Cowboys vs Packers: Preview and game day predictions
By Reid Hanson
The Cowboys face the team that bounced them from the playoffs two of the last three seasons. Is revenge in the cards?
Week Five is a pivotal week for the 2-2 Dallas Cowboys. They have a chance to beat their northern rivals, the Green Bay Packers. And they also have a chance to log their first losing record since September of 2016 and head into the bye week on a very sour note.
What’s in store for Dallas?
We take a look at this week’s staff predictions now:
Reid Hanson
This isn’t a match-up between the Cowboys and Packers, but rather a contest between the Cowboys and Aaron Rodgers. As history has taught us, the rest of the Packers are nearly inconsequential. The only time the Cowboys seen to come out on top over #12 is when Rodgers beats himself with his occasionally-appearing accuracy issues (see also the 2016 regular season).
After watching some Green Bay film, this game seems to resemble when Green Bay took on the Bengals. The Bengals forced overtime by hitting intermediate-to-long downfield passes, and also using RB Joe Mixon heavily in the passing game. If Dak can shake off his own accuracy issues and hit his targets downfield, and Garrett continues to use Ezekiel Elliott in the passing game, the Cowboys have a chance to repeat the Bengals success.
But once again, I expect Rodgers to make plays out of the pocket and victimize Rod Marinelli by catching the Cowboys offsides and during ill-timed substitutions, drawing penalties and free plays. The result will be extended drives and deliver big plays: two things that will send Dallas into the bye week with a losing record.
Cowboys 27 Packers 34
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Dink Kearney
The Dallas Cowboys will face the Green Bay Packers and that “bad man” and arch nemesis named Aaron Rodgers. Rodgers has broken the Cowboys’ hearts in dramatic and heartbreaking fashion twice in the playoffs and looks to do it again this week.
Simply put, Mr. Double-check Rodgers owns Dallas like a piece of land, using and abusing the Boys however he likes. And I expect Rodgers to continue where he left off when he defeated the Cowboys in last season’s playoff game.
Rodgers will abuse the Dallas secondary with quick passes, hard counts to draw the defense offsides, and the Packers running game will dominate the Dallas front four. Dallas’ run defense isn’t the top-five unit from last season. Running backs are simply running wild on them. So expect the Packers to exploit it and also for Rodgers to throw for over 300 yards, four touchdowns.
Expect the Packers defense to dominate the Dallas once vaulted offensive line. The Cowboys will start off strong but will abandon the run and have the Dak Prescott throw over 40 times. Dak will throw for 300 yards four touchdowns, Zeke will carry the ball 15 times for a score and the Cowboys will succumb to Rodgers and his talented arm and lose another heartbreaking game to the Packers.
After serving his four-game suspension, David Irving will have a slight impact but not a major one. So the Cowboys will slip to 2-3, Rodgers will dominate, and let the panic begin. Sorry Cowboys Nation but Dallas has too many issues to work before it can beat the Packers.
Packers 38 Cowboys 35
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Dan Ruppert
This week has everything in me wanting to go against Dallas. With how bad they looked on defense last week, it is hard to think Dallas will win against Aaron Rodgers and the Packers. However, there are a few factors that lead me to believe they will squeak out a win this week.
The Packers don’t have a run game, simply put if the Packers want to win, Rodgers has to be the only reason they win. This could be a benefit to Dallas, IF they get back to basics and use their run game to keep Rodgers off of the field. Grind the clock, keep Rodgers on the bench, and a win would be quite possible.
The other thing that gives me a glimmer of hope is the defense won’t be what it was last week. Even if Sean Lee doesn’t play, there is a lot of help coming back this week. Sadly, Dallas lost Charles Tapper, which means potentially more of Taco Charlton who has been abysmal this season. On the flip side of this, they get back David Irving and Anthony Hitchens which should help the pass rush, run defense, and the dumps over the middle.
Next: One way Rodgers beats Marinelli and the Cowboys every time
I think Dallas will pull this game out by the skin of their teeth.
Dallas 30 – Green Bay 27