Green Bay Packers vs. Dallas Cowboys – NFL Playoff predictions 2015
By Dan Salem
The Green Bay Packers host the charging Dallas Cowboys and all roads lead through Green Bay. NFL Playoff predictions 2015 pits Romo vs. Rodgers and hits an impasse. Dan Salem and Todd Salem debate in today’s NFL TD Sports Debate. Two brothers from New York yell, scream and debate the NFL and sports.
TODD:
In the NFC divisional round matchup between the Green Bay Packers and the Dallas Cowboys, Green Bay is the better football team.
Green Bay is not going to win this game though.
The Packers may be 8-0 at home this year, but Dallas went 8-0 on the road. The Packers may also have the better and more talented quarterback/offense, but Aaron Rodgers is not healthy heading into Sunday.
A nicked-up Rodgers is still better than 85 percent of the quarterbacks in the league. He may still be better than Tony Romo, but his inability to scramble like normal changes his usefulness and tweaks the offense as a whole.
If that is the case, this game comes down to two very even football teams with one exception: the Cowboys’ ability to run the ball.
Both defenses this season were so close overall, but the way they got there was different. The two ranked 15th and 19th respectively in total yards allowed and 13th and 15th respectively in points allowed (with GB having the slight edge in each).
However, Dallas was very solid against the run and bad bad bad against the pass this season. The opposite was true of Green Bay.
So if both defenses play right into the hands of the opposing offense, but the Packers’ air attack will be stunted by Rodgers’ injury, it stands to reason that Dallas gains the upper hand thanks to its offensive line and DeMarco Murray.
I don’t feel great about this pick considering it’s a pick banking on Aaron Rodgers not being elite, but the two teams are pretty evenly matched otherwise. Green Bay had that trust factor you’d rely on in the playoffs, which is now out the window because its best player can’t move outside the pocket.
Dallas 34 – Green Bay 31
DAN:
You make a strong and fun case for Dallas winning this football game and thankfully left out the part where you claim fate and Skip Bayless’ football mojo is on their side. If Aaron Rodgers was at only fifty percent, like really injured, I’d here you. Even seventy-five percent of a great quarterback is highly limited and falls into the Cowboys’ hands. But those aren’t the facts.
I saw Rodgers discuss his injury, practically laughing off the notion he’s too limited to be great. The Packers will have their leader on Sunday and he’ll be at the top of his game. Green Bay’s passing attack is leagues ahead of the Cowboys’ last opponent, the Detroit Lions. Look for the Packers to put up big yards and more than enough points to seal the victory.
I can’t argue with DeMarco Murray and the likely success of the Dallas offense running the ball well, but it won’t be nearly enough to combat the Packers at home in January. Tony Romo has and will continue to play well, but it won’t be nearly enough to top the points Aaron Rodgers puts up over four quarters. Its been a nice run for Dallas this season, but the Packers are the big bad wolf ready to blow them away.
Packers 35 – Dallas 21