The vibes going into the Packers game against the Bears could not have been worse. After getting blown out by the Falcons at home, the Packers had to hold on for dear life against a Bucs team playing an undrafted rookie QB. Even without QB Caleb Williams, the Bears were coming into Lambeau on a winning streak and an offseason filled with “21-3”
The first bit of optimism actually came last Thursday night when those same Bucs managed to upset the Cowboys in stunning fashion. Then came Sunday. Yes Caleb Williams didn’t play and yes it’s only one game. But that one game may have turned the Packers season around. The Packers offense was explosive – Watson and Golden each broke over 100 yards and Jordan Love had one of the best games of his career.
This is all to say that the Packers may well have turned their season around. Or it could just be a flash in the pan because the Packers schedule is brutal moving forward. What do the Packers need to do to continue what has been a fairly one sided matchup with their next opponent, the Dallas Cowboys?
Packers Vs Cowboys Keys to Victory
First and foremost, the biggest thing the Packers need to win on Sunday Night is for the offensive line to continue to just be not a disaster. That seems like a low bar until you go back and watch the first three weeks.
Laken Tomlinson is not a great guard. I would hesitate to even call him a good one. But what he is not, is an abject failure. Since he has taken over the left guard spot, Love’s time to pass and overall play has gotten better and better. While I think Aaron Banks may have a slightly higher upside, injuries have made him completely unreliable, and I have to think the Packers let Tomlinson keep the job even when Banks is healthy.
Travis Glover slotting in at right guard has also helped stabilize the line. While I think his play has certainly earned him a roster spot moving forward (and perhaps the chance to compete for a more permanent role next year) I imagine that Kevin Zeitler is likely starting in that spot come Sunday.
Second, the Packers have to continue the approach they took against the Bears. Jordan Love is one of the best deep ball throwers in the league, and Green Bay has two of the best deep threats with Watson and Golden. The Cowboys defense is not good. They can’t rush the passer and outside of recently acquired CB Joey Porter their secondary isn’t anything special. Go out early and start throwing bombs and get a lead to force the Cowboys offense into a more one dimensional attack.
Packers to Watch
- Kevin Zeitler – Assuming Zeitler plays on Sunday, all eyes will be on the offensive line. After finding a bit of continuity over the past two weeks, does Zeitler continue to help the line improve or does the shakeup cause some short term issues?
Trey Smack – Smack started off the season fairly impressively, nailing multiple 50 plus yard field goals and missing only one on a block. On Sunday he completely fell apart – missing an XP and two field goals. The Bears kicker also missed so perhaps the wind was particularly strong at Lambeau, but Smack needs a bounce back performance against Dallas to help calm fans down that still have flashbacks from last year.
Ty’Ron Hopper – Losing Edgerrin Cooper for the season is brutal, there is no way to replace what he was doing for this defense while Parsons has been out. On Sunday the Packers approached it with a bit of a committee with both Hopper and McDuffie seeing playing time. Hopper took advantage with a interception in the endzone, and he almost had another on a deflection. Hopper was a third round pick and if he can give Green Bay real minutes this defense still has a chance to be decent once Parson is back on the field.
Final Prediction
The Packers have been on a streak of dominance against the Cowboys – they are 8-1-1 over the last ten games. I think if the offensive line can hold up, the Packers can win a shoot out against Dallas.
Green Bay 31 – Dallas 28
