Dallas Cowboys-Green Bay Packers are playing each other the fourth straight season. The rivalry will never be what it was in the 60’s or the 90’s, but these teams always play each other tough. Green Bay has a five game winning streak versus Dallas with some improbable victories mixed in. Cowboys haven’t won at Lambeau Field since 2008. This will be a tall order for the young Cowboys versus Packers in what figures to be a rowdy atmosphere honoring Brett Favre.

Five Things to Watch
Ezekiel Elliott versus Green Bay’s Run D – I’m so looking forward to this as a Packers fan and a football fan. I love watching Zeke run, and if he’s really one of the best in the game right now, he will find a way to get yards against this Packers rush defense which is the best in the National Football League. Scott Linehan might have a few things up his sleeve to help Elliott get the corner. I could see him being a factor in the pass game, and that’s how the impact is being made in this game.

Green Bay’s Front seven vs. Dallas’ offensive line – In the same realm, I’m going to love to see how this Packers defensive line deals with Dallas’ big hog mollies up front. If you remember, Darren McFadden had over 100 yards versus Green Bay’s defense last year, and a lot of that was due to their offensive line. I expect Dom Capers to throw a bunch at the line in both the run and the pass. He does a good job of making things very difficult for the other opponent. That’s what I think we’ll see with Green Bay’s defense in this one.

Dak Prescott’s first big road game – What’s your favorite Dak Prescott road game? He played against Washington who is a decent crowd, big stadium. And San Francisco who were half Cowboys fans. This is the first real hostile environment he will play in during his NFL career. Can he handle the noise and pressure that Lambeau brings? Some quarterbacks do just fine during their first trip to Lambeau, and others do not. Prescott is the type of quarterback who has given Green Bay fits through the last five years. We’ll see what happens on Sunday.

Eddie Lacy’s ankle – It does sound like Eddie Lacy will give it a go on Sunday. I’m not sure how effective he will be or what the timeshare might look with him and James Starks who missed practice due to a death in the family. I don’t believe Starks’ knee is actually an issue. I do wonder if this could be a Ty Montgomery where Green Bay tries to use him five or six times in different packages for a little extra spark. The other thing definitely happening is Aaron Ripkowski getting the ball once or twice because now that Mike McCarthy knows he has a fullback that can run the ball, it’s happening every game.

Aaron Rodgers can expose Cowboys’ Dirty Secret – I feel like Rodgers is B Rabbit, and Dallas’ secondary is Papa Doc. It’s not about private school that Rodgers knows about rather how bad Dallas’s secondary has been without playing an elite quarterback all season. They rank 21st in the league, and the quarterbacks they faced have been Cousins, Manning, Gabbert, Hoyer and Dalton. The fact they still rank in the bottom third against those quarterbacks is alarming and it means Rodgers could have a big day through the air.

Prediction
Green Bay wins 27-16. On the podcast this week, I gave Dallas a few more points, but the more I think about this game, Green Bay is the far better team in all facets, and they’ll play like that come Sunday.

Charlie.