Football is the ultimate team sport. For a team to be successful play after play, they need all 11 players on the field to do their part. It doesn't matter who you have at quarterback; if the offensive line can't protect them, they'll be running for their life. The same goes for a running back. You could have a Hall of Famer in the backfield, but if their line can't open running lanes, they could be going nowhere. It can also count vice versa; you can have an outstanding line, but if your QB is not playing well, you're in trouble. This is true as well on defense. You could have a lockdown secondary, but if there's no pass rush, and the QB has all day to get the ball out, you could be in trouble.  But what about the addition or subtraction of just one single player? Can that turn around a season? If you ask Green Bay Packers GM Brian Gutekunst, he'll tell you that "You're never just one player away." Which, for the most part, is true. You can't just insert one player and stamp your ticket to the Super Bowl. You need high performance from the rest of your roster as well to get there. But the presence of one player can certainly boost or reduce your odds. An unfortunate walk down memory lane takes us to New Year's Eve, 2020. The Packers were running on all cylinders in the midst of a five-game winning streak to wind out the season. But in practice on this day, left tackle David Bakhtiari suffered a torn ACL along with ligament damage that would shelf him for the rest of the season, and eventually, continued complications would bring his career in Green Bay to an end.  The Packers would continue without Bakhtiari to make it to the NFC Championship game, but would go on to lose against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. To this day, many believe that if Bakhtiari were present at left tackle, Aaron Rodgers may have escaped being pressured all day and sacked five times, with the Packers eventually making it to the Super Bowl. Could the Packers have been one player away from the Super Bowl that season? We will never know.  The Micah Parsons Effect During the first quarter of the season, it was obvious the effect the addition of Micah Parsons had on the Packers' defense. Not only did they add a relentless pass rusher to get after the quarterback, but they also added a player who would free up others.  For the last year, it's been an argument as to Rashan Gary's true impact on a game. Is he truly a premier pass rusher as advertised? Because the numbers don't quite show it. When you watch Rashan Gary closely on many passing plays during the 2024 season, you'll see him command double-teams and chips from multiple players along his course to the QB. There was no one else for teams to worry about when it came to the Packers' pass rush. In 17 games in 2024, Gary registered 7.5 sacks with 15 QB hits. It earned him his first career Pro Bowl entry, but it just wasn't what many expected of him. Not to mention 2024 wasn't even Gary's second-best statistical season.  Enter Micah Parsons, and that all changes. Now Parsons is commanding more double teams and chips, freeing up Gary and others to go make plays. So far in 2025, Rashan Gary has 4.5 sacks with 7 QB hits. Rashan Gary isn't the only benefactor of the Parsons effect; the secondary is also benefiting from QBs needing to get the ball out quickly to avoid the pass rush, making it easier for the defenders to stay on their assignments until the ball is out.  The Possible Christian Watson Effect Christian Watson tore his ACL on January 5th of 2025. Yet again, another ACL injury to a key player for the Packers heading into the playoffs, much like David Bakhtiari's injury was. It's unknown whether Watson would've made a difference in the Wild Card defeat against the Philadelphia Eagles, but it is worth noting that the Packers were very stale through the air, and perhaps Watson's presence could've at least helped somewhat to make it a closer game. Fast-forward again now to 2025, and the Packers' passing attack hasn't exactly been stale, but it's somewhat lacked that "big play" capability. Jordan Love's average depth of target through four games is 8.1 yards. That's not ideal for an offense with aspirations to finish the season in Santa Clara. This is where Christian Watson's presence could make a huge difference.  Ever since Watson was a rookie, we all have known what a big play threat he is. Even if he's not catching deep balls every week, when defenders see him take off downfield, he's taking a corner, and a safety with him. That frees up the rest of the field for the other pass catchers to get open further downfield as well. If they don't give him that attention, then Watson is capable of beating his defender for a huge play. After the first round of the 2025 draft, many saw Matthew Golden as a Christian Watson replacement. Far from it. Together, both Golden and Watson could give defenses fits with their speed. This leaves Romeo Doubs, Tucker Kraft, and Dontayvion Wicks as benefactors as well, with more space to work in. Let's not forget to mention Watson's team-first attitude when it comes to blocking. Wide receiver screens and bubble passes haven't been as successful so far in 2025. But given Watson's blocking capabilities, this could all turn around when he is on the field.  Also, a stretched field in the passing attack could help open up the running game, which the Packers have sorely lacked so far this year.  The Difference Maker I wouldn't say a team is ever the addition of just one player away from hoisting the Lombardi trophy. But there is truth in that a single player can help open up aspects of your offense and defense en route to being a more successful squad. And enhanced success as a team leads to the Lombardi.    Filed Under: FeaturedGreg Meinholz PLEASE SUBSCRIBE TO OUR CHEESEHEAD NATION WEEKLY NEWSLETTER HERE. __________________________ Greg Meinholz is a lifelong devoted Packer fan. A contributor to CheeseheadTV as well as PackersTalk. Follow him on Twitter @gmeinholz and Bluesky @gmeinholz.bsky.social for Packers commentary, random humor, beer endorsements, and occasional Star Wars and Marvel ramblings. __________________________ NFL Categories: Green Bay PackersTags: Green Bay PackersBrian GutekunstDavid BakhtiariChristian WatsonMicah Parsons Like 0 points

