Good morning, everyone. On Sunday afternoon, the Green Bay Packers will take on the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium. I am here to give you my thoughts on what the Packers need to do to win the game. Let’s get started.
On offense, the Packers need to run the ball a lot better than last week. Even though it is important to run the football, they can’t do it on almost every first down like they did against Philadelphia. With Jamaal Williams out due to being in the concussion protocol, I think that Aaron Jones needs to have a big day for the Packers to get the offense going. There should be opportunities for Tra Carson and Danny Vitale to get some carries for positive yards as well. If the Packers can run the ball efficiently, then the play-action game will fool the Cowboys defense and set up big plays for the passing game. With Davante Adams out due to a toe injury, the other receivers for the Packers need to step up in his absence. Guys like Marquez Valdes-Scantling and Geronimo Allison have shown flashes, but they need to have a consistent day of production for Green Bay to win. That also goes for Jake Kumerow, Allen Lazard, and Darrius Shepherd. It is also up to the tight ends (Jimmy Graham, Marcedes Lewis and Robert Tonyan) to step up and contribute to the passing game. All of this can’t be possible without the offensive line protecting QB Aaron Rodgers and creating the holes for the running backs to run through.
As always, it is important for the Packers to avoid committing turnovers of any kind. Last week, there was a strip-sack that resulted in a Packers turnover. There was also an interception at the end of the game that resulted in a loss to the Eagles. In addition to avoiding turnovers, the Packers need to convert third downs (especially short-distance ones) to keep drives alive. This can help the Packers win the time of possession battle against Dallas. In the red zone, the Packers need to get touchdowns instead of just settling for field goals. In the previous game, the Packers settles for field goals twice to keep Philadelphia in it. They can’t do that against the Cowboys unless they want the same outcome as in Week 4. If they can score touchdowns in the red zone, then there will be more pressure on Dallas to answer back.
With that said, it is up to the Packers defense to make sure that doesn’t happen. The key for the defense is to keep the running game in check. If Montravius Adams comes back, then that will help the defensive front. During run plays, the Packers defensive front needs to penetrate the Cowboys’ offensive line to clog the running lanes. That way, it will be harder for Ezekiel Elliott and Tony Pollard to run the ball efficiently. If the running game is kept in check, then the defense can focus on getting pressure on QB Dak Prescott. With Tyron Smith out due to an ankle injury (which he suffered at the end of Dallas’ loss to the Saints), I think that the 2 Smiths’ (Preston and Za’Darius) will have a big day in terms of sacks and pressures of the QB. Even if the defense doesn’t get a sack every time, pressuring Prescott can force him to throw the ball early without going through his progressions. For the secondary, the bad news is that both Tony Brown and Kevin King will likely be out due to injuries. That means that guys like Ka’dar Hollman will need to step up in a big way. Jaire Alexander will be against Amari Cooper for most of the game. The secondary also need to cover the likes of Michael Gallup and Randall Cobb. Speaking of Cobb, it is weird to see him in a different uniform after he was with the Packers for 8 seasons. Jason Witten is back for the Cowboys after being on Monday Night Football as a color commentator in 2018. The defense needs to make sure that he is not open for an easy catch. After not getting a takeaway last week, the Packers defense needs to get a few of them in this game, including fumble recoveries and interceptions. Any turnover will give the Packers more chances to put points on the board. It‘s also important for the defense to not let the Cowboys convert third downs and limit them to field goals in the red zone. Doing these can give the Packers a great chance to win.
The Packers need to perform better on Special Teams to have a good chance at winning. Specifically, they need to do better in covering kick and punt returns. One of the touchdowns for the Eagles was set up by a long kickoff return that gave them a short field to work with. Kicker Mason Crosby can’t have a kickoff go out of bounds to give Dallas an advantage in terms of field position. On the other side, the returners for Green Bay need to make good choices with the ball. If there is not a chance for a long return, they can’t force it and risk a turnover. All of the field goals and extra points need to be made by Crosby. JK Scott needs to continue flipping the field with his punts, if he is needed. Hunter Bradley needs to snap the ball precisely in order for the field goals and punts to be executed. What’s also important for the Packers to do on Special Teams is to avoid silly penalties that give the offense terrible field position to start their drives.
If the Packers do these things, then they will win and improve to 4-1 on the season. Like a lot of recent games between the Packers and Cowboys, I think that this game will be filled with plenty of drama. Hopefully it goes in Green Bay’s favor. Stay tuned for my post-game thoughts on either Sunday night or Monday morning. Have a great day, everyone. Go Pack Go!
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