There was a time, say about August of this year, when people saw this game as a big-time match-up between two NFC powerhouses. Well, needless to say, that vision needed some serious Lasik surgery. The Green Bay Packers are still doing their part, at 5-3 they're right in the thick of things in the NFC. The Dallas Cowboys? Not so much.
The Packers are coming off a shutout, blanking the New York Jets 9-0. Shutting out a team in the NFL today is a tough task, so the Pack defense deserves praise, especially given the Jets were coming off a five-game win streak, were at home, and they'd been scoring points in that streak. The Pack offense struggled, but that shouldn't be a problem for them this week, given the current state of the Dallas defense.
It's hard to look at this game today, our expectations were for this to be a marquee game of the week, the kind everybody was looking at to see who would be among the elite in the NFC. That dream is gone. Now, we're thought of as a tasty snack for a Packers team hungry for wins in the playoff race. Maybe the Cowboys will surprise us, then again - well, you know. You've seen this team play in 2010.
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Notes on the game...
DALLAS COWBOYS (1-6) AT GREEN BAY PACKERS (5-3)
SERIES
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COWBOYS |
PACKERS |
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SERIES LEADER |
12-11 |
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STREAKS |
8 of past 11 |
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COACHES VS. OPP. |
Phillips: 3-2 |
McCarthy: 1-2 |
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LAST WEEK |
L 35-17 vs. Jaguars |
W 9-0 at Jets |
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LAST GAME |
11/15/09: Cowboys 7 at Packers 17. Green Bay QB Aaron Rodgers records rushing & passing TD in 4th quarter to break game open for Packers. |
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LAST GAME AT SITE |
11/15/09 |
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BROADCAST |
NBC (7:20 PM CT): Al Michaels, Cris Collinsworth, Andrea Kremer (Field reporter). Westwood One Radio: Dave Sims, James Lofton, Hub Arkush (Field reporter). SIRIUS: 127 (WW1), 125 (Dal.), 126 (GB). XM: 104 (WW1), 102 (Dal.), 103 (GB). |
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STATS
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PASSING |
Kitna: 50-82-566-3-4-73.5 |
Rodgers: 165-269-2,011 (2C)-12 (T3C)-9-85.3 |
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RUSHING |
Jones: 68-286-4.2-0 |
Jackson: 95-418-4.4-2 |
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RECEIVING |
Austin: 43-641 (2C)-14.9-2 |
Jennings: 32-471-14.7-5 |
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OFFENSE |
381.3 (2C) |
335.9 |
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TAKE/GIVE |
-5 |
+2 |
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DEFENSE |
327.3 |
341.1 |
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SACKS |
Ware: 8 (T2L) |
Matthews: 9.5 (1L) |
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INTs |
5 tied: 1 |
T. Williams: 3 |
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PUNTING |
McBriar: 45.9 |
Masthay: 43.4 |
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KICKING |
Buehler: 44 (17/17 PAT; 9/12 FG) |
Crosby: 56 (T3C) (20/20 PAT; 12/16 FG) |
NOTES
COWBOYS: In 1st start since 10/5/08 w/ Det., QB JON KITNA completed 34 of 49 (69.4 pct.) for 379 yards with 1 TD vs. Jags…RB MARION BARBER has rushed for 249 yards in 3 career games vs. GB (83 per game). Incl. playoffs, RB FELIX JONES has 8 career TDs (7 rush, 1 KR) & averages 47.1 yards per TD (377 yards)…WR MILES AUSTIN has 4 100-yard rec. games this season, incl. 117 last week, tied for most in NFC. Rookie WR-PR DEZ BRYANT (1st round) had career-high 84 rec. yards last week. Has 5 total TDs, tied for most among NFL rookies. WR ROY WILLIAMS had 5 catches for 105 yards (21.0 avg.) & TD in last meeting. TE JASON WITTEN has TD catch in 3 of past 4, incl. 8-yarder vs. Jax. Aims for 7th in row w/ 50+ rec. yards…LB DE MARCUS WARE has 7 sacks in past 5. Had 2 sacks in last meeting. Has 64.5 sacks since 2006, most in NFL. LB VICTOR BUTLER had 1st sack & FF of season vs. Jags. LB KEITH BROOKING has 44 tackles in 5 career games vs. GB, incl. 10 in last meeting. Ranks 2nd on team with 42 tackles in ’10.
PACKERS: In 3 career games vs. Cowboys, QB AARON RODGERS has completed 65 of 101 (64.4 pct.) for 680 yards with 2 TDs & 0 INTs for 90.4 rating. Had rush TD & pass TD in 4th qtr. of last meeting. Leads NFL QBs w/ 3 rush TDs in ’10…RB BRANDON JACKSON has 398 scrimmage yards (281 rush, 117 rec.) in past 4 (99.5 per game)…WR GREG JENNINGS aims for 4th in row with 6 catches. Leads team with 32 rec. WR JORDY NELSON had career-high 5 catches (55 yards) last week & aims for 4th in row with 4+ rec…Last week, defense posted 1st shutout since 26-0 W vs. Det. on 10/18/09. CB CHARLES WOODSON had 47th career INT last week, tied for most among active NFL CBs (CHAMP BAILEY). Since 2008, Woodson leads NFL with 18 INTs & S NICK COLLINS is tied for 4th with 14. In last meeting, Woodson had sack, INT & 2 FF. LB CLAY MATTHEWS has 3.5 sacks in past 3, incl. 1 vs. NYJ.