Football is the ultimate team sport. For a team to be successful play after play, they need all 11 players on the field to do their part. It doesn't matter who you have at quarterback; if the offensive line can't protect them, they'll be running for their life. The same goes for a running back. You could have a Hall of Famer in the backfield, but if their line can't open running lanes, they could be going nowhere. It can also count vice versa; you can have an outstanding line, but if your QB is not playing well, you're in trouble. This is true as well on defense. You could have a lockdown secondary, but if there's no pass rush, and the QB has all day to get the ball out, you could be in trouble.  But what about the addition or subtraction of just one single player? Can that turn around a season? If you ask Green Bay Packers GM Brian Gutekunst, he'll tell you that "You're never just one player away." Which, for the most part, is true. You can't just insert one player and stamp your ticket to the Super Bowl. You need high performance from the rest of your roster as well to get there. But the presence of one player can certainly boost or reduce your odds. An unfortunate walk down memory lane takes us to New Year's Eve, 2020. The Packers were running on all cylinders in the midst of a five-game winning streak to wind out the season. But in practice on this day, left tackle David Bakhtiari suffered a torn ACL along with ligament damage that would shelf him for the rest of the season, and eventually, continued complications would bring his career in Green Bay to an end.  The Packers would continue without Bakhtiari to make it to the NFC Championship game, but would go on to lose against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. To this day, many believe that if Bakhtiari were present at left tackle, Aaron Rodgers may have escaped being pressured all day and sacked five times, with the Packers eventually making it to the Super Bowl. Could the Packers have been one player away from the Super Bowl that season? We will never know.  The Micah Parsons Effect During the first quarter of the season, it was obvious the effect the addition of Micah Parsons had on the Packers' defense. Not only did they add a relentless pass rusher to get after the quarterback, but they also added a player who would free up others.  For the last year, it's been an argument as to Rashan Gary's true impact on a game. Is he truly a premier pass rusher as advertised? Because the numbers don't quite show it. When you watch Rashan Gary closely on many passing plays during the 2024 season, you'll see him command double-teams and chips from multiple players along his course to the QB. There was no one else for teams to worry about when it came to the Packers' pass rush. In 17 games in 2024, Gary registered 7.5 sacks with 15 QB hits. It earned him his first career Pro Bowl entry, but it just wasn't what many expected of him. Not to mention 2024 wasn't even Gary's second-best statistical season.  Enter Micah Parsons, and that all changes. Now Parsons is commanding more double teams and chips, freeing up Gary and others to go make plays. So far in 2025, Rashan Gary has 4.5 sacks with 7 QB hits. Rashan Gary isn't the only benefactor of the Parsons effect; the secondary is also benefiting from QBs needing to get the ball out quickly to avoid the pass rush, making it easier for the defenders to stay on their assignments until the ball is out.  The Possible Christian Watson Effect Christian Watson tore his ACL on January 5th of 2025. Yet again, another ACL injury to a key player for the Packers heading into the playoffs, much like David Bakhtiari's injury was. It's unknown whether Watson would've made a difference in the Wild Card defeat against the Philadelphia Eagles, but it is worth noting that the Packers were very stale through the air, and perhaps Watson's presence could've at least helped somewhat to make it a closer game. Fast-forward again now to 2025, and the Packers' passing attack hasn't exactly been stale, but it's somewhat lacked that "big play" capability. Jordan Love's average depth of target through four games is 8.1 yards. That's not ideal for an offense with aspirations to finish the season in Santa Clara. This is where Christian Watson's presence could make a huge difference.  Ever since Watson was a rookie, we all have known what a big play threat he is. Even if he's not catching deep balls every week, when defenders see him take off downfield, he's taking a corner, and a safety with him. That frees up the rest of the field for the other pass catchers to get open further downfield as well. If they don't give him that attention, then Watson is capable of beating his defender for a huge play. After the first round of the 2025 draft, many saw Matthew Golden as a Christian Watson replacement. Far from it. Together, both Golden and Watson could give defenses fits with their speed. This leaves Romeo Doubs, Tucker Kraft, and Dontayvion Wicks as benefactors as well, with more space to work in. Let's not forget to mention Watson's team-first attitude when it comes to blocking. Wide receiver screens and bubble passes haven't been as successful so far in 2025. But given Watson's blocking capabilities, this could all turn around when he is on the field.  