The marquee matchup in the NFC (probably the only marquee matchup in the NFC) plays out Thursday night on the NFL Network when the Packers take on the Cowboys in Dallas. So I figured – what the heck, I’ll do a preview.
This isn’t a gambling site, but I felt compelled to mention that most sports books have the Cowboys as seven point favorites. Seven points? I could see home field advantage giving Dallas a three or maybe even a five-point edge, but seven? We’re not talking about a 7-3 team who has managed to get hot recently – Green Bay is 10-1 and Brett Favre is playing magnificently.
Personally, I like Green Bay. I like them with the points, straight up and with a side of coleslaw. Statistically, Dallas is better on both sides of the ball. But in a game of this magnitude, stats go out the window. The Cowboys secondary can be had and I know a certain #4 is the right man to expose a weaknesses in a team’s defensive backfield. Dallas is good against the run (excellent, actually), but the Packers are one of the few teams that don’t need to set up the pass with the run – they usually don’t have to worry about being one-dimensional if a defense shuts down the ground game. The Pack certainly have the offensive weapons to take advantage of safety Roy Williams in space and as long as Favre doesn’t start forcing passes and turning the ball over, Green Bay should be able to pull out a victory.
One thing Tony Romo does so well, however, is that he creates opportunities with his feet. Give this guy enough time and he’ll find Terrell Owens and Jason Witten streaking down the field. Aaron Kampman and Cullen Jenkins can’t let Romo move the pocket or else he’s going to have a field day. Either way, call the NFL Network thieves because they stole a great game from their television counterparts.
What’s a preview without a meaningless prediction, too? Packers 27, Cowboys 23. Thoughts?
