Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers made sure that there wouldn’t be an all NFC East affair this Sunday in Arlington when they thumped the New York Giants to earn a ticket to the next round of the playoffs.
The win, however, probably cost the Packers a big piece in Jordy Nelson, who suffered two fractured ribs in the game. It’s unclear whether Nelson would be available to play against Dallas. Let’s have a brief look at how Green Bay projects to play assuming the star wideout won’t be able to suit up.
Line: Green Bay Packers (+4.5) at Dallas Cowboys (-4.5); total: 52.0 – view all NFL lines
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Green Bay Packers Odds Update
Can Green Bay Win Without Jordy Nelson?
If Aaron Rodgers could make Hail Mary throws look as easy as Pacman Jones collect misdemeanors and felonies , then yeah, it’s not a stretch to think that the Packers would take down Dallas right at Jerry Jones’ palace. Rodgers is the closest thing to a football God today if he isn’t already. Even with Nelson missing a big portion of the wild card game against the Giants, Rodgers was still able to pick apart New York’s supposedly tough defense for 362 passing yards and four touchdowns without an interception on 25 of 40 completions.
Furthermore, Dallas isn’t that great of a defensive team against the pass. The Cowboys finished the regular season 26th in pass defense, which is probably the most exciting thing you could whisper to the Green Bay QB next to “Ms. Olivia Munn just finished taking a bath, oiled up and is now lying in your bed, Aaron”.
And it’s not like Nelson is everything the Packers’ receiving crew has to offer with the likes of Randall Cobb and Davante Adams downfield, two players that are going to be a handful for Dallas’ secondary.
Contingency Plans for Green Bay
As seen in the Green Bay’s demolition job of the Giants, Cobb is a pretty good backup plan for the Packers. Cobb stepped up big time in the absence of Nelson, pulling down five catches and turned them into 116 yards and three touchdowns. He’s not alone, though. Adams had eight catches for 125 yards and a (Hail Mary) touchdown in that game. Don’t discount the tight ends from the picture, though.
For one, the Cowboys are among the worst defending team against tight ends per footballoutsioders.com.
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