#685 Packers Unscripted: Here come the Cowboys

the playoff chase in the NFC. And this is a team that is six and one since an opening loss in Week one, and their only loss since Week one is to the undefeated Philadelphia Eagles. They have wins over the Bengals, the Giants, and the Rams among those. In

the meantime. We obviously we're hoping the Packers would get things turned around before this, But if they can get it turned around against the Dallas Cowboys and get back in the win column, this would be a significant victory because this is a Cowboys team that is playing awfully well and coming off of their bye week. It's time the Packers need to get one here, Mike, You and

I have talked about it for five straight weeks. Um, you know it has been a a grind here for this football team trying to get back into the win column. And what you and I said going into this game against Detroit last Sunday was that this road does not get any easier. Um, after Dallas, it's Tennessee. We know what Derek On a short week, no less on a short week, Philadelphia is the best of the business. Even even Chicago is not looking like the game it was

two months ago. The Green Bay Packers have to take care of business on Sunday if they are going to make a run here towards the playoff spot and get back within this NFC conference race. The difficult thing when you look at Dallas on paper is they're just so dynamic, Uh and I multitude of different areas. I mean, it's not that they are the deepest team in the NFL. But between Dak Prescott, there two running back ceedee lamb Uh.

You know you look at those defenders, Um, Michael Parsons might be the best in the game right now, most versatile for sure, probably probably the front runner right now. It's only halfway through the season, but the front runner for defensive Player of the Year most likely in the NFL. His statistics just jump off the page because it's not just the sex. It's the pressures, it's the interceptions, it's the takeaways, it's the the guy can hurt you in

so many different ways. Trevon Diggs is one of the best ball hawks in the game right now. So the Packers have their work cut out for them against Mike McCarthy's team here. And and you know, the only way you can slice this is Packers are going to be the underdogs here this week, next Thursday, probably the week after that, regardless of the come of these games, you

have to find a way. Well, with the injury earlier this season to Dak Prescott, it seemed as though the Cowboys with Cooper Rush the backup filling in, and they went four and oh I believe it was four and oh in his in Prescott's absence. With Cooper Rush at quarterback, It's almost as though they found their identity in that, in that this is a team that is based on

its defense. These guys are these guys are ranked third in the league in points allowed and the statistic that absolutely jumps off the page to me that I mentioned in our three Things video that we shot after Wednesday's practice. These guys are plus twenty one in sack differential. They have thirty three sacks in eight games while only allowing twelve on the other side. That says something about how they are winning in the trenches on a consistent basis

week after week. Michael Parsons leads the way with eight sacks. They have three other guys with four plus on the season um on the way to that that total of thirty three. And you mentioned Trayvon Diggs. He had the big year with all the interceptions last year, not quite as many this year, but still has three leading the team.

He's the guy, he's sort of the takeaway guy with that defense and a lot of a lot of what the Cowboys have been able to accomplish when you look at the numbers is this is a team that starts fast and finished as strong. They have outscored opponents forty six to fifteen in the first quarter and fifty four to twenty three in the fourth quarter. They get on you in a hurry and then they finished the game late. That's why these guys are six and one since dropping

an opening week UH ball game. I believe it was to Tampa Bay. Yeah, And if you look at this situation, Mike, where you know that first year Mike McCarthy gets there, he hires Mike Nolan as his DC, things don't really

go in the right direction for them. In year one, Dan Quinn becomes available after his you know, separation from Atlanta, and you know, with everything that's happened over the last ten years, we've kind of forgotten about that that lineage of Seattle defensive coordinators and what they did and how many guys got head coaching jobs out of that position.

