Inside The Star
The Dallas Cowboys face a defining moment this Sunday night when they host the Green Bay Packers at AT&T Stadium.
Recent history has not been kind to Dallas in this matchup. The Cowboys are 0-5 in their last five games against the Packers, with their last win coming all the way back in 2016 during Dak Prescott’s rookie season.
If Dallas wants to end that painful skid and even their record at 2-2, they must find a way to win the critical battles that will decide the game.
Three matchups, in particular, stand out.
Klayton Adams has faced tough challenges since stepping in as the Cowboys’ offensive coordinator, but Sunday night will be one of his biggest tests yet.
Green Bay’s run defense has been elite through three weeks, ranking third in the NFL and allowing just 64.3 rushing yards per game.
For the Cowboys to have any chance of moving the ball consistently, Adams must design creative ways to generate rushing lanes for RB Javonte Williams and the rest of the backfield.
Without a credible run game, Dak Prescott will be forced into obvious passing situations, playing directly into the hands of the Packers’ aggressive front seven.
Establishing even a modest ground attack will help set up play-action opportunities, which Prescott has historically thrived on.
Adams must use misdirection, motion, and multiple personnel packages to keep Green Bay off balance.
If Dallas cannot run the ball, the night could turn ugly fast.
Every defensive coordinator knows the blueprint for frustrating Dak Prescott: play disciplined zone coverage.
Prescott has struggled at times against defenses that flood passing lanes and force him to stay patient.
Instead of being able to push the ball downfield, Prescott is forced to make tight-window throws or take the check-down option.
Green Bay’s secondary excels at disguising coverages and baiting quarterbacks into mistakes. For Prescott, the key will be quick decision-making and not trying to force the ball where it doesn’t belong.
With CeeDee Lamb unavailable, the margin for error is slim.
Prescott must develop rhythm with his remaining receivers and keep the chains moving with efficient throws underneath the coverage.
If Prescott remains composed and takes what the defense gives him, Dallas can slowly chip away at the Packers’ zone.
If he presses and forces turnovers, the game could slip away just as it has so many times before against Green Bay.
How could the biggest storyline of the season not be front and center?
Micah Parsons returns to AT&T Stadium for the first time since being traded away, and he’s doing it as one of the NFL’s most feared defensive players.
The Cowboys’ offensive tackles, Terence Steele and Tyler Guyton, will face the monumental challenge of keeping Parsons from wrecking the game.
With CeeDee Lamb sidelined, Prescott will already be working with a depleted receiving corps. That makes it even more critical that he has...
