For the 33rd time in NFL history, these two historic NFC heavyweights meet on the field, with the all-time mark sitting at 16-16.
The Packers, as one might expect, were 8-1 before 1975 against Dallas with a couple of historic NFL Championship Game wins. Dallas dominated the next 33 years with a stretch that spanned from Roger Staubach to Tony Romo by winning 15 of the next 19.
But Green Bay has won the last four to square the series. That streak includes an unbelievable 37-36 win in Dallas in 2013 in a comeback from a 26-3 deficit engineered by Matt Flynn, and, of course, last year's 26-21 playoff win for Aaron Rodgers and the Packers in a game best remembered for the controversial Dez Bryant non-catch.
Sunday's game, though, has far more at stake than simple bragging rights for the all-time series, as both teams are fighting to win their divisions.
Green Bay (8-4) is having rare problems on offense as it tries to hold off the upstart Minnesota Vikings in the NFC North. At 4-8, the Cowboys have won two of three and are amazingly one game off the NFC East pace.
Everyone knows that Rodgers has won two of the last four NFL MVP awards. So let's look elsewhere for three potential difference-makers from the home side:
WR Randall Cobb
Green Bay Packers' Randall Cobb runs during the second half of an NFL football game against the Chicago Bears Thursday, Nov. 26, 2015, in Green Bay, Wis. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)
At 5-10, 192, Cobb has had a tough year in the absence of Jordy Nelson attracting coverage over the top.
Without Nelson, Cobb has had his moments from his usual spot in the slot, but teams have used more bracket coverage to keep him from shaking loose and have kept his yards per reception down at 11.5 after two seasons over 14.
Still, Cobb is a dangerous player who can hurt an opponent in many ways. Last year against Dallas in the playoffs, the Packers turned their offensive fortunes around by inserting him at running back for much of the second half. Dallas never slowed that personnel grouping down.
DE Mike Daniels
Green Bay Packers defensive end Mike Daniels (76) goes up against Detroit Lions guard Manny Ramirez (63) during the first half of an NFL football game, Thursday, Dec. 3, 2015, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Duane Burleson)
Drafted at the end of the fourth round in 2012, Daniels is consistently ranked among the best 3-4 defensive ends in the league behind Houston's J.J. Watt.
He has remarkable quickness and work rate for a man his size (6-0, 310) and is the rare commodity who can rush the passer and plug the run with equal effectiveness.
Daniels is often lost in the shuffle behind fellow pass-rushers Clay Matthews and Julius Peppers by the national media, but there is no question this undersized Iowa Hawkeye will be paid handsomely when he becomes one of the top free agents in the spring.
FS Ha Ha Clinton-Dix
Green Bay Packers free safety Ha Ha Clinton-Dix (21) celebrates sack on Minnesota Vikings quarterback Teddy Bridgewater (5) during the second half of an NFL football game in Minneapolis, Sunday, Nov. 22, 2015. (AP Photo/Ann Heisenfelt)
Ha'Sean, a first-round pick in 2014 out of Alabama, certainly took a period of acclimation to get up to NFL speed as a defensive back in a league with many more dynamic QBs than he faced in the SEC.
But Year 2 has generally featured top-quality play. He's impressive in run support, in which he tackles very well, and he uses his range to break up and intercept passes in the middle of the field.
Green Bay has been determined to fortify its secondary over the last several drafts, and Clinton-Dix appears to be able to do many things well.
No comments:
Post a Comment