Packers offensive line vs. Dallas defensive front
The Cowboys are a much-improved defense this year because they have better talent up front. They acquired controversial All-Pro Greg Hardy from Carolina at defensive end; on the other side is DeMarcus Lawrence who leads the team with 5 sacks including two in the first three plays of the game at Washington Monday night.
The Cowboys like to run “stunts” up front where they will loop their defensive ends inside and send their tackles outside. They win on quickness rather than brawn.
The open weekend following the Thursday night game at Detroit has helped the Packers’ banged up offensive line, as T.J. Lang, Bryan Bulaga and David Bakhtiari should all be back, but center Corey Linsley has missed practice this week with an ankle problem.
Pass protection is the priority here, but the Packers need to also do a better job opening holes for the ground game against a solid Dallas front across the board. It ranks 15th in the NFL, yielding 104.1 rushing yards per game.
Randall Cobb vs. Tyler Patmon in the slot
It seems like every week we look at the Cobb-vs.-whoever matchup and say Randall is going to or should win this matchup.
The problem with that thinking is, teams shade their coverage to Cobb. Without the outside people (James Jones and Davante Adams) winning their matchups consistently and making the defense pay, as Jordy Nelson did on a regular basis last year, Cobb has been less effective.
Still, Cobb leads the team in receptions with 57 and yards with 656, and is second with six touchdown receptions. He is still the best receiver the Packers have on the field this season.
Cobb’s quickness and ability should be a good matchup with slot corner Tyler Patmon of the Cowboys. Patmon has been serviceable with five pass breakups this season, but not special.
I wouldn’t be surprised to see the Cowboys shade rookie first round pick Byron Jones, a safety/corner, Cobb’s way. Jones is an impressive “new age” safety who has range (4.42 speed), is a good tackler and can cover.
Eddie Lacy vs. Cowboys linebackers Rolando McClain and Sean Lee
Lacy will apparently get the start this weekend, and the Packers could use another strong game from him especially if the rainy forecast holds up.
Linebacker Sean Lee is back for the Cowboys this season (missed last year with an ACL injury) and is one of the keys to the improved Dallas defense. He has “Clay Matthews” like instincts, plays sideline to sideline and makes plays in the offensive backfield.
He can diagnose an offensive play with the best of them, and it will be interesting to see how the “cat and mouse game” between Lee and Aaron Rodgers plays out.
Rolando McClain is an “old school” inside run-stopping linebacker who plays down hill and hits with authority.
Lacy is made for bad weather and this is his time of year. Physically he is the kind of back that can give the Cowboys problems if he is on his game.
Prior to his “reduced” role in Detroit, he put together the first back-to-back one hundred yard rushing games of his career at Minnesota and against Chicago.