Also, a stretched field in the passing attack could help open up the running game, which the Packers have sorely lacked so far this year.  The Difference Maker I wouldn't say a team is ever the addition of just one player away from hoisting the Lombardi trophy. But there is truth in that a single player can help open up aspects of your offense and defense en route to being a more successful squad. And enhanced success as a team leads to the Lombardi.    Filed Under: FeaturedGreg Meinholz PLEASE SUBSCRIBE TO OUR CHEESEHEAD NATION WEEKLY NEWSLETTER HERE. __________________________ Greg Meinholz is a lifelong devoted Packer fan. A contributor to CheeseheadTV as well as PackersTalk. Follow him on Twitter @gmeinholz and Bluesky @gmeinholz.bsky.social for Packers commentary, random humor, beer endorsements, and occasional Star Wars and Marvel ramblings. __________________________ NFL Categories: Green Bay PackersTags: Green Bay PackersBrian GutekunstDavid BakhtiariChristian WatsonMicah Parsons Like 0 points

Seat warmers have become a standard feature in many vehicles today. I rarely turn mine on in one of my vehicles despite having the luxury. However, the newest vehicle I own features a coveted automatic start, which automatically activates the seat warmers in low temperatures. I tend to forget it's on until I begin to feel the seat heating up underneath me. Personally, I'm not a fan; it's an uncomfortable feeling, and I tend to switch it off as soon as I feel it. After two straight games with special teams failures, many of us would like to assume Green Bay Packers' Special Teams Coordinator, Rich Bisaccia's seat warmer has been switched on and he's doing what he can to escape the uncomfortable feeling. But the feeling is all too familiar for Packers' fans year in and year out.  A blocked field goal attempt used to be an anomaly for the Packers. Something that happened once per season, if that. Four weeks into the 2025 season, the Packers now have two against them in two straight games. On the extra point attempt against Dallas that Juanyeh Thomas blocked and Dallas returned for two points, you see Thomas quickly take advantage of a large hole on the right side of the Packers' kick protection. That's some elite awareness and reaction by Thomas, right? Not so fast. Going back and watching the first extra point attempt earlier in the game, you see Thomas get free almost just as quickly, but it's as if he's surprised by it, so he doesn't take advantage. He made sure to do so on his next opportunity.  Upon review, it seems Luke Musgrave on the right side misses his assignment on both tries, leading to Thomas' easy path to the kicker. Musgrave was replaced by Karl Brooks following the block, so it's safe to assume the coaching staff spotted this as well. It begs the question, however, if we at home spot this on the first attempt, why didn't coach Bisaccia and his staff spot it on their tablets in real time and adjust to it before that second attempt? An easy scapegoat could be that they did, in fact, see it and coached Musgrave on it, but he just failed to properly adjust on the next try. But given how nearly identical Musgrave's actions are in both plays, that seems unlikely.  Rich Bisaccia was brought to the Packers as a special teams savior following a six-year slump where, under three different coordinators, the Packers never had a better special teams ranking than 24th. Outside of that number 24 ranking, they averaged a 30th-31st ranking each year. In the three years following Bisaccia's arrival, they've never been better than 26th, and have averaged a position of 28th. It might be an improvement by averages, but it's still abysmal for a coach that's held in such high regard.  Some say that Bisaccia is more regarded as an assistant head coach than as a special teams coordinator. Well, if that's the case, perhaps minimizing his role should be considered, and full control of special teams should be shared with another coach. This team deserves better than to have their kicking protection or coverage be a thorn in their side.  Strength over Weakness Dating back to 2013, the Packers have never had better than a 14th-place special teams ranking. That was in 2015 under Ron Zook, who would in the following seasons go on to rank 32nd in 2016, 30th in 2017, and 32nd again in 2018, before Zook was relieved of his duties. On average, since 2013, the Packers have ranked around 28th in special teams.  Is that it? Is it our penance to have mediocre special teams to make up for having elite quarterback play the last thirty years? The Packers were the first and only team to have a Super Bowl MVP on special teams with Desmond Howard. We've had a handful of Pro Bowlers on special teams as well. But the squad overall never seems to reach a high standard.  Two years ago, the Packers seemed to be a good kicker away from at least tying the game for a shot at advancing to the NFC Championship. But Anders Carlson missed one of his attempts, and the Packers lost to San Francisco by three points. The week before that, Carlson had seven extra-point attempts. He made six. Luckily, this wasn't a factor in the game, but Carlson's inconsistency cost him his job the following season. Midway through 2024, the Packers brought in Brandon McManus to solve their kicker woes, and solve them it did. Entering 2025, McManus had an excellent camp, and many Packers fans were gushing over not having to worry about a kicker for the first time in two years.  