, as Parsons has repeatedly said positive things about his former team, but make no mistake about it, he will be on the prowl. He is such a competitor, and you know he is licking his chops at the idea of attacking Terence Steele and Tyler Guyton. To this point, Parsons has been relatively quiet, yet to have a multi-sack game with his new team. Expect that to change as he attempts to feast against the team that drafted him.
It’s no surprise that the Cowboys’ pass rush has taken a hit without the services of Parsons, but at least their run defense has improved. As a team, they only give up 3.7 yards per rush, ranking them inside the top 10. The addition of Kenny Clark has helped the team get better. Last season, the Cowboys’ defense ranked in the bottom eight in tackling the ball carrier behind the line of scrimmage, with a rate of just 37.4%. This season, they have improved to 60.6%, the second-highest rate in the league.
Running the ball isn’t the Packers’ strength as they only average 3.4 yards per carry, fifth-worst in the league. This is a bit surprising considering they have the talented Josh Jacobs in the backfield; however, Jacobs is only averaging 3.1 yards per carry so far this season, the lowest output of his career. The offensive line has played a role here. Keeping the Green Bay ground game in check will be important, but doing...