Quinn was one that basically helped start that wave. And I think when listening to Matt Lafleur, who worked for Quinn for two years in Atlanta, hearing not only had the impact he made in terms of how they go about building a football team and having a basketball hoop

in their you know, conference, their team meeting room. That's something that started with Quinn, but the way in which Quinn continually evolves his scheme every place he's been, his defense has looked a little bit different, trying to stay on the front edge of that wheel, uh, you know, parody in this league. And now you go through the names just if we can for this defense. You know, Micah Parsons obviously, DeMarcus Lawrence is having a fantastic year

for them. Layton vander esh is a guy that I felt for years is one the more underrated off ball linebackers in this league. Anthony Barr is there now, Jrn curse Um, Dante Fowler has four sacks this season for them. There's a lot of talent, and there's a lot of names, and and being able to have guys sort of step up and and play to the scheme I think has been the real hallmark for them so far, and Quinn

really getting the most out of these players. Certainly, you're throwing an athlete like Parsons that you see it all the time what a superstar can do for a defense, but you know they've got a lot of guys that are stepping up along with him. Yeah. But you make a great point with regard to Quinn because even when when Parsons was drafted out of Penn State and was first kind of trying to find his way with the Cowboys defense, everybody was wondering, like where does this guy fit? Like,

what's he going to do? Well? Enter Dan Quinn and it's not about where does Micah Parsons fit. It's about just how do we use him? And that's how that's how Quinn has gone about it, and he has turned earned He has turned Parsons in a very short time into a superstar in this league. He is the he is the guy that jumps off the film. He is the guy you have to have a target on when you game plan against this defense. And uh and they use him. Dan Quinn uses him in so many different ways.

And as you said, you rattle off all the other names, there's a heck of a there's a heck of a cast out there defensively for the Cowboys, that um that Quinn has to play with as well on the offensive side. I know there are some questions as far as whether or not Ezekiel Elliott is going to be available this week. We will have to see with regard to that. But Tony Pollard, he's averaging six point two yards per carry west.

I mean, you talk about how and I mentioned that obviously the defense is kind of the foundation and and the way they built this team with Prescott's injury and Cooper Rush playing quarterback. But Tony Pollard averaging six yards of carry is going to help out any quarterback. I don't care if it's Prescott or Russian there under center.

This is a team that this is a team that can run the football when it wants to and uh, but also has has the big play weapons in Ceedee Lamb, Jake Ferguson, the former Wisconsin Titan, has a couple of touchdowns the last the last couple of weeks for um. For this Dallas offense, they have a lot of different places they can turn. It doesn't all fall on Dak Prescott now that he's back, and it didn't all fall on Cooper Rush, which is why they were able to

win games without Prescott. This is what is so unfair about what Dallas has done this season. Look at Zeke Elliott and Tony Pollard. Pollard almost reminds me a little bit of like that m j D after you know, Fred Taylor, like some of these places that had a real name running back, but then there was a young guy that just sort of came up behind him. And and I'm not gonna dis disrespect Zeke at all. He could play in this game, he could easily go off

for a hundred fifty yards. But there's a reason why so many people are talking about that platoon and that two headed monster, because Pollard has literally inserted himself into that conversation against one of the league's most noteworthy in name running backs. But it's not just that, right, Michael Gallup is banged up. They have guys stepping up at receiver. Dalton Schultz is not having the season he had last year. He's also battled some injuries. Well, then Jake Ferguson, as

you said, has two touchdowns this season. Where they've needed guys to step up. Cooper Rush is the number one example of that. But at the skilled positions, at some of the other areas where they've lost a star, a bona fide starter, um or that player has just been banged up, they've had guys respond to that. So I think that's a credit to Mike McCarthy. I think that's a credit to Kellen Moore from making the most of

those offensive weapons that he has. And also you have to give credit to the Jones family in the front office being able to acquire a lot of rich talent for this team. UM. The deeper you are, the better you're gonna do handling those injuries. Yeah. Well, I want to get to the keys to victory for the Packers here in a minute, But first a little bit of

