We WILL beat the Cowboys !

[oregonpackfan]

Though I always hope for a Packers win, I would much rather see the Packers beat the Cowboys at the end of the season or during the playoffs.

Though starting off at 2-0 is great, they still have to work on:

1. consistent run-blocking

2. reduce penalties, especially on special teams

3. improve pass coverage by the secondary

I don't know if the Packers, overall, are good enough to beat the Cowboys at this time of the season. We need to remember they are the youngest team in the NFL and young players tend to make more mistakes. A full season will mature them so that they will be more prepared when the playoffs come around.

[HarveyWallbangers]

i think we beat them in '89 and '96 in GB.

Try 89, '97 and 2004.

yup '97. i was thinking it was the SB year. thanks.

It was the year we lost the Super Bowl. We crushed them. The year before (Super Bowl victory year), we had a ton of injuries and got dominated by the Cowboys.

[Gunakor]

i think we beat them in '89 and '96 in GB.

Try 89, '97 and 2004.

\


Dallas has NEVER beat Green Bay at Lambeau in the history of thier franchise, have they? I don't think they have. And I don't expect history to be made next weekend.

[boiga]

Other than winning, my one wish for this game is that Al Harris intercepts a pass to T.O.

Do you realize that if he does, every single member of our starting secondary will have caught an interception this season? It's Al's turn. Come on football gods, he deserves it.

[Bossman641]

I sure hope we beat the Cowboys.

I'm a little nervous about the secondary though.

Remember the game last year? TO in motion nearly every play so Al couldn't get a jam on him. I'm thinking we would be better off putting Woodson on TO, and roll a little coverage his way. Al should be able to handle Crayton.

[mmmdk]

...yeah beat da bears...no bears? What week is this???

[boiga]

I sure hope we beat the Cowboys.

I'm a little nervous about the secondary though.

Remember the game last year? TO in motion nearly every play so Al couldn't get a jam on him. I'm thinking we would be better off putting Woodson on TO, and roll a little coverage his way. Al should be able to handle Crayton.

Won't work. Especially with Woodson having a bum toe. Al is physically the better matchup against TO, he just needs to avoid getting too hyped up about this game. Having Woodon on the field will make a big difference, though, because it will allow Collins help contain T.O. without having to worry as much about the liability that Bush was on the other sideline last year. Crayton and Hurd will be almost afterthoughts with Woodson on the field.

However, Witten will be as big of a threat as T.O. if we can't hold their run game. But, if we get Bigby back, I'm not going to be worried about our secondary. He's become a much better player and will help against Witten strong TE's over the course of the season. Rouse was nursing a sprained ankle against Detroit and looked awful, so we need Atari to play.

[Bossman641]

I sure hope we beat the Cowboys.

I'm a little nervous about the secondary though.

Remember the game last year? TO in motion nearly every play so Al couldn't get a jam on him. I'm thinking we would be better off putting Woodson on TO, and roll a little coverage his way. Al should be able to handle Crayton.

Won't work. Especially with Woodson having a bum toe. Al is physically the better matchup against TO, he just needs to avoid getting too hyped up about this game. Having Woodon on the field will make a big difference, though, because it will allow Collins help contain T.O. without having to worry as much about the liability that Bush was on the other sideline last year. Crayton and Hurd will be almost afterthoughts with Woodson on the field.

However, Witten will be as big of a threat as T.O. if we can't hold their run game. But, if we get Bigby back, I'm not going to be worried about our secondary. He's become a much better player and will help against Witten strong TE's over the course of the season. Rouse was nursing a sprained ankle against Detroit and looked awful, so we need Atari to play.

I don't necessarily agree. Al's game is physically dominating the other WR. TO is one of a handufl of WR's in the league who are too big for Harris to do this too. Once TO gets by the jam he is much too quick for Harris. I think Woodson's athleticism matches up better with TO then Al's strength.

[mission]

Wasn't Woodson out last year against the 'Gals?

[VegasPackFan]

Woodson was out for the last game against them, yes.

Remember that the 'girls players have all been saying that the only reason AirRod carved them up last year was because the didnt game plan for him. Lets see what happens.

I predict a high scoring game. We have too many weapons at this point, but so far it looks like Romo can just sit behind that line all day.

[boiga]

I don't necessarily agree. Al's game is physically dominating the other WR. TO is one of a handufl of WR's in the league who are too big for Harris to do this too. Once TO gets by the jam he is much too quick for Harris. I think Woodson's athleticism matches up better with TO then Al's strength.

I'm actually kind of curious who would have the better 40 time between Al and Chuck.... not that it's all that relevant considering the true test would be their 40 time with the starting blocks facing the wrong direction.

In any case, according to the defensive backs coach, Harris is currently faster than he was 3 years ago. Wood has that bum toe that he's playing through. It's not hurting him much, but it was a factor in that TD Johnson burned him for yesterday. That's why I say that Al is physically the better match up right now.

I understand your point about strength with guys like TO and Plax, but I'm not sure that's the real factor. It's more the moves/experience of the WR that can get them around ANY press corner in the game. However, those moves come at the cost of speed down the field.

Take Roy Williams. He's a big strong receiver but the one time on Sunday that he pulled off a move to get him around Harris' press coverage, he was 10 yards slower than his usual timing and Kitna over threw him. After that, he never got around Harris again and Al knocked down two passes headed that direction. He only managed 2 passes for twenty some yards when Harris was on the field.

So, the method to stop TO is to have Al slow him at the line of scrimmage consistently enough that he's not where he is supposed to be when Romo makes his reads. Have safety help over the top, and consistent pressure on Romo so that he doesn't have time to let Owens use those "stop-fade" routes where he falls backwards or out of bounds for a purposefully underthrown pass.

With Woodson freeing up the safety and KGB healthy enough to put Romo on notice, Harris can win the battle against TO.

I'm more worried about Witten really.

[mission]

In any case, according to the defensive backs coach, Harris is currently faster than he was 3 years ago. Wood has that bum toe that he's playing through. It's not hurting him much, but it was a factor in that TD Johnson burned him for yesterday. That's why I say that Al is physically the better match up right now..

Really? How do you know that it was a factor on the play he got "burned" on ...

Jennings BURNED his dude yesterday on that double move, out and up... Johnson did NOT burn Woodson on the inside. Wood took a chance, was inches away from the breakup and missed. He's SO close on it.

I hardly look at that replay and say "wow, you can tell Woodson's toe is hurting him. Clearly a factor! Clearly!"

Did he say he would have had the INT in that situation if his toe had been feeling better? I might have missed that post-game interview ...

[HarveyWallbangers]

This game comes down to one thing: pressure. We need to apply it on Romo. We also need Rodgers and the OL (RBs and TEs included) to do a great job determining who is blitzing in Dallas' 3-4 blitz scheme.

[rbaloha1]

Should be a tough game.

The key is to pressure Romo and control Barber. The Packer offense needs to continue its good pass protection and isolate Roy Williams in coverage.

[boiga]

Did he say he would have had the INT in that situation if his toe had been feeling better? I might have missed that post-game interview ...

Not exactly. He said that he should have made the interception and he leaped too early. He thought he had it, and he'll be dreaming about that one later.

To me, that at minimum insinuates that his body was a fraction of a second slower than he is accustomed. I'm not bashing Woodson, as he plays a great game. But he is playing through the pain.

And Harris is a beast as a press corner. He kept kept Roy Williams to 2 receptions and 25 yards. If given the support, he can get the job done.