But this year, we have more issues. Punt returns seemed doomed with inconsistencies from week 1. In week 2, kick coverage issues were showing their ugly head with returners seeing some holes to pick up good field position. And now, we have blocked kicks and seemingly a lack of knowledge on the new kickoff rules. It's frustrating, and things have to change.  Some call it a Rich Bisaccia issue, some call it a Matt LaFleur issue, but regardless of who is at fault, something has to give before the 2025 Packers end up with yet another bottom-5 ranked special teams group. They have the specialists and talent to be a great squad; it's time to use the bye week to find out what has gone wrong and how to fix it. This squad could turn from a weakness to a strength very quickly.  A few seat warmers may be turned on at a low setting at 1265 Lombardi Ave, but there is plenty of time to change that, so this season doesn't become another on the long list of Packers special teams blunders.   Filed Under: FeaturedGreg Meinholz PLEASE SUBSCRIBE TO OUR CHEESEHEAD NATION WEEKLY NEWSLETTER HERE. __________________________ Greg Meinholz is a lifelong devoted Packer fan. A contributor to CheeseheadTV as well as PackersTalk. Follow him on Twitter @gmeinholz and Bluesky @gmeinholz.bsky.social for Packers commentary, random humor, beer endorsements, and occasional Star Wars and Marvel ramblings. __________________________ NFL Categories: Green Bay PackersTags: Green Bay PackersMatt LaFleurRich BisacciaBrandon McManusSpecial Teams Like 0 points

Seat warmers have become a standard feature in many vehicles today. I rarely turn mine on in one of my vehicles despite having the luxury. However, the newest vehicle I own features a coveted automatic start, which automatically activates the seat warmers in low temperatures. I tend to forget it's on until I begin to feel the seat heating up underneath me. Personally, I'm not a fan; it's an uncomfortable feeling, and I tend to switch it off as soon as I feel it. After two straight games with special teams failures, many of us would like to assume Green Bay Packers' Special Teams Coordinator, Rich Bisaccia's seat warmer has been switched on and he's doing what he can to escape the uncomfortable feeling. But the feeling is all too familiar for Packers' fans year in and year out.  A blocked field goal attempt used to be an anomaly for the Packers. Something that happened once per season, if that. Four weeks into the 2025 season, the Packers now have two against them in two straight games. On the extra point attempt against Dallas that Juanyeh Thomas blocked and Dallas returned for two points, you see Thomas quickly take advantage of a large hole on the right side of the Packers' kick protection. That's some elite awareness and reaction by Thomas, right? Not so fast. Going back and watching the first extra point attempt earlier in the game, you see Thomas get free almost just as quickly, but it's as if he's surprised by it, so he doesn't take advantage. He made sure to do so on his next opportunity.  Upon review, it seems Luke Musgrave on the right side misses his assignment on both tries, leading to Thomas' easy path to the kicker. Musgrave was replaced by Karl Brooks following the block, so it's safe to assume the coaching staff spotted this as well. It begs the question, however, if we at home spot this on the first attempt, why didn't coach Bisaccia and his staff spot it on their tablets in real time and adjust to it before that second attempt? An easy scapegoat could be that they did, in fact, see it and coached Musgrave on it, but he just failed to properly adjust on the next try. But given how nearly identical Musgrave's actions are in both plays, that seems unlikely.  Rich Bisaccia was brought to the Packers as a special teams savior following a six-year slump where, under three different coordinators, the Packers never had a better special teams ranking than 24th. Outside of that number 24 ranking, they averaged a 30th-31st ranking each year. In the three years following Bisaccia's arrival, they've never been better than 26th, and have averaged a position of 28th. It might be an improvement by averages, but it's still abysmal for a coach that's held in such high regard.  Some say that Bisaccia is more regarded as an assistant head coach than as a special teams coordinator. Well, if that's the case, perhaps minimizing his role should be considered, and full control of special teams should be shared with another coach. This team deserves better than to have their kicking protection or coverage be a thorn in their side.  Strength over Weakness Dating back to 2013, the Packers have never had better than a 14th-place special teams ranking. That was in 2015 under Ron Zook, who would in the following seasons go on to rank 32nd in 2016, 30th in 2017, and 32nd again in 2018, before Zook was relieved of his duties. On average, since 2013, the Packers have ranked around 28th in special teams.  Is that it? Is it our penance to have mediocre special teams to make up for having elite quarterback play the last thirty years? The Packers were the first and only team to have a Super Bowl MVP on special teams with Desmond Howard. We've had a handful of Pro Bowlers on special teams as well. But the squad overall never seems to reach a high standard.  