Tag: Dallas Cowboys vs Green Bay packers

Key Matchup: Cowboys pass rush, Packers OL pits strength against strength

The Cowboys are No. 1 in PRWR while the Packers are No. 2 PBWR; matching strength against strength in the wild-card round of the playoffs. | From @ReidDHanson

The Dallas Cowboys upcoming wild-card matchup against the Packers is more than just a grudge match between Mike McCarthy and the team that once fired him. It’s a game that pits strength against strength, which could ultimately decide which team advances to the divisional round and which team advances to the offseason.

The Cowboys are loaded in the pass-rusher department, and it shows. Micah Parsons, DeMarcus Lawrence, Dante Fowler, Dorance Armstrong, Osa Odighizuwa and Sam Williams make up arguably the best group of pressure players in the NFL. The Packers just so happen to be equally as proficient in stopping the pass-rush.

What Dallas may lack in sack totals (13th in NFL), they make up for pass rush win rate. With a 59 percent success rate, the Cowboys are No. 1 in the NFL in pass rush win rate and effective at pressuring QBs even without a blitz.

Green Bay finished the regular season ranked No. 2 in ESPN’s pass block win rate and are well equipped to stop even the most relentless of pass rushes. On Sunday, somethings gotta give.

The Cowboys have a couple items working in their favor:

  1. The speed in which they apply pressure.
  2. The multiple areas they can attack with pressure.

Cowboys 53-man roster, practice squad for wild-card vs Packers

A look at the team’s roster as the playoffs begin. | From @KDDrummondNFL

The Dallas Cowboys will soon be locked in to preparations for the tournament. The regular season is an exciting 18-week journey, but it’s all a preparation for the single-elimination battle to reign supreme over the land. Dallas’ path starts with the Green Bay Packers on Sunday afternoon, and fortunately they will be relatively healthy to start their week of practice.

A big concern was seemingly avoided when cornerback Stephon Gilmore’s dislocated shoulder wasn’t more severe. The passing game rules and the team is already without Trevon Diggs for the season. Meanwhile, they welcomed back nose tackle Johnathan Hankins and the one remaining key question is the plantar fascia foot of left guard Tyler Smith. As such, here’s a look at the 53-man roster for the wild-card round, along with the practice squad and their call-up availability, pending any moves.

T.J. Bass, Brock Hoffman give Cowboys crucial interior depth for playoff run

For most of the year it seemed the Cowboys were an injury away from disaster on their O-line, but the emergence of two OGs changes that. | From @ReidDHanson

Over the 2023 offseason, the Cowboys did a spectacular job of filling in holes and building up depth across the roster. They retained their top free agents, signed a few veterans, and conducted a needs-based draft. The result was a championship-level roster capable of withstanding the unavoidable injury here or there. Except for one position group it seemed.

After a full offseason, the Cowboys offensive line was still disturbingly fragile. Dallas failed to select an offensive lineman over the first two days of the draft and did little to instill confidence they could survive a loss to anyone in their starting five.

Throughout the 2023 season their depth would be tested. Injuries at LT, RG and RG gave opportunities to Chuma Edoga, T.J. Bass and Brock Hoffman. While none of them where spectacular in their fill-ins, Bass and Hoffman showed they might have some promise in the NFL. Bass played 344 snaps throughout the season while Hoffman logged 222. The two undrafted interior linemen appeared to develop as the season progressed and finished in Week 18 with their best performances to-date.

It took until the final regular season game of the year, but the Cowboys may have finally discovered they have decent depth on the offensive line after all.

In all fairness, the tackle positions still hold a significant amount of concern. If Smith misses time at LT, Edoga represents an enormous step down in the starting lineup. And since Terence Steele is still struggling mightily in pass protection, there often aren’t enough extra resources available to keep pass rushers at bay.

But the viability of Bass and Hoffman in the interior is comforting regardless. They are on the up-swing in their development and have enough snaps under their belts to seemingly hit the ground running should something happen this postseason.

A final piece of credit is also due to the Cowboys coaching staff and Dak Prescott’s internal clock. With replacements on the field, the Cowboys haven’t just charged on with that “next man up” attitude of old. They’ve often adjusted for the circumstance.