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the Packers coming into this one. I don't like to uh um be rate the obvious, but I think this game, with as banged up as the Packers are receiver, we know things are still somewhat influx on the offensive line. I think Aaron Rodgers has to have the type of bounce back game that he has had regularly throughout his career. Through three interceptions for the first time in five seasons, but when he's had those rough games, he generally has

bounced back with a really, really, really strong performance. And the Packers are absolutely going to need that from number twelve on something, and this team desperately just needed to get home. Um now, you have to make the most of this. It's not perfect. Five days, two games. It's still going to be a challenge, and you know the opponent waiting on the other side of it. But we saw the way they looked throughout this stretch of four

road trips in five weeks. It just every week it just seemed like a little bit more energy was being zapped out of them. The injuries started to mount a little bit more. Well, now you kind of get to catch your breath again. In getting back to the Rogers situation, I really think this game is going to come down to turnovers, takeaways in ball control. UM. I said a lot of positive things about the Dallas Cowboys. The fact of the matter is their passing game hasn't been overly

dynamic this year. They have been kind of one dimensional. They've dedicated themselves to the run a little bit more and making the most of those short yardage and in situational opportunities. One of the reasons they've been able to do that is they haven't had a ton of takeawahere. They haven't had a ton of giveaways and they have a defense that is leading the league in sacks. Is being able to pressure the opposition, they're winning as a complete football team. Uh, the Packers need to do that

to be able to win this game on Sunday. I think it starts with Rogers. I think it starts with being able to not only move the football again that that if you could take yards and just PLoP it into this game with maybe a little bit more rushing offense. Perfect you get inside the red zone, you have to convert that into points. Packers came up short there against Detroit. That area has to get kind of flushed out here now against the Cowboys, I think another big area in

this game. And I guess I bring it up because because the Packers are facing the Cowboys. And one of Mike McCarthy's challenges this year as the head coach at Dallas was to cut back on the penalties because Dallas last year was flagged like crazy and all those flags that flew in the opening playoff game against San Francisco, that's why the Cowboys got knocked out in that round

as as early as they did. And there were some penalty issues early this season with the Cowboys as well, but those numbers have come down during this five game losing streak. The Packers have been penalized way too many times some games. That's been the last couple of games. The personal files are the ones that have stood out the most. Before that, you know, there was there was

holding and false start issues and things like that. It always seems to be every game there is, uh, there is some penalty category that sort of bites the Packers in the rear end and they've got they've got to be able to get rid of that. You can't continue to play four quarters and look at the stats at the end and see that you had eight or nine penalties called against you when there are always going to be a couple of penalties that are declined as well.

Those are just the accepted ones. That's the that's the shoot yourself in the foot kind of stuff that that the Packers continue to do. Um they it comes back to it comes back to playing clean football on both sides of the ball and not just giving yardage away to your opponents, because the Packers have done that too much the last month. The big thing I look at, you know, through these games so far this season. Last year, nullified yards through seventeen games on this season, they're already

at one. Uh. It's the when you look at you know, being able to start on first down, avoiding a holding penalty there, avoiding a false start, the procedural stuff that Matt Lafleur has talked about. There was some times this year. Didn't happen last week, but there's been some times, especially during this losing streak, where you've seen them have UM, you know, legal formation penalties that just they didn't have UM during the first couple of seasons underneath Matt la floor.

And then certainly you know a player gets to the sideline, you get him out of bounds. You've got to be careful there. You have to be able to avoid that. Some things are going to happen. We talked with Kingsley and Igbari about this at his locker on Wednesday. He's going in for a sack, golf is going down. You've got to be were mindful of his hands. He's admitting that. But it's a moving target game. Some things, unfortunately, are

going to happen. But it's the discipline penalties. It's the ones that are going to tack on an extra fifteen yards to an eleven yard run. I mean, it's those type of things. Those are explosive plays, Mike, And when you tilt the field like that, it gives the opponent a real opportunity not only to get points, but zapp that momentum in their favor. Well, the Packers obviously, are are dealing with a number of injuries on both sides

of the ball. We will see by the end of practice on Friday, when the final injury report comes out just where things stand with all these players. But with what we know about the injury situation, who are the guys that you see being forced into a larger role and more playing time than they've gotten in the past. And the guys that have to young guys that have to seize this opportunity not only to help the Packers,

but potentially for their own careers. Well, it starts with Nigbari, because Mike, for two and a half years, you and I have been talking about, you know, Okay, you had the Smith Ros and you had Gary, who else is going to be the guy? And now they're at a situation where you have Preston and without Rashawn, Gary potentially here for the rest of the season. Who's going to step up. Enigbari is a guy that I think and you you touched on this too with some of your writings.

