The Green Bay Packers might be a nightmare for the Dallas Cowboys’ secondary, but their run defense is actually one of the worst groups in the league. This is the opening the Cowboys need to fix their offense. If Dallas can move the ball on the ground, they can stay in this fight on Sunday.
The Cowboys are coming off a rough 16-24 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on October 8. Now they head to Lambeau Field for an 8:20 p.m. ET kickoff on Sunday, October 18. The momentum is not in Dallas’ favor right now. The Packers are riding high after beating Chicago last week, while Dallas is sitting at 2-3.
Opportunities for Javonte Williams
The Packers’ defense is hurting. Blogging The Boys reports that Edgerrin Cooper, the Green Bay linebacker, is out for the season because of an Achilles injury. Defensive tackle Javon Hargrave is also out for the rest of the year with the same injury. The team is also missing Warren Brinson, who is on injured reserve. These gaps in the middle of the line give Dallas a real chance to attack.
Javonte Williams is the man to do it. He has been a scoring machine with six touchdowns so far this year. He has found the end zone five times in his last three games. While he is currently averaging 3.7 yards per carry, he can exploit a Green Bay unit that has allowed 638 rushing yards and eight touchdowns this season. Only the New Orleans Saints have given up more rushing scores than Green Bay. This is the perfect setup for him to find success.
Passing Attacks and Defensive Gaps
The air game looks much scarier for Dallas. Last week, Jordan Love completed passes totaling 367 yards and two touchdowns. The Cowboys’ secondary is currently ranked 30th in the league in passing yards allowed. That is a terrifying stat for any quarterback to face. The return of Joey Porter Jr. helps a unit that is beat up at both safety and cornerback, but it is still a massive uphill battle.
However, the Cowboys’ own passing game has weapons to fight back. George Pickens has stepped up big time. The Killeen Daily Herald states Pickens secured nine receptions for 130 yards plus a touchdown during the recent defeat against Tampa Bay. He has put up 287 receiving yards over his last three games. This gives Dak Prescott a reliable target even if CeeDee Lamb is dealing with a quad injury. With an average of 269.6 passing yards per game, Dallas holds the fifth spot in the league. If they can use that talent to complement the run, they might survive the trip to Wisconsin.