When both starting guards were out last week, the Cowboys sped up the offense and kept responsibilities reasonable. Throughout the season, Prescott has averaged 2.69 seconds to throw. With Bass and Hoffman starting, they dropped that number to 2.4 seconds. Mike McCarthy and Prescott likely understood the limitations and adjusted. It’s a smart move not all teams are willing to do.

It’s been a group effort, and it took until the last week of the season to truly feel it, but the Cowboys have finally found depth on their offensive line.

Dallas expects to have both starting guards back against Green Bay in Round 1 of the playoffs, but it’s good to know the Cowboys could survive a hit to their interior ranks and still survive.

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Cowboys’ punt-block prowess could force Packers to pick 4th-down poison

From @ToddBrock24f7: The Cowboys had one-third of the league’s punt blocks this season. That will give Green Bay just a little more to think about this Sunday.

There were just six blocked punts in the NFL during the 2023 regular season. The Cowboys were responsible for two of them, and they nearly had a third.

Special teams coordinator John Fassel hopes that will give the Packers just one more thing to think about when punter Daniel Whelan comes on to try to flip the field for Green Bay this Sunday at AT&T Stadium.

“There is a yin and yang on the rush and return, kind of working together,” Fassel told reporters at The Star this week.

Tight end Peyton Hendershot was the beneficiary this past Sunday, busting through the line of scrimmage on a Washington third-quarter fourth-down to block Tress Way’s punt and give the offense possession at the Commanders’ 9-yard-line. Dallas would add their fifth touchdown of the afternoon moments later.

It’s about creating mismatches, obviously. And if the Cowboys’ opponent is too focused on keeping their punter upright by adding a blocker at the line, it could mean giving speedy punt return man KaVontae Turpin extra room to maneuver forty-some yards downfield.

The Packers are already susceptible to a strong return game. Whelan is averaging a lackluster 46.2 yards per punt, a mark that places him 24th in the league. But factor in punt returns, and his per-punt net average drops to 39.4 yards, or 31st place.

So Green Bay will face a real decision on every fourth down.

“Some of those things do open up, potentially, the return game because there’s more of a focus on protection,” Fassel explained. “Having Turp back there, there’s a clearer emphasis on other teams trying to cover, so sometimes that opens up an opportunity to rush.”

Fassel is more than happy to make opponents pick their poison, especially with players on both ends of the equation able to turn any given punt into a huge momentum swing.

“There are some typical known rushers,” Fassel noted of his 2023 crew. “Dorance Armstrong is probably pretty well-known as a rusher. Even Sam [Williams] is well-known. For Peyton to get an opportunity to make a move and get a punt block was fantastic.”

As Fassel points out, Cowboys opponents have more than one capable rusher to contend with. It was Hendershot this past weekend; back in Week 8, it was defensive end Sam Williams, tacking two points onto the scoreboard with his block.

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Williams has developed a knack for the technique this season while playing on over two-thirds of Dallas’s special teams plays. He very nearly recorded a second blocked punt in the Week 15 loss to Buffalo. While he misjudged his leap (he arguably shouldn’t have left his feet at all) and was subsequently called for roughing, he came within inches of a game-changing play.

That miscue came to mind for Fassel on Sunday as he watched Hendershot’s block versus Washington, remembering a similar learning moment the tight end had in 2022.

“Hendershot, last year, we played the Bears,” Fassel recalled. “And it was probably the third quarter. He got cut loose on a punt rush and whiffed, almost like Sam did against Buffalo a couple weeks ago. And that has stuck with myself and Hendershot for, now, over a year. And we worked on how to finish, kind of like we’ve been working on with Sam. It was the exact same thing, you know; Peyton missed his just like Sam missed his. So we work on these things, on how to finish when you get through. So for him to just boom, all of a sudden- it was really a return call with a one-man rush, kind of deja vu. For him to get through and finish, man, that’s sometimes the hardest part.”

The hardest part for Green Bay this coming weekend in the wild-card round may be deciding whether to roll the dice against the electrifying Turpin… or defend against one of the best punt-blocking squads in football.

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Will Cowboys defense work against Packers enigma QB Jordan Love?

Jordan Love has had inconsistent performances this season in Green Bay, so which version of the Packers QB can the Cowboys expect? | From @ReidDHanson

The Cowboys will soon play host to the Packers in a postseason matchup that pits Dallas head coach Mike McCarthy against his former team in Green Bay. It’s a matchup of the No. 2 seed and No. 7 seed that understandably gives the early edge to the home team.

