Packers Prepare for Dallas
Two of the NFL’s most storied franchises are set to meet Sunday at Lambeau Field, with a spot in the NFC championship on the line. Tony Romo and the Dallas Cowboys advanced past Detroit this past weekend after a questionable decision by the referees and an emotional 4th quarter comeback for Romo.
The battle most people will be watching will be between Dez Bryant and Sam Shields. The Packers cannot afford to let Bryant have a big day against them like they did Julio Jones a couple of weeks ago. Demarco Murray is good enough to dominate a game on his own, especially against the Green Bay defense, so if Murray and Bryant are dominating at the same time then doom will be spelled out for the home team on Sunday.
Luckily the Packers have a dominant cornerback to help negate Bryant: Shields. Shields has helped neutralize top receivers since he came into his own last year. Whether it is Calvin Johnson or Brandon Marshall, Shields’ speed and knack for interceptions has made shutting down the opposition a weekly task for him. The reason Jones was able to carve up the Green Bay defense for over 200 yards was at least partially because Shields was clearly still suffering from the concussion he had sustained a week earlier.
Bryant is an all-pro receiver who plays with an underrated quarterback and a record-breaking pro bowl running back. Bryant is also the same head case who ran onto the field to dispute a call with his helmet off. While not an automatic penalty, it is a penalty often called that could have easily hurt his teams’ chances of beating Detroit. He has had multiple issues, personality wise, since joining the league and it might not be hard to frustrate him into making another costly mistake.
Shields, for one, sounded ready, “We know exactly who we’re facing this Sunday. We played the Cowboys towards the end of last season, and we’ve got a great week of practice ahead of us this week to become even more familiar with their offensive schemes. I will be ready to go out there and contribute everything I have to my team.”
The Packers will be bringing their own powerhouse tandem in the form of Jordy Nelson and Aaron Rodgers to the fight. Rodgers has been heavily featured in major magazines and websites this past week, likely because he is the favorite to win the MVP award this year. Buoyed by breaking the all-time record for touchdown passes of 70+ yards (16), Rodgers garnered 44 of a possible 50 first place votes for the all-pro squad. No other quarterback had more than three votes. Nelson was also awarded for his spectacular season with a Pro Bowl nomination. Fullback John Kuhn, Guard Josh Sitton, and Linebacker Clay Matthews will join Rodgers and Nelson in the Pro Bowl. Unless the Packers are able to achieve a Super Bowl berth, in which case they will be staying home.
In order to get there though, the Packers must win this Sunday. Shields for one, knows they have to take it one game at a time.
Shields said, “This is what we played for all season, the chance to make a run at another Lombardi Trophy. We know that Sunday’s game is the first of three games for us to win if we are going to reach our goal.”
If the Packers do advance they will face either the Carolina Panthers or the Seattle Seahawks. If the Panthers are able to go into Seattle and win then Carolina will be making another road trip to Green Bay with a chance to go to the Super Bowl. Seattle is the heavy favorites, though, boasting one Super Bowl victory last year and a defense that has run roughshod over the past few weeks.
If undefeated at home Green Bay can get a win versus undefeated on the road Dallas then a rematch in Seattle will likely be in order.
First, Green Bay must stop Dez Bryant, Demarco Murray, and Burlington native Tony Romo.
Bring it on, Dallas.
Prediction: Green Bay 27 Dallas 21
