COWBOYS PACKERS PREVIEW!

DESPERATE 'BOYS WITH DANGEROUS TOYS.

The Cowboys are 1-6, but don't be fooled!

DALLAS COWBOYS (1-6)
NOTABLE STAT: 3RD RANKED
PASSING OFFENSE


GREEN BAY PACKERS (5-3)
NOTABLE STAT: 3RD MOST SACKS


The Cowboys ride into Lambeau Field this Sunday, and the Packers smell a trap. Green Bay is seemingly on a roll, emerging victorious in their last two bouts, while the visiting Cowboys are underachieving at 1-6. QB Tony Romo is out with a broken clavicle (ouch!) and the hot-seat under head coach Wade Phillips seems to get hotter with every loss. Rest assured that coach Mike McCarthy will not let his Packers rest on their laurels. It's no secret that, despite their lackluster record, the Cowboys roster contains top tier talent at every turn.

As stated, Tony Romo has been sidelined for the season. The Packers will be seeing Jon Kitna behind center, and may have some pleasant flashbacks as a result. Kitna quarterbacked the division rival Detroit Lions for three seasons (between '06-'08) and was 0-6 against the Packers during that stretch. Obviously, the Cowboys represent a much stronger supporting cast for Kitna than the Lions ever did. RB's Felix Jones and Marion Barber have proven reliable, averaging 6.5 and 4 yards per carry respectively. Downfield, Kitna will look for WR's Roy Williams, Miles Austin, Dez Bryant, and TE Jason Witten. That's an intimidating group of playmakers. Putting pressure on Kitna will be key. He's temperamental and gets flustered, making risky throws that have kept his career interception numbers very high. If Green Bay can get to Kitna, as well as contain the run, Dallas should have a lot of trouble finding the end zone.

The Cowboys have struggled on defense this year, giving up 26.7 points per game. Their saving grace all season has been the exceptional linebacker play of DeMarcus Ware. He is known for aggressively pursuing the quarterback, and has 8 sacks to show for it. LB Anthony Spencer has 3 sacks on the opposite side of the field. Meanwhile, the Cowboys defensive line only accounts for 2 total sacks all year. They seem content with holding the line, which should prove to be advantage Packers, as QB Aaron Rodgers thrives with time in the pocket. Another stat that should please Rodgers is the 5 total interceptions by the Cowboys defense, which ranks 24th in the league.

Some roster questions still remain as we head into the weekend. If the Packers intend to activate safety Al Harris, cornerback Atari Bigby, or rookie running back James Starks of the PUP list, the deadline is sometime Saturday afternoon. Coach McCarthy seemed optimistic about the chances of starting both defensive lineman Ryan Pickett and offensive lineman Daryn Colledge, who have been battling injuries.