Cowboys have much more to worry about than Micah Parsons in Packers matchup, and there’s a weakness they must take advantage of
It’s a big Cowboys vs. Packers matchup, and we’re going behind enemy lines for insight.
This game needs no setting up. It’s a Sunday Night Football matchup between the Dallas Cowboys and the team that’s created too many nightmares for Cowboy fans: The Green Bay Packers.
And this time, they have Micah Parsons in their ranks. On paper, it’s a difficult matchup to win. That’s why I reached out to A to Z Sports’ Packers expert Wendell Ferreira to ask about what Dallas can expect from the Parsons-led pass rush and potential Packers weaknesses they can exploit.
The Cowboys have many weak links at OL including two backups playing inside. Are the Packers moving Parsons across the defensive line to pick the best mismatches like he did in Dallas or has he been focusing on EDGE only?
Ferreira: They are moving everyone around. Parsons has had some snaps over tackle or even on the B-gap, some as an off-ball linebacker, but the vast majority of his snaps are coming from the edge. What the Packers have done more frequently is moving Lukas Van Ness to the interior, because he had that experience from his college career. They call it the “Cheetah Package,” with three defensive ends and only one defensive tackle on the field at the same time. And that defensive tackle usually is Devonte Wyatt, who’s primarily an interior rusher.
Karl Brooks is also a disruptive pass rusher from the interior, while Edgerrin Cooper’s best trait is his ability to blitz from the box. So, Jeff Hafley’s defense has been able to generate pressure from multiple ways, even when Parsons is not on the field.
Cowboys’ offensive line is ill-equipped for facing Packers’ pass rush:
- The Cowboys will be down starting center Cooper Beebe and right guard Tyler Booker due to injuries. The Packers will have a big opportunity to exploit said injuries with pass rush inside.
- Cowboys’ starting offensive tackles Tyler Guyton and Terence Steele are healthy but have struggled in pass protection, ranking 68th and 53rd in PFF’s pass block grade.
With no CeeDee Lamb and a mismatch in pass protection, I expect the Cowboys to want to run the football. But the Packers boast a solid run defense. Are there any weak areas Dallas could attack?
Ferreira: Theoretically, the interior of the defensive line is the weak spot. Not only did the Packers lose Kenny Clark, but TJ Slaton left in free agency. They were the two starting interior defensive linemen last season and two best run-stuffers of the unit. If you look at individual numbers, Devonte Wyatt and Karl Brooks in fact are limited against the run, and Nazir Stackhouse is an undrafted rookie, so his role is pretty limited.
However, there are two points that make the Packers’ run defense effective. First, Colby Wooden has been pretty solid at defensive tackle in this area, and that’s why he’s played over Brooks in run situations. The other, and most impactful aspect, is how well Jeff Hafley utilizes his resources elsewhere to stop the run.
There’s a strong cohesion with off-ball linebackers and edge defenders to be aggressive close to the line of scrimmage without compromising rushing lanes. Outside of a few runs from Quinshon Judkins late in the Cleveland Browns game, the Packers have been extremely solid there.
It’s certainly not a premier run unit, but the Packers are 11th in rush EPA and third in rush success rate on defense through three weeks.
The Packers are coming from a disappointing loss to the Cleveland Browns. What went wrong for Green Bay in that game that the Cowboys can aim to replicate?
Ferreira: The biggest problem for the Packers in that game was the offensive line. All went wrong both in pass protection (which was a new issue) and run blocking (which has been a common theme since last year). Right tackle Zach Tom tried to play through an oblique injury but lasted one snap, and left guard Aaron Banks also left the game early. Both had already missed the Week 2 game versus the Washington Commanders, but the Browns are uniquely positioned to exploit a struggling offensive line. It’s hard to know if the Cowboys will be able to replicate that without a premier edge rusher like Myles Garrett, but there’s a path for it if Tom is ruled out. The Packers are tied for second this season in linemen with offensive snaps. Through three weeks, eight different players have been on the field.
The other area where Green Bay has had issues for a long time is special teams. On Sunday, Brandon McManus’ blocked field goal was huge for the final result.
Dallas Cowboys News
Micah Parsons’ message to Dak Prescott feels like a warning, and Cowboys QB needs help not only from teammates
Revenge game ahead.
