3 Things the Cowboys Must do on Offense to Beat the Packers
By Reid Hanson
Here are three things the Dallas Cowboys must do on offense in order to beat the high-flying Green Bay Packers on Sunday afternoon…
The Cowboys may still be the Las Vegas favorite but it’s the Green Bay Packers who are fast becoming the trendy pick to make this week. A game that features two of the best offenses in the NFL is most assuredly going to be a shootout if things continue as they have been.
Dak Prescott and Ezekiel Elliott will be asked to do what they’ve done all season long. Zeke is going to run the ball early and often and Dak is going to take what the defense gives him and play mistake-free football.
But besides scoring more points, winning the turnover margin, and establishing a ground game (all obvious elements), the Cowboys must do these three things on Sunday to deliver a victory:
Convert 3rd Downs
Converting 3rd downs is on the whole team. The coaching staff needs to deliver the offense manageable 3rd downs. That means no 3rd and long situations and smart 1st and 2nd down play-calling.
The Cowboys need to take yardage in chunks without being too predictable in the process. In other words, they cannot run the ball every first down or Dom Capers will shut them down.
In addition, Dak Prescott cannot be afraid to run the ball and pick up yardage with his feet. Every conversion is important and he has to use the full arsenal. Speaking of which…
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Use Cole Beasley
Since Cole Beasley is nearly unguardable for linebackers, everytime he gets matched up with a LB, the Cowboys must take advantage. And that may happen a lot because Dom Capers will be tempted to abandon the nickel package in an effort to shut down the run.
That means good things for Bease.
Stacking Dez and Beasley on the same side is another way to free up the slot receiver. This season some of Beasley’s biggest plays have been when matched with Dez. Beasley has reliable hands, has after-the-catch moves, and a first down machine.
I like Jason Witten this week but I love Beasley.
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Don’t Force it to Dez
The only time this offense struggles is when Dak Prescott forces the ball to Dez Bryant. The Packers secondary is atrocious (save for Morgan Burnett) so when in single coverage, by all means, throw to Dez. But the Cowboys do not need Dez to have a big day in order to win.
Dez Bryant makes an impact even without the ball in his hands. He pulls coverage and the defense’s attention on most downs. The Cowboys are loaded with playmakers and should stick to the most favorable matchups with the best odds of success.
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This is Dallas’ game to lose no matter what experts tell you about the red-hot Packers. If Dallas plays their game, they will win, plain and simple. But it’s going to take a plan from the first snap to the last snap and it’s going to take a rookie QB to execute that plan. And knowing Dak, I wouldn’t want it in anyone else’s hands.