The Dallas Cowboys are preparing to travel to Lambeau Field this Sunday to take on the Green Bay Packers. I'll be honest – this game has me worried. So, let's dive into the over/under reactions headed into Sunday's game.
OVERREACTION
Aaron Rodgers is the Cowboys' boogeyman.
We've talked all week about how deadly Aaron Rodgers has been to the Cowboys over the last decade. Aaron Rodgers never seems to fail when it comes to crushing the dreams of Cowboys Nation. On paper, the Cowboys clearly have the better team and should have no problems winning this game. But we cannot forget that Aaron Rodgers is the back-to-back NFL MVP.
The Packers have lost five straight games for the first time in Aaron Rodgers' career. The Packers look dismantled on all phases of their team. A sixth straight loss would all but end the Packers' season, and I just don't see Rodgers and company going down without a fight.
All it will take is one mistake from the Cowboys to potentially give Aaron Rodgers the upper hand and then it could be a long day for the Cowboys. Dak Prescott is going to need to play just as well as he did two weeks ago against the Chicago Bears and take advantage of a Green Bay secondary that is severely depleted from injuries.
On the other side of the ball, Micah Parsons and the Cowboys' defense are going to be the key to obtaining this victory. The Packers will likely lean on their running game to attack the Cowboys, who have seemingly struggled in the running game. The Cowboys will need their defense to find a way to win this game and finally overcome their nightmare.
UNDERREACTION
Mike McCarthy is the Cowboys' secret weapon.
Not enough people are talking about the advantages Mike McCarthy has over Aaron Rodgers. It has been well established that this is a huge game for McCarthy and the Cowboys – especially on an emotional level. This will be the first time McCarthy has returned to Green Bay since being fired as the Packers' head coach in 2018.
McCarthy has talked in his press conferences about the emotions behind the game, what it means to him to return to the area, and how he has his team prepared for the weather and the field conditions.
But what's going on behind the scenes for the Cowboys could be much more dynamic in their preparation for this game. McCarthy was with Aaron Rodgers from the beginning of his career as a backup to Brett Favre in 2006, all the way up to 2018. McCarthy knows a great deal about Rodgers' strengths and weaknesses – which can be huge for the Cowboys.
McCarthy has the intel to provide the Cowboys with what makes Aaron Rodgers uncomfortable, how to confuse him in the pocket and the best way to attack him. This information can be huge for this Cowboys' defense that is going to need to be playing their best game for sixty minutes. Bringing down the back-to-back NFL MVP is not going to be an easy task by no means – but I believe McCarthy can be the secret weapon for getting his own revenge against Green Bay, and potentially putting the nail in the coffin on the Packers' season.