Two years ago, the Packers seemed to be a good kicker away from at least tying the game for a shot at advancing to the NFC Championship. But Anders Carlson missed one of his attempts, and the Packers lost to San Francisco by three points. The week before that, Carlson had seven extra-point attempts. He made six. Luckily, this wasn't a factor in the game, but Carlson's inconsistency cost him his job the following season. Midway through 2024, the Packers brought in Brandon McManus to solve their kicker woes, and solve them it did. Entering 2025, McManus had an excellent camp, and many Packers fans were gushing over not having to worry about a kicker for the first time in two years.  But this year, we have more issues. Punt returns seemed doomed with inconsistencies from week 1. In week 2, kick coverage issues were showing their ugly head with returners seeing some holes to pick up good field position. And now, we have blocked kicks and seemingly a lack of knowledge on the new kickoff rules. It's frustrating, and things have to change.  Some call it a Rich Bisaccia issue, some call it a Matt LaFleur issue, but regardless of who is at fault, something has to give before the 2025 Packers end up with yet another bottom-5 ranked special teams group. They have the specialists and talent to be a great squad; it's time to use the bye week to find out what has gone wrong and how to fix it. This squad could turn from a weakness to a strength very quickly.  A few seat warmers may be turned on at a low setting at 1265 Lombardi Ave, but there is plenty of time to change that, so this season doesn't become another on the long list of Packers special teams blunders.   Filed Under: FeaturedGreg Meinholz PLEASE SUBSCRIBE TO OUR CHEESEHEAD NATION WEEKLY NEWSLETTER HERE. __________________________ Greg Meinholz is a lifelong devoted Packer fan. A contributor to CheeseheadTV as well as PackersTalk. Follow him on Twitter @gmeinholz and Bluesky @gmeinholz.bsky.social for Packers commentary, random humor, beer endorsements, and occasional Star Wars and Marvel ramblings. __________________________ NFL Categories: Green Bay PackersTags: Green Bay PackersMatt LaFleurRich BisacciaBrandon McManusSpecial Teams Like 0 points

We've got our first prime time game of the season tonight as the Green Bay Packers will be taking on the Dallas Cowboys at 7:20 PM CST from AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas on Sunday Night Football  This will be the first time the Packers return to the site of their Super Bowl XLV victory without any players from that game still on the roster, but their aspirations to achieve what that great team did are still alive and well. After a frustrating 13-10 loss to the Cleveland Browns, the Packers sit at 2-1, poised to prove that last week was a fluke, and they're still top contenders. Dallas, on the other hand, sits at 1-2, desperate not to fall behind on the season after suffering a 31-14 defeat at the hands of the Chicago Bears. Both teams will want to prove themselves in what could be a huge game tonight.    The last time these two teams met was the wild-card playoff match-up in January of 2024, where the Packers demolished Dallas 48-32. The score makes it seem closer than it actually was, for in the fourth quarter, the Packers at one point led 48-16 before essentially switching into cruise control. Jordan Love went 16/21 for 272 yards and three touchdowns, with Romeo Doubs coming down with 151 of those yards, and Aaron Jones had 118 yards on the ground and three touchdowns himself. Darnell Savage also recorded a pick-six late in the second quarter. Cowboys owner, Jerry Jones, went on to call this game possibly the most painful loss in Cowboys history, saying “This loss hurt us, in every way, more than any one we’ve ever had.” Last week was an absolute stinker on offense and special teams. I told myself that the Browns may seem easy on paper, but they have a great defense that can be disruptive. Jordan Love was sacked four times and hit eight more times. The offensive line was overwhelmed and marred by injuries, and they just didn't seem to make any changes to compensate for those issues. Was the team too caught up in their own hype to take a lesser opponent on paper seriously? We may never know. But that needs to change tonight in Dallas, and the Packers need to bring back the team we saw in weeks 1 and 2.  Two players involved in a blockbuster trade just a few weeks ago are facing their former team tonight. Micah Parsons is now on the Packers, facing the Cowboys, and Kenny Clark is now on the Cowboys, facing the Packers. Both players will be looking to show their former team that they made a mistake in sending them packing. What to see on Offense Was it a fluke? Or wasn't it? This is the question that everyone has been asking in the past week, after a Packers' offense that put up 27 points in each of the previous two games only came away with 10 in Cleveland. The reality is, Cleveland's defense may be the best in football. Their strength is their pass rush, and with the Packers entering the game with a banged-up offensive line, it was going to be ugly. Lucky for the Packers, Dallas traded its pass rush to them a few weeks ago.  Last week, Jordan Love was often running for his life when he dropped back to pass. Despite the absence of Zach Tom and Anthony Belton tonight, things could be different tonight as Dallas' pass rush has only generated three sacks and 12 QB hits in three games. They also rank dead last in pass defense when it comes to yards against, giving up an average of 288 yards through the air. That stat was boosted in week 2 when Russell Wilson demolished the Cowboys' defense for 450 yards passing. Yes, that Russell Wilson that was just benched in favor of Jaxson Dart.  