Even if we lose to Dallas...

[FromIrving]

You think young Romo coming to Lambeau in January is a good thing?

Well, that's just like your opinion, man.

Should be a good game.

If Romo were a rookie (or even a 2nd year player) and had never met his childhood idol (Farve) I might be worried but Romo is 27 years old and has been in the NFL for 4 years. There won't be any "awe" factor with him. As for the weather ... the guy grew up in Wisconsin and played college ball in Illinois. The weather won't be a problem for him.

I have to disagree with you friend. I live in Minneapolis, so i know cold, and i have to tell you, the cold is a problem for everyone. EVERYONE. that includes Favre and the rest of the Packers team. by having familiarity with the cold (ie. experience working in the cold day after day), you can downplay the problems that comes with playing in the cold. the cold will be a problem for Romo, and everyone else. how much of a problem, that is debatable.

Obviously the cold has an effect on everyone, that is why I said that neither QB will be able to sling the ball around. It's going to come down to the running game and each team's run defense. With that in mind I like the Cowboys' chances.

Don't get me wrong though, I have a very healthy respect for Brett Favre and that Packers defense. It's going to be a dog fight for both teams no matter what stadium they play in. If the Cowboys win Thursday then all of us are going to be treated to two very good offense going at each other in the NFC Championship Game.

 

[Greg C.]

I don't think cold weather will affect either team's passing game too much, as long as it's not windy.

 

[musccy]

agreed greg...barring temperatures below 15 or so, and any substantial wind, I don't think cold inhibits a passing game as much as the media portrays/assumes. Have you ever tried throwing around a football when it's 30 or so? It's really not that bad or that much different.

 

[FromIrving]

agreed greg...barring temperatures below 15 or so, and any substantial wind, I don't think cold inhibits a passing game as much as the media portrays/assumes. Have you ever tried throwing around a football when it's 30 or so? It's really not that bad or that much different.

I don't think throwing the ball is as difficult as it is catching the ball is.

 

[Greg C.]

agreed greg...barring temperatures below 15 or so, and any substantial wind, I don't think cold inhibits a passing game as much as the media portrays/assumes. Have you ever tried throwing around a football when it's 30 or so? It's really not that bad or that much different.

I don't think throwing the ball is as difficult as it is catching the ball is.

By "throwing around" he meant throwing AND catching. It's not that bad unless it is REALLY cold. The players have ways of keeping their hands warm, and adrenalin helps too.

 

[FromIrving]

agreed greg...barring temperatures below 15 or so, and any substantial wind, I don't think cold inhibits a passing game as much as the media portrays/assumes. Have you ever tried throwing around a football when it's 30 or so? It's really not that bad or that much different.

I don't think throwing the ball is as difficult as it is catching the ball is.

By "throwing around" he meant throwing AND catching. It's not that bad unless it is REALLY cold. The players have ways of keeping their hands warm, and adrenalin helps too.

True, plus I know they have all kinds of new tools to keep themselves warm. I know they have that air hose where they actually pump warm (or cool) air directly in to the shoulder pads. Plus they have all kinds of heaters on the sidelines now. I think even their benches are heated now.

I'm just really anxious to see this game ... Farve vs "Farve light"

 

[Danreb]

I don't really complain about banner, but don't come into a Packer forum if you can't spell Favre.

This game is going to amazing, and it's unfortunate that Cowboys and Packers fans around the nation will miss it because of the four people who own NFL Network in their homes.

FOR GREEN BAY TO WIN:
It all starts at the line of scrimmage. Green Bay's defensive line has been dominating opposing offensive line's all season, but they'll be going against what's probably the best offensive line in the league (as proven with the Pro Bowl votes). Romo is a young gun who poses distinct similarities with Green Bay's old gunslinger, and he will make mistakes if he's forced to get rid of the ball quickly. If Romo is pressured, especially by Aaron Kampman, expect Romo to play a bit more on the left side of the pocket--that's where the Packers can test his experience because on passing downs, Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila can nail him if he's not careful. The Packers also possess two cover corners in Al Harris and Charles Woodson. Harris expects to be on Owens all day, and at that the Cowboys have a very quick second option with Patrick Crayton (if he's healthy).

