Tough Test for the Cowboys in Green Bay, Stopping the Run Is Dallas's Big Worry

In the National Football League on Sunday, the Dallas Cowboys face a tough test at the Green Bay Packers' field. In the first five matches of the season, their results are tied to a strange rhythm - loss, win, loss, win, then loss again. Although stuck in this win-loss swing, no team in the NFC East yet has more than three wins, and the Philadelphia Eagles, regarded as favourites, are also stumbling at the start of the season.

The calculations say that this time, perhaps nine wins will be enough for the division title. But for that, the Cowboys will have to return to a winning streak from now on. That task will not be easy at Green Bay's field.

Although plagued by injuries, the Packers last week blew away the Chicago Bears 31-7, signalling their return to form. The Bears had to play backup quarterbacks Tyson Bagent and Case Keenum, which may explain their low points, but the flash of the Packers' offence was eye-catching.

That offence will now be faced by Dallas's defence, which lost ten days ago to a rookie quarterback's team and has so far not been able to hold any opponent below 20 points. As a result, the question remains whether the Cowboys will be able to put up a fight at all in Sunday's match.

Dallas's biggest weakness is in stopping the run. They are conceding an average of 168 rushing yards per match, the worst in the league. If this deficiency continues, it will become difficult for them to survive even in a weakened East division.

The Cowboys' defence is also suffering in stopping the deep pass. The Packers' offence is sharpest right now in exactly this area. Last week against the Bears, Christian Watson and Matthew Golden both took 50-yard receptions from Jordan Love; together they made 266 yards. A big test therefore awaits Dallas's secondary, including newly arrived cornerback Joey Porter Jr.

But the Packers' defence has no shortage of problems either. The wait for star edge rusher Micah Parsons's return is not over yet - Parsons once played for the Cowboys. On top of that, the absence of front-line players Edgerrin Cooper and Javon Hargrave could give Dak Prescott extra time.

If Prescott gets time, it will be easy for him to build connections with his two star wide receivers, CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens. The Packers' defence will therefore have to stay alert throughout the match against one of the league's best receiving pairs.

Because of the two teams' attacking strength, many believe this could be the highest-scoring match of the week. It is also thought that the two teams' combined points could cross the fifties.

In the United States the match can be watched on NBC and streamed on Fubo. In Canada the match will be broadcast on TSN or CTV, and in the United Kingdom on Sky Sports NFL and Sky Sports Main Event.

In the end there is only one question - at Green Bay's field, will the Cowboys be able to overcome their defensive weakness and return to the fight, or will that old rhythm of Dallas's wins and losses break down once more before the Packers' sharp offence?