After a 10-day mini bye week, the Dallas Cowboys return to action on Sunday night, facing off against the Green Bay Packers. While it’s still very early in the season, this feels like a game the Cowboys need to win if they want any shot at winning the NFC East.
Before the two teams square off, here are three causes for concern in this matchup.
1) Matthew Golden and Christian Watson’s big-play ability
Last week against the division rival Chicago Bears, the Green Bay Packers offense came alive. For the first time since Week 1, the Packers recorded 400+ yards
of total offense, reaching 428 total yards to go with 31 points in their victory over the Bears.
The biggest reason for Green Bay’s success on offense was their ability to lean on their explosive offensive weapons to record chunk plays. In the game, the Packers recorded three separate receptions of 45 or more yards, including two of 50 or more yards from Matthew Golden and Christian Watson.
While Golden and Watson may not have the stats of some of the NFL’s elite receiving duos, both have excellent speed and are two of the most explosive deep threats in the entire league. Last week, for the first time all year, the Packers got both of them going in the same game, leading to the duo wreaking havoc on Chicago’s defense.
Golden and Watson combined for 12 catches for 266 yards and two touchdowns in the matchup, each averaging over 20 Y/R. If the Cowboys want any chance of walking out of Green Bay with a win, they’ll absolutely need to limit the big plays by Golden and Watson. That will be easier said than done for this struggling Cowboys’ defense.
2) Packers’ defense forcing turnovers
Another big factor in their blowout victory last week was the ability of Green Bay’s defense to register takeaways. The Packers totaled a season-high five takeaways against the Bears, recording three interceptions to go with two fumble recoveries.
Since their Week 3 matchup against the Atlanta Falcons, the Packers’ defense has excelled at taking the ball away. They have recorded at least one takeaway in each of their last three games, taking them up to nine on the year, the fourth-most of any team in the league.
Talented safety Xavier McKinney has been the catalyst for the Packers’ defense in this department, recording three interceptions in Green Bay’s last three matchups. With all the problems Dallas is having on the defensive side of the ball, the last thing they need in this game is for their offense to turn the ball over. If McKinney and the rest of the Packers’ defense are able to continue and take the ball away, it could be a long night for the Cowboys.
3) Cowboys’ recent history against Green Bay
This may sound hard to believe, but Friday, October 16th marks exactly 10 years since the last Cowboys victory over the Packers. Since that 2016 win in Lambeau, Dallas has lost five of their last six matchups against Green Bay, with the only non-loss being the tie last season.
If you look back a little further, Dallas is 1-10-1 in the two teams’ last 12 matchups, including a 1-5 record in games at Lambeau Field. While year-over-year trends don’t amount to much in the NFL, it’s hard to look at Dallas’ recent track record against the Packers and not be a bit concerned.
Let’s hope the Cowboys flip the script on Sunday.
