Game Overview ::
By mike johnson >>
- The Cowboys are a very strong team coming off their bye and are facing a Packers team that is struggling with injuries and inefficiencies as they watch their season’s hopes fade away.
- The Cowboys offensive strength is their running game, which has a terrific matchup this week.
- The Packers are on a 5-game losing streak and have not scored over 20 offensive points during that stretch, averaging just 14 points per game on offense.
- Both teams have a negative pass rate over expectation, while the Packers play at a very slow pace, and the Cowboys tend to push their tempo.
How dallas Will Try To Win ::
The Cowboys come out of their bye week with a 6-2 record, the top-ranked defense in the league, and their offense as close to fully healthy as they’ve been at any point this season. While the Eagles have looked dominant this season, there is a long way to go, and things can change quickly in the NFL (see the Bills loss to the Jets and Josh Allen injury). The way things are shaking out in the NFC, if the Cowboys can ride some momentum into the second half of the year, they could end up as the cream of the crop in their division and conference.
The last time we saw the Dallas offense was in Week 8 when they went nuts against an overmatched Bears defense, and Tony Pollard showed a glimpse into what life could be like with an explosive runner as the featured back. Ezekiel Elliott should be back this week for the Cowboys, which will allow them to impose their will with their running game against the league’s 31st-ranked run defense. The Packers defense is in an even worse spot as well, thanks to several injuries that have them scrambling for bodies as they attempt to put the brakes on a five-game losing streak. The Cowboys this season have thrown the ball well under expectation for the game script, and this matchup should do nothing to dissuade them from continuing down that path. The passing game should have the opportunity to be highly efficient as well, as the Packers will have to give a lot of respect and attention to the running game. Dak Prescott is fully recovered from his early season hand injury, and Michael Gallup and Dalton Schultz should be close to full strength after each battled back from some knee issues at different points this season.
The Cowboys play with the 5th fastest situation-neutral pace in the league and should not be shy early in this game about imposing their will with a confident game plan that uses their running game to move the chains and set up their passing game to attack all areas of the field. We should expect the Cowboys to move the ball well and simply need to continue strong scoring efficiency, as they showed in their last two outings before the bye to take an early lead. They can let their league-best defense handle things from there against a Packers offense that has shown very little signs of life recently.
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