On offense, Green Bay has to have balance early. They've had a lot of success with the Play Action Pass, and that can only be done when the defense expects a run. Expect a lot of James Jones and Koren Robinson here as the Cowboys don't have much of a secondary after Terence Newman and Anthony Henry. If Donald Lee can escape this game with two touchdowns and Ryan Grant can average 5 yards a carry, the Packers will win this game.

Cowboys Player to watch: Jason Witten, TE -- No other TE in the NFC has had the impact Witten has had this season, and Green Bay has proven against teams like Kansas City, San Diego, NYG, Washington, and Chicago that they really don't have a proper answer against them.

---

For the Cowboys to Win...
DeMarcus Ware has to take advantage of the matchup between Marcus Spears and Mark Tauscher. Spears is extremely strong and if Tauscher can bottle him up, the explosive Ware can sneak up on Favre and nail him every chance he gets. Against the slants, Dallas should be playing inside technique and have Ken Hamlin help out against Greg Jennings. Jennings has shown the tendency of getting hurt against hard-hitting safeties, and to stop the Packer offense from obtaining a rhythm, the Cowboys have to play physical. Since the Cowboys don't have much pressure provided by their defensive line, Favre will probably have the time to throw, but the Cowboys need to contain the run in order for the Packers to not call play action. If the Packers expose the Cowboys with play action, it's over.

On offense, Tony Romo needs to hit Terrell Owens early. If Owens is not thrown to in first 18 minutes of a football game, he is usually shutout and becomes a non factor. Expect Tony Romo to hit Julius Jones, Jason Witten, and Anthony Fasano on checkdowns to keep Green Bay on the field. The Packers are hurt in the defensive and can't shuffle to the same extent as they have in the other games, so Dallas is going to need to play fast. If their two-headed backfield finds success early, Romo will easily find balance and expose the safeties of the Packers.

Packers Player to Watch: Brett Favre, QB
Never has Favre gone a full month without an interception.

 

[abztractmynd]

in my opinion, when going into dallas we should try to establish a run game at first...quieting the crowd would really help favre. ive seen too many games in the past with rowdy crowds and favre throwing picks. if we can quiet the crowd somehow, ill leave it to the coaches... the pass offense will do the rest.

 

[cheesey]

The cold effects everyone...........but having the home crowd cheering for you can make a BIG difference. So...........I want us to hand the Cowboys their butts back to them. I want to spank them........and leave them crying. That should be the start of the annual "Terrell Owens" meltdown......and the team meltdown. :wink:

 

[musccy]

From Ice Bowl 2, GB v. Carolina (-13 at kickoff, I think)

ATT CMP YDS PCT AVG TD
B.Favre 29 19 292 66.0 10.1 2

I'm not too worried about the packer passing attack if the game were at Lambeau. As for watching the game on Thursday, just go to your local watering hole of choice.

 

[cheesey]

From Ice Bowl 2, GB v. Carolina (-13 at kickoff, I think)

ATT CMP YDS PCT AVG TD
B.Favre 29 19 292 66.0 10.1 2

I'm not too worried about the packer passing attack if the game were at Lambeau. As for watching the game on Thursday, just go to your local watering hole of choice.

We are lucky..........channel 12 out of Milwaukee is carrying the game.

 

[FromIrving]

I don't really complain about banner, but don't come into a Packer forum if you can't spell Favre.

This game is going to amazing, and it's unfortunate that Cowboys and Packers fans around the nation will miss it because of the four people who own NFL Network in their homes.

FOR GREEN BAY TO WIN:
It all starts at the line of scrimmage. Green Bay's defensive line has been dominating opposing offensive line's all season, but they'll be going against what's probably the best offensive line in the league (as proven with the Pro Bowl votes). Romo is a young gun who poses distinct similarities with Green Bay's old gunslinger, and he will make mistakes if he's forced to get rid of the ball quickly. If Romo is pressured, especially by Aaron Kampman, expect Romo to play a bit more on the left side of the pocket--that's where the Packers can test his experience because on passing downs, Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila can nail him if he's not careful. The Packers also possess two cover corners in Al Harris and Charles Woodson. Harris expects to be on Owens all day, and at that the Cowboys have a very quick second option with Patrick Crayton (if he's healthy).

