The Sunday Night Football matchup between the Green Bay Packers and Dallas Cowboys is either the game of the year, or a disaster waiting to happen, depending on how one looks at it.
For Cowboys fans sick of hearing about pass rusher Micah Parsons and his return, it feels like a train wreck is headed for their favorite team. For the NFL and Cowboys haters, it’s a chance to once again laugh at Jerry Jones. The Packers have been talked about as one of the best teams in the league, but there are reasons to love the Cowboys and their potential to pull off the upset.
Strange things can happen when teams have their backs against a wall. The Packers, for all their early season accolades, just lost to the Cleveland Browns, blowing a 10-point lead in the fourth quarter. The Cowboys won’t have star wide receiver CeeDee Lamb or first-round pick Tyler Booker to help their cause, but here are three reasons to believe the team can beat the Packers in Week 4.
Running game stuck in neutral
The Packers have one of the best running backs in the league in Josh Jacobs, but despite his ability to find the end zone, the rushing attack hasn’t been great through three games. Jacobs is rushing for only 60 yards a game and his yards per carry average sits at just 3.1, which would be a career worst if the Packers don’t turn it around.
It’s an offensive line that will be missing right tackle Zach Tom and could be without left guard Aaron Banks as well.
That’s not a great sign for a team that runs the ball for under 100 (98) yards a game and has a long of just 16 yards this season.
The Cowboys are better than they’ve been in years past at slowing down rushing attacks. If they can turn the Packers into a one-dimensional offense, it could help them pull off the upset..
Struggle to cover tight ends
Green Bay’s defense has been great during the early portion of the year, but one area they do struggle with is covering the tight end. In all three of their games this season, TEs have either caught at least six passes or gone over 65 yards receiving.
Detroit Lions TE Sam LaPorta, Washington Commanders TE Zach Ertz, and Browns TE David Njoku all had their best games against the Packers, and they combined for an average of six catches for 61 yards and a score. In Jake Ferguson’s last game for the Cowboys, he caught 13 balls for 82 yards, which came on the heels of a nine catch, 78-yard game.
Ferguson might not provide much zip after the catch, but he’s heating up and the Packers have trouble defending the middle of the field. Quick throws to the TE can also help offset the pass rush for the Packers. Without Lamb, the Cowboys are likely going to feed him a steady diet of targets.
Pressure Jordan Love
The offensive line for the Packers struggling with injuries has coincided with the unit giving up more sacks, particularly from the interior. Last week, the Browns sacked Packers QB Jordan Love five times, two of which came from the defensive tackle group.
Currently, the interior of the DL is where the Cowboys are generating the most pressure. DTs Kenny Clark and Osa Odighizuwa are the most consistent pass rushers the defense has, and they could make life difficult for Love.
If the Cowboys can’t find a way to pressure Love, they could be in for a long day. The secondary hasn’t held up against their last two opponents and last week’s debacle came where Dallas’ defense never got near the QB. That can’t happen on SNF, or the Cowboys will get steamrolled again.
There is also help on the way, veteran DL Jadeveon Clowney is expected to make his Cowboys debut, which can boost the entire defense. One of the best ways to win games in the NFL is to disrupt the quarterback, if the Cowboys can do anything close to what the Browns did last week, they could score the upset.
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This article originally appeared on Cowboys Wire: Run game struggles among 3 reasons for Cowboys to love facing Packers
Reporting by Ben Grimaldi, Cowboys Wire / Cowboys Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