On one side is Dak Prescott, an eight-year vet, playing the best ball of career and producing at an All-Pro level. On the other side is Jordan Love, a first-year starter who’s eagerly trying to establish himself as next great franchise QB in Green Bay.

Playing his first playoff game on the road in Dallas will be no easy task for the 25-year-old Love. Then again, playing against the former Utah State QB will be no easy feat for the Cowboys either.

A popular saying states, “love is unpredictable.” This unhelpful, yet frustratingly accurate, statement not only applies to the biochemical reaction in a human’s brain, but also the new signal-caller in the north woods of Wisconsin.

Like love, the new Green Bay QB1 is a little unpredictable. Sometimes he’s locked in and performing like the best passer on the planet. Other times it’s just not his day.

Twitter reacts as Ron Torbert named referee for Cowboys-Packers wild-card game

NFL fans react to Ron Torbert being named referee for Cowboys-Packers, along with some historic rants on his prior games. | From @ArmyChiefW3

The Dallas Cowboys are quite familiar with the ways of the flag. The team finished the regular season as the second-most penalized team in the league, tying the Cleveland Browns with 115 assessed. Only the Jets, with 124 penalties, had more. But the volume of laundry thrown their way isn’t the only gripe.

Superstar pass rusher Micah Parsons has inexplicably gone 11 full games without a holding penalty even though it appears he gets held the majority of the contest. Parsons has even gone as far as apologizing to the refs on his podcast in hopes of forcing opposing teams to play him fairly. So when it comes to referee assignments for their playoff run, a keen eye is on alert.

Ron Torbert has been assigned to this week’s Cowboys game against the Packers which elicited a few strong reactions. Torbert and his crew have penalized home teams more often than the visitors, and like most referees in the NFL these days, he’s had his fair share of tumultuous contests. Fans from both teams had interesting things to say about the assignment.

Here are some of the best reactions so far, along with some tweets from disgruntled fans of prior contests.

MRI gives good news on Cowboys CB Stephon Gilmore for Packers showdown

From @ToddBrock24f7: The veteran CB told reporters he’d be good to go for Sunday’s wild-card game; an MRI has backed up that prognosis.

It turns out Cowboys cornerback Stephon Gilmore may have known exactly what he was talking about Sunday night when he downplayed the seriousness of the shoulder injury that forced him to leave the team’s Week 18 win before halftime.

ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports, per a source, that an MRI showed “no significant damage” to the veteran’s right shoulder.

That would seem to bolster the prognosis Gilmore gave to reporters after Dallas wrapped up the NFC East crown and secured the conference’s No. 2 seed for the postseason with a 38-10 win over Washington.

“It just popped out and they popped it back in place,” he said after the game. “I feel way better now. Happy it wasn’t nothing too crazy.”

“It was better than we anticipated,” said head coach Mike McCarthy on Monday, noting that the team will monitor his progress this week at practice. The coach added that Gilmore will likely wear a harness Sunday to give the shoulder extra support.

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Gilmore hit the ground awkwardly making a play on a pass to Commanders wide receiver Terry McLaurin with about two minutes to play in the first half of Sunday’s season finale. He had assistance keeping his arm elevated as he made his way to the sideline and eventually the tunnel at FedEx Field. The five-time Pro Bowler was declared out for the remainder of the contest and was seen wearing an arm sling during the second half.

Despite playing only the first two quarters, Gilmore led the Cowboys defense on the night with six tackles.

And the 12th-year veteran seemed intent on being available for the Cowboys’ postseason to cap off his first year with the team. Gilmore has not made a playoff appearance since New England’s wild-card loss to Tennessee following the 2019 season.

“I’ll be good,” he said Sunday night. “I’ll be good.”

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Cowboys’ O-line ‘should be back full force’ in wild-card round after backups’ big day

From @ToddBrock24f7: Zack Martin and Tyler Smith are expected back for Sunday’s opening round of the playoffs, though T.J. Bass and Brock Hoffman stepped up big.

The Cowboys found themselves without two-fifths of their preferred offensive line for Week 18’s regular-season finale. And even though the substitutes for Tyler Smith and Zack Martin filled in more than adequately in the team’s 38-10 victory to help claim the NFC East and the No. 2 seed in the NFC playoffs, club management is optimistic that they’ll be getting the band back together for wild-card weekend.

