3 Things the Cowboys Must do on Defense to Beat Green Bay
By Reid Hanson
Here are three things the Dallas Cowboys must do on defense to ensure victory over the red-hot Green Bay Packers this Sunday
It’s the postseason and the Dallas Cowboys finally get in on the action when they host the Green Bay Packers Sunday afternoon at AT&T stadium. The red-hot Packers have become a trendy pick this week as “experts” look for Aaron Rodgers to single-handedly upset the best team in the NFC.
Here are three things Dallas must do on defense to keep the Packers at bay:
Disguise the Defense
Rod Marinelli has been a little creative for the Cowboys this season. Some games he blitzes at an uncharacteristically high frequency, sometime he only rushes three and pushes an extra man into coverage. Some zone, some man, sometimes both on the same play.
The Cowboys will have to do it all on Sunday.
The Packers love to throw short slants on a quick drop-and-pop. This is especially true when Rodgers is under pressure. Whether in the nickel package or the base 4-3, the Cowboys must disguise their coverage to step into those short passing windows.
Zone blitzing can be used to drop a linemen back to take away a slant, mixing in zone and man coverage from the linebackers is another way. The defense must use their front-7 to take the short passes away.
With many slants the decision to deliver the ball is often made BEFORE the snap, when the QB gets a pre-snap read on the defense. The Cowboys have to be mindful of this and not tip their hand before the snap. Much like Cole Beasley for the Cowboys, Randell Cobb is much scarier on short passes than he is down field. Make him run downfield.
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Respect the Running Game
It’s no secret this Cowboys offense is built on the running game. Armed with three Pro Bowlers on the offensive line and the NFL rushing champ at running back, the Cowboys dominated the NFL en route to a #1 seed in the NFC.
But this is more than just saying “feed Zeke the ball”. This is about respecting the Packers running game as well. You see, the Packers have found their ground game late in the season.
On the swift feet of Ty Montgomery, the Packers have become a multidimensional attack — Using him as both a runner and a receiver.
Dallas finished the season ranked #1 in the NFL in rushing yards against, but this stat can be deceiving. The Cowboys made it a habit of getting up on their opponents, often forcing them to abandon the run in the second half. This bodes well for the cumulative numbers but doesn’t hide the fact the Cowboys allowed nearly 4 yards per carry.
The Cowboys were good against the run but not the best by any means. Their 3.9 average against rates them 11th in the NFL. Even with the chaos of the season’s first half the Packers finished 7th in the NFL in average yards per attempt.
The Packer running attack cannot be ignored
Pressure the Passer
Dallas lost in the playoffs two seasons ago because they could not pressure Aaron Rodgers. Sure, Dez got ripped off and yes, DeMarco Murray turned the ball over on a would-be TD run, but the lack of pressure was the real culprit.
Related Story: And Dez STILL Caught it!
Last week against the Giants, Rodgers was pressured early, getting sacked five times in the process. But late in the game the Giants tired and Rodgers was given time and space to operate. And that’s when he blew the game wide open.
The Cowboys cannot afford to give less than 100% every snap and Rod Marinelli will be tasked with cycling fresh rushmen in down after down. We all know Rodgers is illusive and can make plays even under pressure. But he’s an assassin if given all day.
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Unpredictability is Key
Stopping the Packers offense is no easy task. But it can be done if the Cowboys mix their coverage, apply consistent pressure, and don’t ignore the ground game. If being unpredictable means they need to trust their top-rated secondary more than usual this Sunday, then so be it.
Next up, what the Cowboys must do on offense to beat the Packers