Three key mismatches in Packers-Cowboys clash
By ALAN MCNAMARA | November 26, 2007
Green Bay Packers at Dallas Cowboys (-6 ½, 51 ½)
Green Bay travels to Dallas on Thursday for the biggest NFC game of the season. It’s likely to be a close contest, so bettors must take extra care to find an edge. We’ve identified several key mismatches that could affect the outcome.
Packers quarterback Brett Favre vs. Cowboys’ pass defense
The Cowboys’ pass defense ranks 21st in the league and is arguably the weakest part of the Dallas team. With an in-form quarterback like Brett Favre under center, the Packers’ offense is well-placed to capitalize.
Dallas ranks near the top of the NFL in almost every area of the field. The one exception is defending the pass. It is allowing 217.1 yards per game in the air, and 15 of the 23 touchdowns the Cowboys have given up have come from the pass.
Favre, meanwhile, has been slicing and dicing his way through defenses from Day 1 this season. The veteran has 3,356 yards and 22 touchdowns and leads an offense designed to put the ball in the air.
The Packers play with five receivers on the field in most situations and that’s going to put severe pressure on a questionable Dallas secondary.
Dallas running back Marion Barber vs. Packers’ rush defense
Marion Barber’s combative style and ability to wear down defenses led teammate Terrell Owens to dub him “Marion The Barbarian”. Expect the Dallas running back to see a lot of the ball against a Packers rush defense ranked 13th in the league.
While the Cowboys offense revolves around quarterback Tony Romo and wide receiver Owens, it turns to Barber when things get tough. He is the go-to guy in third-down situations, and is an expert at finding holes in opposing defenses at critical points of the game.
Barber has rushed for 713 yards and eight touchdowns this season, averaging 4.95 yards per carry. He should build on those numbers against a defense that is allowing more than 100 yards on the ground per game. In its most recent game, Green Bay allowed Lions running back Kevin Jones to rush for 93 yards and a touchdown.
Packers DEs Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila and Aaron Kampman vs. Cowboys QB Tony Romo
Tony Romo has been sacked 22 times in 11 games and that could get a whole lot worse against Green Bay. The Packers boast two of the best defensive ends in the league. Both rank among the top five players in sacks this season.
Aaron Kampman is third with 10 and Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila is fifth with 9.5. The duo has combined for eight sacks in the last four games, making the Packers one of only six teams in the NFL with 30 or more sacks this season.
Defensive tackle Corey Williams has chipped in with another seven, five of those coming in the last month.
Romo will be praying for better pass protection this week, but there’s nothing to suggest he will get it. The Cowboys QB was sacked three times against the Jets in his most recent start. In fact, Romo has been sacked three times or more in four games this season.
AI
