One of the greatest NFL rivalries will be renewed on Sunday as Mike McCarthy returns to Lambeau Field for the first time as head coach of the Dallas Cowboys to face his former team, the Green Bay Packers.
America's Team won back-to-back contests before earning a bye a week ago, while the Packers are in desperation mode, losing five consecutive games and only three wins on the season.
Match preview
A team that did not lose more than four games in a single regular season campaign since 2019-20 have already dropped six contests this year.
You would have thought last week would be the ideal matchup for them as they faced the worst team in the NFC, the Detroit Lions, but costly turnovers did them in as Green Bay tossed a pair of end zone interceptions to one of the worst secondaries in the NFL, losing 15-9.
The Packers' above-average pass defence has given them a chance to win games this season, allowing a respectable 91 rating to Jared Goff last week, while holding the Lions QB to 137 yards through the air and intercepting him once.
Head coach Matt LaFleur probably wishes they could have found a way to keep Davante Adams in Wisconsin, as their passing game has struggled without him, averaging just 6.6 yards through the air in what has been a frustrating campaign for the Cheeseheads.
Green Bay's pass rush has been one of the few bright lights in 2022, second in the league regarding blitz percentage (39.7%) with a 31.7% pressure rating.
The Packers have allowed 18 sacks this season and will have to contend with one of the NFL's best defensive lines on Sunday.
Dallas seem to have found their offensive mojo at long last, putting up a combined 73 points in their previous two outings, including 49 in a victory over the Chicago Bears (49-29) at the end of October.
Many are calling this encounter a revenge game, specifically for the current Cowboys head coach, who was not on good terms with the current Packers quarterback, who reportedly got him fired from Green Bay in 2018, seven years after they won a Super Bowl together.
The Cowboys have been a handful for offensive lines in 2022, leading the league with 33 sacks, with four players having over four this season, while Dallas are also first in the NFL regarding pressure rating (35.2%).
When they fail to get to the quarterback, the Cowboys' secondary have stepped up, conceding an 81.5 rating and the third-fewest yards per attempt (6.3).
Containing opposing rushers has been their biggest defensive flaw this season, with the Cowboys conceding 4.7 yards per carry on average, which puts them 22nd in the NFL.
They have done well in the takeaway department however, currently third in the league when it comes to turnover differential at plus six.
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Team News
The league MVP over the past two NFL seasons, Aaron Rodgers has had a poor campaign to say the least, tossing three interceptions against the Lions last week and putting up a 53.5 rating during that contest.
His top pass catcher in their loss to Detroit was Allen Lazard, who had just four grabs last week for 87 yards and a touchdown.
Jaire Alexander is having a big year in the Packers' secondary, holding opposing quarterbacks to a rating and completion percentage in the low 50s, Rashan Gary has six sacks and Aaron Jones is averaging 5.6 yards per carry running the ball.
Marcedes Lewis did not practice this week and might not be available on Sunday, Sammy Watkins has a sore knee, Preston Smith has a stiff neck and Romeo Doubs is unlikely to feature because of an ankle sprain.
Micah Parsons is the frontrunner for Defensive Player of the Year, with the Cowboys linebacker putting up eight sacks so far with two forced fumbles and 14 quarterback hits, while Dante Fowler has gone through a resurgence in the Lone Star State, leading the NFL in pressure rating (22.2%).
Since returning from the injured list, Dak Prescott has shown tremendous accuracy with a completion percentage of over 75 in his last two games, while he tends to look to CeeDee Lamb more than anyone, with the Louisiana native averaging 69.5 receiving yards per game and 5.3 receptions per contest.
Dalton Schultz could be recovered from his knee issue by Sunday, Malik Hooker practised all week despite a hamstring strain, Noah Brown has a sore foot and Dorance Armstrong is dealing with a shoulder injury.
Head To Head
Green Bay have won their last three matchups against the Cowboys, including a back-and-forth contest in the Divisional Round in 2017 when Mason Crosby hit a field goal as time expired, giving the Packers a 34-31 victory.
The last time they met was in 2019, when Aaron Jones ran for four touchdowns, helping the Packers to a 34-24 triumph.
A Bart Starr quarterback sneak in a game famously known as the "Ice Bowl" gave Green Bay a 21-17 victory over Dallas at Lambeau in the 1967 NFL Championship game with the temperature at kick-off at -13 degrees Celsius.
We say: Green Bay Packers 17-30 Dallas Cowboys
The Cowboys seem to be hitting their stride offensively, while Rodgers and the Packers appear to be sinking deeper and deeper as each week goes by, so we expect the Dallas defence will make life difficult for the Green Bay QB and deliver what would be a satisfying victory for McCarthy against his arch-nemesis.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
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