“The line should be back full force and ready to go to start the playoffs,” Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones told K&C Masterpiece Monday on 105.3 The Fan. “I feel really good about that, and I feel really good about Tyler being able to play against the Packers at AT&T Stadium on Sunday afternoon.”

Smith suffered a torn plantar fascia during Dallas’s Week 17 win over Detroit and missed Sunday’s game in Washington as a result. Rookie T.J. Bass filled in for Smith at left guard to close out last week’s win and got the start once again versus the Commanders after practicing in Smith’s spot all week.

“Before every game, when we’re shaking each other’s hands,” Bass explained late Sunday. “Zack says, ‘Stay ready. Make sure you’re ready. Stay ready.’ So that’s just a thing. And then all season, I’ve tried to be ready whenever my number’s called so I can get in there and there’s no dropoff.”

That’s the mentality of every O-lineman in the Cowboys locker room. But second-year man Brock Hoffman had to take over Martin’s position on very short notice, after the right guard fell ill Sunday morning.

Despite the late switch, the Commanders did not register a sack- or even a QB hit on Dak Prescott- the entire afternoon.

“That’s B.T.B.: Big-Time Brock,” Prescott said in his postgame press conference. “So proud of that guy. He’s kind of an enforcer in that group, a guy that has a lot of attitude, huge passion for this game, wears it every day- you can see it- approaches the game the right way, understanding that he’s one sickness away from playing.”

Hoffman, in fact, had filled in for Tyler Biadasz during the week’s practices when seasonal illness hit the center. Biadasz was better by gameday, but instead of returning to benchwarmer duty, Hoffman was tapped to start at right guard for Martin with only about two hours’ notice.

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“I think it was just a great performance: two young guys- college free agents- stepping up,” Jones raved Monday. “[Offensive line] Coach [Mike] Solari’s done an amazing job getting those guys prepared. Jerry and I were talking to him before the game, and he had complete confidence, not only in T.J. Bass but also Hoffman. They just stepped up and did a great job. I felt like Dak had time most of the game. It’s great to know you have those young guys coming in your organization.”

Bass and Hoffman figure to step back into their customary second-stringer roles for this Sunday’s wild-card showdown with the Packers and the rest of what the club hopes will be a long postseason run. But the live-fire experience both have gained heading into the playoffs will certainly serve them and team well, if needed.

No doubt, they’ll “stay ready.”

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WATCH: Parsons’ strip sack starts Cowboys’ day in Minnesota

The sophomore phenom broke loose on the first pass-rush down and forced a fumble of Kirk Cousins to take an early lead in Minnesota.

Coming off of a loss in which Micah Parsons saw a large uptake in linebacker snaps, the sophomore star started at defensive end against the 8-1 Vikings. On the third play from scrimmage, Parsons leveled Kirk Cousins from his blindside and forced a fumble for his ninth sack of the year. The run defense has been the recent issue and Dan Quinn’s unit forced an immediate third down which set up Parsons to pin his ears back for the sack.

Thanks to the early takeaway, the Dallas offense was gifted a short field against a hot Vikings team. Coming off of a two-game absence, running back Ezekiel Elliott looked healthy with 18 scrimmage yards before an incompletion on third down intended for tight end Dalton Schultz in the end zone cut the drive short. After kicker Brett Maher’s field goal, the Cowboys take an immediate 3-0 lead but it could’ve been more for Dallas.

Let’s not act like every Cowboys player had a bad game vs Green Bay

As we close the book on Dallas’ Week 10 loss, it’s important to recognize those who played their part in the contest. @cdpiglet identifies the best three players from the game.

Like a typical boogieman horror movie, the Dallas Cowboys had the Green Bay Packers and quarterback Aaron Rodgers down for the count multiple times, looking to have the beast finally dead to rights only to have him crawl back to continue to fight again.

Dallas put up the toughest fight they had in the last six attempts against Aaron Rodgers and Green Bay. They had a 100-yard receiver, a 250-yard passer who threw for three touchdowns, a 100-yard rusher, and even were leading by 14 points in the fourth quarter. Rodgers would not allow his Packers to die though, bringing them back to steal a game and save their season.

In games like this, looking past the win and loss results, to see the players that stepped up for their team is difficult. Three players for Dallas played well enough to help their team win, even though it wasn’t enough to kill their personal boogeyman. Here are the three stars of the Cowboys loss to the Green Bay Packers.