In the secondary, Dallas has Trevon Diggs at corner, who has barely shown up on the stat sheet this season, and Donovan Wilson, who has the team's lone interception so far. The lack of a pass rush has made Dallas' secondary ripe for the picking, and despite the absence of Zach Tom today, the Packers should still be able to give Jordan Love a chance to slice up a piece of the pie for himself to make up for the terrible performance last week.  When Dallas traded Micah Parsons to the Packers, they grabbed Kenny Clark in return, and Jerry Jones stated that Clark would help build them up where they lacked in stopping the run. The irony in this, of course, is that the pass rush has fallen horribly, but to Jerry's credit, the Cowboys are much better at stopping the run. Besides Clark, the Cowboys also have Osa Odighizuwa plugging up the middle of the field, and the linebacker duo of Kenneth Murray and Jack Sanborn helping clean up. The Cowboys have held top rushers in each of their first three games to an average of 3.3 ypc, and their run defense has become a strength. With a Packers running game that has struggled as of late, with Josh Jacobs only averaging about 3.1 ypc, I wouldn't put a lot of money on this being the game where Jacobs breaks out again. Shuffling along the offensive line has made it hard for Jacobs to get anything going in 2025, and if the Packers are going to go back to scoring 25+ today, they're going to have to do it from the arm of Jordan Love.  What to See on Defense Let's get it out of the way early. Micah Parsons is ready to chase Dak Prescott even though he states that sacking Prescott will be painful, given that they are friends. Perhaps if they meet, he can give him the old "Nothing personal, just business" line. He may have several chances as well, with the Cowboys' line being as banged up as it is. Cooper Beebe has landed on IR, and Tyler Booker seems to be heading that way as well. Second-year left tackle Tyler Guyton has had his struggles this season, so the Packers' potent pass rush could be licking its chops heading into AT&T Stadium tonight.  If Prescott manages to evade the pass rush, he will be down one of his best targets in CeeDee Lamb, who left last Sunday's game with a high-ankle sprain and is doubtful for tonight. Dallas still has George Pickens, however, who will likely see an increase in targets as well as KaVontae Turpin, who could add a bit of a wrinkle to their passing attack if given the opportunity. The Packers will need to work on locking down Turpin so he doesn't become a problem. Outside of the receivers, the Cowboys have tight end Jake Ferguson. The former Badger continues to make a name for himself in Dallas, and the Packers will need to cover him up so we don't have a repeat performance of a tight end shredding our secondary, as seems to be an occasional Packers tradition.  The pass rush will surely benefit our corners when matching up against Dallas' receivers, but it will be those quick throws to get the ball out of Prescott's hands that the Packers need to put a stop to today.  Dallas' run attack will be a point of reliance for them today to try slowing down the Packers' pass rush and helping out Dak. Javonte Williams and Miles Sanders have put together a decent running attack in the first three games of the season, but nothing spectacular. Jerry Jones was quoted as saying that the Cowboys are going to need to run the ball early and often to win Sunday, and the Packers will be ready to show whether or not last Sunday was a fluke when they gave up 94 yards on 18 carries and a touchdown to Quinshon Judkins of Cleveland.  Unfortunately, the Packers could be without Devonte Wyatt after he left last Sunday's game with an injury. If so, they'll need Colby Wooden, Nazir Stackhouse, and possibly Warren Brinson if he's activated to step up in Wyatt's place. Hopefully, given the injuries along Dallas' interior line, the Packers will still have a bit of an edge against the Cowboys on the ground and will be able to stifle the running game from becoming an issue.  Extra Notes All preseason long, we bragged about having no issues at kicker. And while I wouldn't call one miss and one block in three games an issue at kicker necessarily, it's still not an ideal start for what should've been a very reliable part of the operation. Hopefully, we see a clean operation today from the field goal unit to make up for last week's issues.  On Dallas' side, Brandon Aubry has been sensational this season with a perfect 8/8 record, with a long of a whopping 64 yards, tying for the third longest field goal in NFL history. Aubrey's success has been a luxury for Dallas, and the Packers will have to take his range into consideration with what they allow on defense.  KaVontae Turpin is also a special teams weapon for the Cowboys, averaging 23 yards on kick returns and 10 yards on punt returns. The Packers will need to be disciplined on their kick and punt coverage this week so that they don't give up a big one.  On the Packers' side of the kick return spectrum, Savion Williams seems to have nestled in quite nicely as a returner, averaging 24.5 yards on six returns. Every week, we're looking for him to break a huge return, and it may be coming soon. On Punt returns, however, the Packers aren't looking as good. Matthew Golden seems to have taken over the role and only averages 4.3 yards on four attempts. Perhaps Golden is just getting his feet wet, or maybe we're going to see a change for the Packers' punt return game soon.  In the End The Packers are looking to prove that they are a force in the NFC and that last week was a fluke, while the Cowboys are desperate not to fall to 1-3 on the season. One of those teams is going to come away satisfied, while the other is going to be extremely frustrated.  