clock menu more-arrow no yes mobile

Filed under:

Cowboys News: Cowboys Are No. 1 Seed, Packers Most Assuredly Are Not

If you follow the media coverage for the Sunday's Divisional Round game, you might get the impression the Packers are the No. 1 seed. They are not.

Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports

Media focus on Packers’ streak but these aren’t the same Cowboys either bruh - KD Drummond, Cowboys Wire
The Packers have won seven in a row and all the talk is about how worried Dallas should be. Wait a minute, 13-3 Dallas?

The Cowboys are 13-3 for a reason. They are really, really good. They are dominant in an area of the game that is best suited for postseason success, running the ball. They have a multitude of weapons in the passing game. They led the league in sacks down the stretch of the season, yet because Green Bay finally stopped sucking, the Cowboys are somehow supposed to be more worried about them, than the Packers are about facing Dallas. A Dallas team which, by the way, whooped their ass back in Week 6.

If one thinks Dallas is staying up at night trying to figure out how to stop the rejuvenated Packers, imagine what Dom Capers and the Packers’ defensive staff is having nightmares about. A road team that put 30 points up on their defense, with ease, is bringing Bryant to the rematch, now at home and in front of 100,000 frenzied revenge-minded fans.

Worried about the Packers? Nah, bruh. They need to be worried about the Cowboys.

Sure, Packers Are Better Now; Here’s 5 Reasons Why Cowboys Are, Too - Nick Eatman, Dallas Cowboys
Can’t take anything away from them and the Packers are clearly the hottest team on this side of the playoff bracket. But it’s January. And if you know anything about Texas weather, warm air can turn cold rather quickly.

Improved D-Line rotation – If there was one signature play – other than the Hail Mary – from Green Bay’s playoff win Sunday, it had to be the one where Rodgers circled around in the pocket for about eight seconds before finding his target in the end zone. That kind of time in the pocket will destroy any defense. The Cowboys haven’t been the best team in the NFL in rushing the quarterback, but there has been improvement of late. While this unit has been beat up the last few weeks, it should be rather healthy come Sunday. When you factor in the way David Irving is playing now, coupled with a healthy DeMarcus Lawrence, Terrell McClain and Cedric Thornton, this should be the best rotation the Cowboys have had all year. Also, Maliek Collins is playing at a much higher level now as well, giving the Cowboys a full eight players who could potentially disrupt Rodgers – at least more than we saw in October.

Michael Irvin: Dak Prescott is the right QB to foil Aaron Rodgers, Packers - SportsDay
Irvin recently told 105.3 The Fan's G-Bag Nation show that he liked Prescott's chances against Rodgers.

"I feel good about Dak going in, even against Aaron Rodgers. First of all, he's already beaten him. That's one thing. Let's just say we've already crossed this mountain, so I know that moment is not too big for him, but also the fact that Dak is so patient, and he plays the game inside-out and within himself. It is a good matchup [vs.] Aaron Rodgers because he can meticulously move down the field, which keeps Aaron Rodgers on the sideline. Even Aaron Rodgers doesn't have the patience that I think that Dak Prescott has, where he can just go and move the ball down the field slow. Aaron Rodgers wants the big play. He wants that big play. But when you got a guy like Dak, who can remain within himself, play the game as it is -- take five yards here, four yards there, six yards there, four yards there, eat up that clock and leave Aaron Rodgers on the sideline -- it actually ends up being a good matchup."

When playing the Packers you have to be ready to handle crossing routes on various levels. These routes also lead to pick routes to free up their receivers, especially on third downs. The Packers went empty formation with Ty Montgomery lined up wide to the outside of Davonte Adams, near the sideline. Rodgers never looked in Montgomery’s direction on his right, trying not to draw attention to him. The Giants were in man coverage with Janoris Jenkins over the top of Montgomery.

As he worked inside, Adams then moved outside and squared up on Jenkins, extending his hands to block. Montgomery was free to work behind Adams and past Landon Collins, who was late to realize what had happened. Rodgers came back to Montgomery and put it on him with a four-yard cushion. Montgomery gained 34 yards on the play and secured a big third-down conversion.

Jordy Nelson Spent Night In Hospital, Could Miss Game - Dave Halprin, Blogging The Boys
Nelson has 'multiple broken ribs' and the Packers could be missing their star wide receiver on Sunday.

The Packers offense is a little different animal without Nelson. He has been playing the whole year, but in the first part of the season he was still recovering from the ACL injury of the previous season and wasn’t nearly as effective. Once he started to round into form, around the same time Aaron Rodgers made his run the table prediction, the Packers offense took off.

Star_medium

Packers-Cowboys: A Playoff Rivalry As Old As The Super Bowl Itself - Dawn Macelli, Blogging The Boys
The playoff history between these teams goes way back.

To leave the playoff history between the two franchises at this point would not do justice to the rivalry. Fitting for the two franchises that have 9 Super Bowl wins between them, the playoff rivalry dates back to the beginning of the modern era of professional football. Dallas hosted the Packers in the Cotton Bowl for the first ever trip to the big game.

From Ice Bowl to Dez Bryant's non-catch, Cowboys, Packers have history- Todd Archer-ESPN
Two of the NFL's most storied franchises will add to their rivalry with a trip to the conference championship game on the line.

This will be the eighth playoff meeting between two of the most storied franchises in NFL history, the most famous being the Ice Bowl, a 21-17 win by the Packers in the 1967 NFL championship game. The most recent was two seasons ago, a 26-21 Packers win that saw the Cowboys' chances disappear when a Dez Bryant catch at the goal line was overturned.

Star_medium

Jason Garrett must play Tony Romo, if needed, against Packers - Mac Engel, The Star-Telegram
With Aaron Rodgers and the Packers coming to town, the Cowboys coach should not hesitate to go to his Pro Bowl backup quarterback.

The "know it when you see it moment" is potentially coming for Jason Garrett and his backup quarterback. Coach Process owes it to the Cowboys to play Tony Romo on Sunday, if Dak is a dog.

Should the Cowboys trail the Green Bay Packers by two scores in the second half, Romo must be summoned off the bench.

This would be the specific "know it when you see it moment" that Jerry Jones infamously referred to late last year in reference to Romo playing again this season.


Read more here: http://www.star-telegram.com/sports/spt-columns-blogs/mac-engel/article125514779.html#storylink=cpy

All these years and receptions later, Jason Witten doesn't forget- Todd Archer, ESPN
Jason Witten remembers the play that was called on his first reception in the NFL. Cowboys coach Jason Garrett isn't surprised.

"The experiences the players have in games are very vivid. I think for a lot of guys they have really good memories about practice, about working out but games are to another level," Garrett said. "Some guys probably have a mind that doesn’t remember any of those details. They might remember the bigger picture of things. But a lot of guys have a real clear and vivid memory of very specific things from games. They’re heightened emotional experiences, so I do think those experiences maybe stick with you more. The details of those experiences stick with you more."

Sign up for the newsletter Sign up for the Blogging The Boys Daily Roundup newsletter!

A daily roundup of all your Dallas Cowboys news from Blogging The Boys