The Green Bay Packers enter the Super Wild Card Weekend as underdogs against a strong Dallas Cowboys team. After all, the second seed in the NFC is one of only three teams in the league in top 10 by DVOA on both offense, defense, and special teams — alongside the Baltimore Ravens and the Kansas City Chiefs.

Quarterback Dak Prescott is a real MVP candidate, and Packers old friend Mike McCarthy has done better than most imagined after replacing offensive coordinator Kellen Moore as the primary playcaller.

For this big matchup, nothing better for Packers fans than to understand exactly what's going on in Dallas with a Cowboys-centric perspective. Mauricio Rodriguez covers them at A to Z Sports, and he answers the big questions regarding the team before Sunday.

The Cowboys defense is still pretty good, but from the outside it feels like it's not as dominant as it had been in 2022. Is this perception correct?

Yes and no. The biggest difference has to be that they didn't lead the NFL in takeaways like they did in 2021 and 2022, which can really change how you perceive a defense. We've known for a long time that the Cowboys' run defense is vulnerable but it's a unit that can still get TFLs and that stuffs the run on high-leverage situations.

At times, quarterbacks can pick on CB DaRon Bland for a large portion of a game until he picks it off. So in a lot of ways, it's a boom or bust type unit. I'd still rank it as one of the league's best defenses thanks to their elite tackling and a Micah Parsons-led pass rush that is as advertised.

What changed the most going from Kellen Moore to Mike McCarthy as the offensive playcaller?

Two big things: Pass frequency on early downs and CeeDee Lamb being featured as a true WR1. The Cowboys are a pass-happy offense since they were beaten by the San Francisco 49ers in Week 5.

It's truly a unit that wants to win through Dak Prescott and that has moved away from depending solely on quick game elements. That has allowed Dak to become an MVP candidate and play his best football to date. One of the biggest complaints during Moore's era was his inability to feed his top weapon.

McCarthy features Lamb as a true superstar and knows how to get him in position to make plays vs. man and zone coverages. I expect Lamb to be a First-Team All-Pro wideout and in no small part thanks to McCarthy.

The running game hasn't been so effective, and Tony Pollard in particular. Is it the offensive line injuries or there's more to that issue?

Even when healthy, the offensive line has been a disappointment in run blocking. Pollard hasn't been his explosive self but when reviewing the tape, there's too many plays where he's got nowhere to go.

The scheme doesn't seem to really feature what he does best and I don't believe it'll be a problem the Cowboys solve in the postseason. They should lean on the passing game because there's definitely a lot of layers to their ground game struggles.

McCarthy has had three consecutive 12-win seasons, but it seems like people are not that impressed with his job. What's happening?

Cowboys fans are obsessed with what's getting close to three decades with no NFC Championship Game appearances. For many, it's a deep playoff run or on to the next coach. Jerry Jones saying they'll take it game by game doesn't help, either.

But ultimately, I don't see how McCarthy doesn't return to Dallas regardless of what happens in these playoffs. As you mention, three consecutive 12-win seasons is no easy feat. And three straight playoff trips hadn't been done in Dallas since the Jimmy Johnson days. It's a tough league but the Cowboys are alright with McCarthy.

Who's the player the average Packers fan doesn't know but should before Sunday's game?

I'd say DeMarcus Lawrence or Brandin Cooks are bigger weapons than many realize, but those are household NFL names by now. So I'll cheat and give you two others: On defense, it's DT Osa Odighizuwa. He's a three-technique that could deal some damage against the Packers' iOL.

He's 12th in pass rush win rate among DL per PFF and is an excellent run defender. On offense, I'd go with TE Jake Ferguson. Prescott is elite at throwing over the middle of the field and 87 is often the target. Not to mention, he's a YAC specialist ranking sixth overall and sixth in YAC/reception.

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