The Green Bay Packers are in the playoffs.
Less than a year after making seismic changes to their organization, and less than three months after falling to 2-5, the Packers are now 9-8 and headed to the postseason for the first time since 2021.
The Dallas Cowboys are the NFC’s No. 2 seed by virtue of being the NFC East champions and are coming off a dominant win over the Washington Commanders to earn that division title.
The Packers rode a 300-yard passing day from Jordan Love and a suffocating defense to a 17-9 win over the Chicago Bears at Lambeau Field.
A year after losing to Detroit in the same scenario, the Packers redeemed themselves just one year later.
The Cowboys are a different challenge.
The Bears’ offense, despite its fanfare, is not a good one.
The Cowboys are a good offense. They’re even better at home. Dak Prescott is likely to finish in the top five of MVP voting and may even win it.
He led the league in touchdown passes this season.
They’re powered by superstar receiver CeeDee Lamb to carry their offense and still have a strong running game with Tony Pollard.
Of course, the highlight of this matchup is former Packers coach Mike McCarthy taking on his former team on the opposing sidelines.
The Packers’ path this week is simple. If they win, they’ll have a date in San Francisco next week as they’ll be the lowest remaining seed.
Here is what the Packers need to do to earn themselves another week.
Jaire Alexander vs. CeeDee Lamb
Jaire Alexander has had a tumultuous month to say the very least. Alexander has bounced in and
out of the lineup with a shoulder injury that has cost him most of his season.
Then upon his return to the lineup, he inserted himself as a game day captain, which led to a suspension before the Packers played the Minnesota Vikings on New Year’s Eve.
Alexander seemed remorseful once he was activated from the suspension list and said he’d work on the things that he needs to be better at.
Alexander was stellar in his return to the lineup against Chicago. DJ Moore had one big play that looked like a coverage bust, but otherwise Alexander kept him quiet most of the day.
His second career interception came in Dallas when Prescott targeted Amari Cooper. Alexander was in the right place at the right time.
This week, he’ll be matched up with one of the best receivers in football. Lamb was a popular name for the Packers to target in a trade up during the 2020 NFL Draft when they selected Jordan Love.
Instead, the Cowboys took Lamb, and he has ascended to the top of the NFL.
He finished the year with more than 1.700 yards receiving and 12 touchdowns.
If the Cowboys need a big play, they are targeting him.
For the criticisms that have followed McCarthy, one thing is certain, he knows how to get his best playmakers the ball.
It’ll be up to Alexander, who will likely want this assignment, to slow him down and make other players beat him.
Aaron Jones vs. Cowboys’ defense
For all the conversation about the young offense that has ascended, which is completely deserved, the Packers’ best player is still one of the oldest guys on their offense.
Aaron Jones looks like he has not lost a step at 29 years old.
He’s piled up more than 100 yards rushing each of the last three weeks. Last week’s game was particularly impressive as the Bears defense was the top-ranked unit in the NFL against the run.
Jones ran for more than five yards a carry and piled up 111 yards on 22 carries.
Perhaps what is more important is that Jones has not been limited by either injury or coaches’ decision.
Jones was the only running back to carry the ball in Sunday’s win over the Bears. With AJ Dillon potentially still limited, the Packers will need to give the Cowboys a healthy dose of Jones again.
The path to victory for Green Bay this week is to limit possession for Dallas’ high-powered offense. Controlling the clock might be an old school mentality, but it might require some old schools of thought with a sprinkle of new school to get the Packers on to the second round.
Jones’ breakout performance came in Dallas as a rookie, so this is a bit of a full circle moment for him.
Jordan Love vs. Dak Prescott
These lines always seem a little silly. No, the quarterbacks are not physically facing each other.
They’ll never share the field at the same time.
That being said, a quarterback always knows who is on the other sideline. Tom Brady used to say that he knew he would probably need to put up points if he were facing Peyton Manning.
That’s true this week for Jordan Love. Love has played well down the stretch. He has not thrown an interception since early December when the Packers lost to the New York Giants.
He threw two more touchdown passes Sunday against Chicago and looks in complete command of the offense.
He’ll be facing a Dallas offense that can put up points in bunches. Prescott has ascended to one of the best quarterbacks in football this season and will likely find success against Green Bay’s defense that has struggled this season.
Love will need to put up points. The rest of the offense will need to help him as well. They scored 17 points but could have easily had more if they held on to two passes that were in their hands.
This isn’t a game where the defense is going to hold Dallas to less than 20 points. Love needs to be ready to match Prescott.
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