You know, he's made steady improvement every week, and I

think that's what you're looking for from him. Defends the run well, uh he and he even it was really interesting listen to him lay out his thought process, right because his number one thing is he's going through the preseason is He's like, I'm not really facing a whole lot of like starting NFL tackles, right, I'm going up against guys that maybe in the league, maybe on practice squads, maybe he won't even make the National Football League this season.

But he said what that first sack against Tampa Bay did for him is it proved to him in his mind that Okay, I can not only hold my own that was the first step. I can make plays against these guys. And he said the next step, something that Rashawn Gary talks about a lot of the guys talk about, the veterans talk about on this team is finding dominance moments where you're going to dominate the opposition. An Igbari.

Other than maybe that forty time Mike, there was so much to like about him coming out of South Carolina. Didn't have like a twenty five sacks season or anything, but just was a very consistent, steady guy, has great size for the position, and he's gonna be the next

man up here. Jonathan Garvin, tip A nally I potentially coming back here, Ladarius Hamilton's there are other outside linebackers there, but ultimately, when you're looking for the guy that's probably gonna be starting opposite Preston Smith, it starts with Nigbari, and you have to think that offenses without Gary on the field, offenses are gonna are gonna shade their protection

to Preston Smith's side. If there are one on ones on the other side, whether it's an Igbari or Garvin, or if nally I comes off of injured reserve and gets get some snaps there, you've got to be able to win that one on one and get that offense to to pay attention to the pass rush on the other side as well. I think offensively, we know Randall Cobb is still out. Romeo Dobbs it sounds like he's going to be out for at least a few weeks.

Christian Watson has exited each of the last two games two weeks ago with concussion last week precautionary as we talked about on our last show. Turned out it was not a concussion. It was actually a shot to the uh, to the chest that knocked the wind out of him. Packers are gonna need Christian Watson. I know he hasn't been able to play as much as they would like

and as much as he would like. He doesn't have the experience level based on all the time that he's missed that everybody was hoping that Christian Watson has the number thirty four overall pick in the draft, would have at the midpoint of the season, but you kind of in a way, you kind of have to throw that out the window and say, Christian Watson, this is your this is your time. This team really really needs you

right now. And uh and I look for I look for the young man to to make an impact on Sunday if the Packers are gonna have a shot here. Different round, different year, and different expectations. But in some ways it kind of is that call back to what Marcus Velda Scantling had to do an eighteen and it was one of the reasons why it was when people get on MVS about his drops. I always was kind of like, are you guys are ridiculous here? Because one, he was a fifth round pick. Anything you get out

of him there is a is a plus. But two, it was the dimension that he brought to the offense and he was thrown into a position to make plays that a lot of fifth round picks, especially in a contending team like the Packers expected to be that year they're they're typically not put into those spots. That's where Watson is right now. I mean, you look at that injury report on Wednesday for Green Bay, Mike, it's expansive. Now, we'll see what they do at the end of this week.

There's some options with the practice squad. We'll see here. You know, next week next Thursday, Randall cob would be eligible that the first game he's eligible to come back for. Alan Lazard's gutting through some stuff. Smari two Ray has been in positions, but Watson was the second round pick.

He's the guy that when he walks into the room, you go, wow, that's an NFL receiver in terms of how he's built, where he was drafted, in the speed that he has when he's on the field and Mike, Let's be honest, when Watson's there at least has been this way the past month, maybe you feel differently, but I feel like that's when the Packers offense looks the most like itself. Absolutely, I I believe. I believe that

a hundred percent. I think I think because he brings a dimension to the offense that nobody else does, that defenses have a harder time against this Packers offense when he's on the field, and his his absence for at different times, different reasons, everything else, but his absence over the first nine games of the season I think is one of the biggest reasons this Packers offense is still trying to find itself. And I know there have been

issues on the offensive line. His injury has not been the only one at receiver, so but if Christian Watson is out there on a regular basis, I think the Packers offense starts to will always look at least a little bit more like we expected to look. And I know Justin are working the controls here because Matt Arvin is on holiday. I know he doesn't have the Mike Spofford. You know, let's be real, moment of the week graphic queued up. But let's let's be real here about something else.

