NFL
By: Mark Brunelli
This will be the 40th meeting between the Packers and Cowboys, with the Packers leading the series 22-17 overall. This includes regular- and postseason games. The Packers have a current five-game winning streak going back to 2016. The Packers are also 6-0 at AT&T Stadium, also known as “Jerry’s World.” The last time the Cowboys beat the Packers was in 2016 at Lambeau Field, which was Dak Prescott’s first start in this rivalry series. So, what do the Packers need to do this weekend to continue this winning streak?
1. Continue with a dominant defense by creating turnovers and getting the ball to our offense. In three games, Dak has thrown three INTs: two in Week 1 and one in Week 2. We need to create turnovers and short fields for the offense to score.
2. Get Josh Jacobs going in the run game. So far in the 2025 NFL season, Jacobs has had 58 carries for only 180 yards—that’s a 3.1 average per carry. Last week vs. the Browns, he had 16 carries for only 30 yards. The Cowboys have allowed an average of 125 yards a game this season with four rushing TDs! This is the time to get Jacobs going. I predict a massive game for Jacobs this weekend.
3. Penalties! We cannot beat ourselves again this week with penalties. This was one of my takeaways from the Browns game, where we walked away with 14 penalties—and a lot coming at crucial moments in the game. The Packers currently have 28 penalties on the season; we are averaging nine a game, three weeks into the season. If we want to continue being considered an elite team, we need to cut down on penalties.
4. Matthew Golden. We need to get our rookie WR more involved in the passing game. The Packers didn’t draft a WR for the first time in over 20 years just to have him sit on the bench. With the injury to Reed and Watson still on the PUP, we need Golden to make his presence known. Golden has shown his speed multiple times this season, and Jordan Love has missed him twice. Let them build off last week’s game, where Golden had four catches for 52 yards. Also, the Cowboys’ secondary has been subpar, and potentially DaRon Bland—who was certainly paid by the Cowboys—could miss this week due to injury. This could be a breakout game for Matthew Golden.
5. Offensive line: We need a better performance from the OL this weekend if we stand a chance to beat the Cowboys. We already know Zach Tom will be out, and the status of Aaron Banks is TBD. So, Jordan Morgan will get the start, either at RT or LG, and he needs to stop making mental mistakes with false starts and holding. We need our 2024 first-round pick to start playing like it. Lastly, we need Elgton Jenkins to stop our former DT Kenny Clark from causing chaos in the backfield. Kenny Clark is leading all DL with interior pressure on the QB.
