Green Bay Packers keys to victory: Divisional round playoffs
Dec 28, 2014; Green Bay, WI, USA; Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers (12) celebrates after scoring a touchdown during the fourth quarter against the Detroit Lions at Lambeau Field. Green Bay won 30-20. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports
The Green Bay Packers begin their playoff march on Sunday as the Dallas Cowboys travel to Lambeau Field after their 24-20 win over the Detroit Lions in the Wild Card round. The winner of this game will face either the Seattle Seahawks or Carolina Panthers for the NFC Championship next week.
Aaron Rodgers leads a Packers offense that seemed unstoppable throughout parts of the 2014 season. Wide receivers Jordy Nelson and Randall Cobb are both coming off career seasons, and running back Eddie Lacy has rounded the corner with his shoulder lowered since the weather turned cold in Green Bay.
For the first time since their November 30th meeting with the New England Patriots, however, the Packers will go up against an offense completely capable of matching them punch-for-punch. While the Cowboys’ defense has been one of the NFL’s most surprising units in 2014, their offensive accomplishments have propelled them to a 12-4 regular season record.
Tony Romo electrified Dallas fans this season en route to becoming a legitimate candidate for league MVP. Although Romo fell short of the 4,000 yard plateau, he threw 34 touchdown passes to go along with just nine interceptions, which was good for him to earn the top passer rating in the NFL. With another monster season from Dez Bryant and timely contributions from his secondary options, Romo’s passing game opened the door for DeMarco Murray to have one of the greatest seasons for a running back in recent memory.
Murray rushed for 1,845 yards, winning the NFL rushing title by almost 500 yards. He remained heavily involved in the passing game as well, giving the Cowboys’ offense a level of balance that kept opposing defenses on their heels all season long. Clay Matthews, A.J. Hawk and Sam Barrington will need to play at their highest level on Sunday if the Packers hope to contain Murray and force Romo to win the game for the Cowboys. In the past, it is when Romo is forced to carry the team on his own that he has encountered issues with forced passes and turnovers.
Along with Rodgers’ calf injury, which I’ll address here shortly, the weather at Lambeau Field is a lead storyline heading into Sunday. The current forecast predicts the temperature to sit around 20 degrees at kickoff, with a low of around zero for that day. While the worn-out notion of a repeat of the 1967 “Ice Bowl” is appealing, thankfully, temperatures won’t be approaching those record lows. Dallas has yet to play in a game with a kickoff temperature below 35 degrees, but I don’t expect the weather to provide any notable advantage at this level.
Ahead, we look at the three keys to victory for the Green Bay Packers, and one X-factor that the Packers will be relying on if they hope to advance to the next round of the playoffs.