As crazy as it may seem, the 4-8 Dallas Cowboys are still very much in the chase for a playoff spot. The Cowboys remained in contention for the NFC East crown after beating the division-leading Washington Redskins on Monday night.
The Cowboys have another tough road test on Sunday as they face the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field. But with the Packers’ inconsistency over the last month or so, can the Cowboys come away with a huge upset on the road?
Get a full breakdown of this big-time NFC matchup. And for more NFC East vs. North Week 14 action, check out our preview of the Redskins vs. Bears.
[sc:Football ]Dallas Cowboys vs. Green Bay Packers Preview
Where: Lambeau Field, Green Bay
When: Sunday, December 13, 4:25 PM ET
Line: Dallas Cowboys (+7.5) at Green Bay Packers (-7.5); total 43.5 – view all NFL lines
TV Broadcast: FOX
Betting on the Dallas Cowboys (4-8)
It sure wasn’t pretty, but the Dallas Cowboys just about managed to edge out a big 19-16 win over the Washington Redskins on Monday night. The win was the Cowboys’ first of the season without Tony Romo starting at quarterback – they’re now 1-7 – and has placed them one game back of the three-way lead atop the NFC East.
[sc:NFL240banner ]As expected, the Cowboys struggled offensively without Romo. Matt Cassel completed just 55 percent of his passes for 222 yards. Meanwhile, the rushing attack was held under 100 yards for the second-straight game.
Thankfully, the Dallas defense came up big for the second-straight game on the road. After limiting the Miami Dolphins to just 14 points and 210 yards of offense, the Cowboys held Washington to 16 points and 266 total yards.
The Packers offense has struggled for just about the entire second half of the season, so look for the resilient Dallas D to come up big and keep the team in the game at Green Bay. Sean Lee and Rolando McClain are two of the best coverage linebackers in the game, and can limit the effectiveness of Packers tight end Richard Rodgers, who has emerged as Aaron Rodgers’ more reliable targets in recent weeks.
The Cowboys offense is likely to continue struggling with Cassel, but Dez Bryant is still good enough to make a game-changing play or two. He had three vital catches in the fourth quarter against Washington, including a huge 42-yard bomb.
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Betting on the Green Bay Packers (8-4)
The Green Bay Packers’ prayers were answered on Thursday night as they escaped Detroit with a 27-23 win thanks to a last gasp Hail Mary to Richard Rodgers. However, they easily could have lost their fourth game in five weeks, especially after they fell behind 20-0 in the second half.
The Packers wide receivers continued to struggle getting open, while the previously resurgent running game stalled once again. Eddie Lacy, who had rushed for back-to-back 100-yard games, had just four yards on five carries after missing curfew.
Lacy was instrumental in Green Bay’s playoff win over the Cowboys last season as he rushed for 101 yards on 19 carries. But with the Packers running game playing very inconsistently of late, it’ll be up to Aaron Rodgers to carry a big brunt of the offense.
Rodgers is certainly more than capable of doing just that. Despite playing with a slightly torn calf in last year’s playoffs, he still torched the Cowboys for 316 yards and three touchdowns. Rodgers will also have the benefit of having some key offensive linemen in right tackle Bryan Bulaga and right guard TJ Lang back after missing time due to injury.
With the Packers offense struggling, the defense has actually been the unit carrying the team. It’s held opposing teams to just 17.8 points per game over the last month, and hasn’t allowed over 70 yards rushing to any player over the last five. It should be able to limit the Cowboys’ sputtering running game and force the error-prone Cassel to throw, which is always a good thing.
The Packers are 4-0 in their last four meetings with the Cowboys, three of which have come at home. However, they’ve lost their last two home games, and have failed to cover in their last three.
Writer’s Prediction
Given how poorly the Packers offense has played and how solid the Cowboys defense has been these past few weeks, it’s hard to trust Green Bay winning by more than a touchdown, even if it is at home against Matt Cassel. Take the Cowboys to cover +7.5.
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