It has been basically the worst case scenario for the Packers at receiver. The plan going into this season was, it's Al Lazard, It's Randall cob It's Sammy Watkins. That's gonna be the three, and you let all the young guys develop from there. Watkins has the hamstring injury, now he has the knee injury. Lazard ends up having to miss Week one because of the ankle he got stepped on in practice, and then he gets the shoulder injury.

And obviously we know the situation with cop that was going to be what the Packers hang their hat on in the early part of the season. That fell apart. You needed Romeo Dobbs, you needed Watson when he's been available, and you've needed two ray to be those guys stepping up, all three of them, Mike, they've been in playing bigger roles, and I think any of us could have anticipated when they're on the field, and you hope going into the second half now they'll be better for it. As the

Packers trying to mount some kind of push. Yeah. Absolutely. While looking around the league in Week ten, a couple of games to touch on. First NFL regular season game in Germany on Sunday morning, Seattle against Tampa Bay. An interesting one, Um Tampa Bay. Maybe the Buccaneers found something with that fourth quarter comeback against the Rams last week. Are Tom Brady and the Buck's gonna make a push here?

Um Seattle with with Gino Smith playing lights out football at quarterback, the Seahawks are the surprise of the NFL as far as I'm concerned so far at roughly the midway point. A couple other games to keep an eye on Minnesota is that Buffalo. We don't know if Josh Allen is going to play or not with that elbow injury for the Buffalo Bills. And the Vikings, of course, having won six consecutive one score games and then another

cross conference match. The Chargers, who I think maybe after a slow start, are are starting to find themselves a little bit with Justin Herbert settling in, you know, finding his rhythm a little bit. But now playing at San Francisco, a forty Niners team that really feels it's got a lot going for itself, with Christian McCaffrey another offensive weapon added to the mix in the Big Trade and all that.

Those to me, other than Packers Cowboys obviously, at those are the three other games that are the most intriguing to me on the week tense schedule totally, and with the Chargers to you wonder like, I don't know if keenan Allen can get back this week. He's been kind of working through a lot of stuff. A man, if he they could just get that guy healthy in terms of the one to punch him and Herbert have been in the early part of his career. Cardinals and Rams

is very interesting. You have to three win teams going up against each other. I know, Cliff, it's been in a tough spot so far, but it is interesting. I go back to that Vikings game because we'll see what

happens with Josh Allen. If it's not Allen, then it's case Keenum and then there's another storyline there for you know, Minnesota beat writers just getting dropped right into their laps certainly, but realistically, I'm very interested to see this Minnesota offense go up against this Buffalo defense because Minnesota has not been running the ball as well as they have historically. Now some of that, again is Delvin Cook being a

little banged up right now. But if this thing gets in Kirk Cousins hands, how does he react to that? How does he react if the defense isn't getting you know, prime field position for them. It's it's not the litmus test it would have been if Josh Allen, But it's still a very intriguing matchup considering when they saw in Miami they were facing Skylar Thompson and that just wasn't the same offense as it is with two or even

Teddy Bridgewater. We I mean two is leading the league in passer rading right now, So I mean the fact that he the fact that he missed that game earlier against against Minnesota, completely changed that matchup. Yeah, So I mean this is I think it's gonna be really interesting to watch. My last thought, it's too bad Tampa has been on this this going through these dull drums they did, because how funny would have been Packers and Giants. That was the first time in fifteen years there was a

winning team versus winning team in London. How funny would that have been? If Seattle will be taken on Tampa in the first game in Germany and they both would have been over five years teams with winning records, but they came one win short of that. So yeah, Well, it's a full Sunday of football. With that early game over there in Germany, you can can tune in from sun up to sundown to to the NFL on Sunday. With that, we'll call it a wrap on this edition

of Packers Unscripted. Be sure to follow all of our coverage of Sunday's game against the Cowboys. We will have everything for you from lambeau Field right here on Packers dot com for Wes, I am Mike. Thank you for tuning in everybody. We'll see you next time.