After today, the Packers will have a chance to cash in on some rest with their early week 5 bye coming next week. It's a chance to rest up and get healthy for what will hopefully be a run lasting well into 2026. In order to kick that off on a high note, they'll need to take care of business today, not only improving their record to 3-1 on the season, but improving the Packers' overall record in AT&T Stadium to 7-0. Go Pack Go.    Filed Under: FeaturedGreen Bay PackersGreg MeinholzPreview and PredictionGameDay PLEASE SUBSCRIBE TO OUR CHEESEHEAD NATION WEEKLY NEWSLETTER HERE. __________________________ Greg Meinholz is a lifelong devoted Packer fan. A contributor to CheeseheadTV as well as PackersTalk. Follow him on Twitter @gmeinholz and Bluesky @gmeinholz.bsky.social for Packers commentary, random humor, beer endorsements, and occasional Star Wars and Marvel ramblings. __________________________ NFL Categories: Dallas CowboysGreen Bay PackersNFC NorthTags: Green Bay PackersMicah ParsonsKenny ClarkJordan LoveOffensive Line Like 0 points

We've got our first prime time game of the season tonight as the Green Bay Packers will be taking on the Dallas Cowboys at 7:20 PM CST from AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas on Sunday Night Football  This will be the first time the Packers return to the site of their Super Bowl XLV victory without any players from that game still on the roster, but their aspirations to achieve what that great team did are still alive and well. After a frustrating 13-10 loss to the Cleveland Browns, the Packers sit at 2-1, poised to prove that last week was a fluke, and they're still top contenders. Dallas, on the other hand, sits at 1-2, desperate not to fall behind on the season after suffering a 31-14 defeat at the hands of the Chicago Bears. Both teams will want to prove themselves in what could be a huge game tonight.    The last time these two teams met was the wild-card playoff match-up in January of 2024, where the Packers demolished Dallas 48-32. The score makes it seem closer than it actually was, for in the fourth quarter, the Packers at one point led 48-16 before essentially switching into cruise control. Jordan Love went 16/21 for 272 yards and three touchdowns, with Romeo Doubs coming down with 151 of those yards, and Aaron Jones had 118 yards on the ground and three touchdowns himself. Darnell Savage also recorded a pick-six late in the second quarter. Cowboys owner, Jerry Jones, went on to call this game possibly the most painful loss in Cowboys history, saying “This loss hurt us, in every way, more than any one we’ve ever had.” Last week was an absolute stinker on offense and special teams. I told myself that the Browns may seem easy on paper, but they have a great defense that can be disruptive. Jordan Love was sacked four times and hit eight more times. The offensive line was overwhelmed and marred by injuries, and they just didn't seem to make any changes to compensate for those issues. Was the team too caught up in their own hype to take a lesser opponent on paper seriously? We may never know. But that needs to change tonight in Dallas, and the Packers need to bring back the team we saw in weeks 1 and 2.  Two players involved in a blockbuster trade just a few weeks ago are facing their former team tonight. Micah Parsons is now on the Packers, facing the Cowboys, and Kenny Clark is now on the Cowboys, facing the Packers. Both players will be looking to show their former team that they made a mistake in sending them packing. What to see on Offense Was it a fluke? Or wasn't it? This is the question that everyone has been asking in the past week, after a Packers' offense that put up 27 points in each of the previous two games only came away with 10 in Cleveland. The reality is, Cleveland's defense may be the best in football. Their strength is their pass rush, and with the Packers entering the game with a banged-up offensive line, it was going to be ugly. Lucky for the Packers, Dallas traded its pass rush to them a few weeks ago.  Last week, Jordan Love was often running for his life when he dropped back to pass. Despite the absence of Zach Tom and Anthony Belton tonight, things could be different tonight as Dallas' pass rush has only generated three sacks and 12 QB hits in three games. They also rank dead last in pass defense when it comes to yards against, giving up an average of 288 yards through the air. That stat was boosted in week 2 when Russell Wilson demolished the Cowboys' defense for 450 yards passing. Yes, that Russell Wilson that was just benched in favor of Jaxson Dart.  In the secondary, Dallas has Trevon Diggs at corner, who has barely shown up on the stat sheet this season, and Donovan Wilson, who has the team's lone interception so far. The lack of a pass rush has made Dallas' secondary ripe for the picking, and despite the absence of Zach Tom today, the Packers should still be able to give Jordan Love a chance to slice up a piece of the pie for himself to make up for the terrible performance last week.  When Dallas traded Micah Parsons to the Packers, they grabbed Kenny Clark in return, and Jerry Jones stated that Clark would help build them up where they lacked in stopping the run. The irony in this, of course, is that the pass rush has fallen horribly, but to Jerry's credit, the Cowboys are much better at stopping the run. Besides Clark, the Cowboys also have Osa Odighizuwa plugging up the middle of the field, and the linebacker duo of Kenneth Murray and Jack Sanborn helping clean up. The Cowboys have held top rushers in each of their first three games to an average of 3.3 ypc, and their run defense has become a strength. With a Packers running game that has struggled as of late, with Josh Jacobs only averaging about 3.1 ypc, I wouldn't put a lot of money on this being the game where Jacobs breaks out again. Shuffling along the offensive line has made it hard for Jacobs to get anything going in 2025, and if the Packers are going to go back to scoring 25+ today, they're going to have to do it from the arm of Jordan Love.  What to See on Defense Let's get it out of the way early. Micah Parsons is ready to chase Dak Prescott even though he states that sacking Prescott will be painful, given that they are friends. Perhaps if they meet, he can give him the old "Nothing personal, just business" line. He may have several chances as well, with the Cowboys' line being as banged up as it is. Cooper Beebe has landed on IR, and Tyler Booker seems to be heading that way as well. Second-year left tackle Tyler Guyton has had his struggles this season, so the Packers' potent pass rush could be licking its chops heading into AT&T Stadium tonight.  If Prescott manages to evade the pass rush, he will be down one of his best targets in CeeDee Lamb, who left last Sunday's game with a high-ankle sprain and is doubtful for tonight. Dallas still has George Pickens, however, who will likely see an increase in targets as well as KaVontae Turpin, who could add a bit of a wrinkle to their passing attack if given the opportunity. The Packers will need to work on locking down Turpin so he doesn't become a problem. Outside of the receivers, the Cowboys have tight end Jake Ferguson. The former Badger continues to make a name for himself in Dallas, and the Packers will need to cover him up so we don't have a repeat performance of a tight end shredding our secondary, as seems to be an occasional Packers tradition.  The pass rush will surely benefit our corners when matching up against Dallas' receivers, but it will be those quick throws to get the ball out of Prescott's hands that the Packers need to put a stop to today.  Dallas' run attack will be a point of reliance for them today to try slowing down the Packers' pass rush and helping out Dak. Javonte Williams and Miles Sanders have put together a decent running attack in the first three games of the season, but nothing spectacular. Jerry Jones was quoted as saying that the Cowboys are going to need to run the ball early and often to win Sunday, and the Packers will be ready to show whether or not last Sunday was a fluke when they gave up 94 yards on 18 carries and a touchdown to Quinshon Judkins of Cleveland.  Unfortunately, the Packers could be without Devonte Wyatt after he left last Sunday's game with an injury. If so, they'll need Colby Wooden, Nazir Stackhouse, and possibly Warren Brinson if he's activated to step up in Wyatt's place. Hopefully, given the injuries along Dallas' interior line, the Packers will still have a bit of an edge against the Cowboys on the ground and will be able to stifle the running game from becoming an issue.  Extra Notes All preseason long, we bragged about having no issues at kicker. And while I wouldn't call one miss and one block in three games an issue at kicker necessarily, it's still not an ideal start for what should've been a very reliable part of the operation. Hopefully, we see a clean operation today from the field goal unit to make up for last week's issues.  On Dallas' side, Brandon Aubry has been sensational this season with a perfect 8/8 record, with a long of a whopping 64 yards, tying for the third longest field goal in NFL history. Aubrey's success has been a luxury for Dallas, and the Packers will have to take his range into consideration with what they allow on defense.  KaVontae Turpin is also a special teams weapon for the Cowboys, averaging 23 yards on kick returns and 10 yards on punt returns. The Packers will need to be disciplined on their kick and punt coverage this week so that they don't give up a big one.  On the Packers' side of the kick return spectrum, Savion Williams seems to have nestled in quite nicely as a returner, averaging 24.5 yards on six returns. Every week, we're looking for him to break a huge return, and it may be coming soon. On Punt returns, however, the Packers aren't looking as good. Matthew Golden seems to have taken over the role and only averages 4.3 yards on four attempts. Perhaps Golden is just getting his feet wet, or maybe we're going to see a change for the Packers' punt return game soon.  In the End The Packers are looking to prove that they are a force in the NFC and that last week was a fluke, while the Cowboys are desperate not to fall to 1-3 on the season. One of those teams is going to come away satisfied, while the other is going to be extremely frustrated.  After today, the Packers will have a chance to cash in on some rest with their early week 5 bye coming next week. It's a chance to rest up and get healthy for what will hopefully be a run lasting well into 2026. In order to kick that off on a high note, they'll need to take care of business today, not only improving their record to 3-1 on the season, but improving the Packers' overall record in AT&T Stadium to 7-0. Go Pack Go.    Filed Under: FeaturedGreen Bay PackersGreg MeinholzPreview and PredictionGameDay PLEASE SUBSCRIBE TO OUR CHEESEHEAD NATION WEEKLY NEWSLETTER HERE. __________________________ Greg Meinholz is a lifelong devoted Packer fan. A contributor to CheeseheadTV as well as PackersTalk. Follow him on Twitter @gmeinholz and Bluesky @gmeinholz.bsky.social for Packers commentary, random humor, beer endorsements, and occasional Star Wars and Marvel ramblings. __________________________ NFL Categories: Dallas CowboysGreen Bay PackersNFC NorthTags: Green Bay PackersMicah ParsonsKenny ClarkJordan LoveOffensive Line Like 0 points