On offense, Green Bay has to have balance early. They've had a lot of success with the Play Action Pass, and that can only be done when the defense expects a run. Expect a lot of James Jones and Koren Robinson here as the Cowboys don't have much of a secondary after Terence Newman and Anthony Henry. If Donald Lee can escape this game with two touchdowns and Ryan Grant can average 5 yards a carry, the Packers will win this game.

Cowboys Player to watch: Jason Witten, TE -- No other TE in the NFC has had the impact Witten has had this season, and Green Bay has proven against teams like Kansas City, San Diego, NYG, Washington, and Chicago that they really don't have a proper answer against them.

---

For the Cowboys to Win...
DeMarcus Ware has to take advantage of the matchup between Marcus Spears and Mark Tauscher. Spears is extremely strong and if Tauscher can bottle him up, the explosive Ware can sneak up on Favre and nail him every chance he gets. Against the slants, Dallas should be playing inside technique and have Ken Hamlin help out against Greg Jennings. Jennings has shown the tendency of getting hurt against hard-hitting safeties, and to stop the Packer offense from obtaining a rhythm, the Cowboys have to play physical. Since the Cowboys don't have much pressure provided by their defensive line, Favre will probably have the time to throw, but the Cowboys need to contain the run in order for the Packers to not call play action. If the Packers expose the Cowboys with play action, it's over.

On offense, Tony Romo needs to hit Terrell Owens early. If Owens is not thrown to in first 18 minutes of a football game, he is usually shutout and becomes a non factor. Expect Tony Romo to hit Julius Jones, Jason Witten, and Anthony Fasano on checkdowns to keep Green Bay on the field. The Packers are hurt in the defensive and can't shuffle to the same extent as they have in the other games, so Dallas is going to need to play fast. If their two-headed backfield finds success early, Romo will easily find balance and expose the safeties of the Packers.

Packers Player to Watch: Brett Favre, QB
Never has Favre gone a full month without an interception.

That is a very good break down. I do have some disagreements though.

For the Cowboys to win I agree that Romo needs to hit TO early. Not because he will be shut out and become a non factor the entire game but he will become a non factor in the first half. Whenever TO has been shut out in the first half Jason Garrett has made the proper adjustments to get him involved in the second half. Romo will definitely check the ball down to Jones and Barber (not so much Fasano). Keep and eye on Sam Hurd too. Romo has a lot of confidence in him. Romo will obviously be looking for Witten in the middle of the zone and be looking for TO deep. If Romo is having no luck hitting TO deep, Garrett will start moving TO around and sending him on crossing routes.

On defense I don't think the Packers have to worry as much about Spears as they do Canty on the defensive line. He's been on a tear lately and has been causing massive amounts of havoc for offensive linemen. Greg Ellis and Kevin Burnett are other guys that the Packers need to keep an eye on. With the year that Ware has been having Ellis has been seeing single coverage all year and is half a sack away from his career high. Burnett is probably Dallas' most diverse LB'er. He's very good in coverage, solid against the run, and decent pass rusher. Dallas entire front 7 is one of the best in the NFL. Where they struggle is the secondary. Newman and Henry are solid. Henry is finally healthy and should be starting this week. Reeves is suspect and Roy Williams is probably the worst safety in coverage in the NFL.

 

[tromadz]

how many good CBs you got?

 

[Yared-Yam]

Favre and our WRs are going to tear apart their secondary.

Roy Williams is bad in coverage and their only decent CB is Newman. There is no possible way their secondary matches up with our offense. Their D-line on the other hand...

 

[FromIrving]

I don't know enough about the Packers players to say how they should attack from their point of view but considering the Cowboys' weakness this is how I would attack ...

I would not force Romo out of the pocket. He's VERY accurate at throwing on the run and is very good at extending plays. I would keep him in the pocket and try to collapse the pocket around him. If I'm going to chase him out I would make him go to his left. I would also be very physical with TO. Jam him at the line and just blanket him all over the field. I would also keep a spy on Witten. You also have to attack Roy Williams. Lee can abuse him all game long. He is HORRIBLE in coverage.

You also have to get help on Demarcus Ware on EVERY play. If not he will make Favre pay.

 

[FromIrving]

how many good CBs you got?

Only two. Reeves is suspect and Roy Williams sucks in coverage. He's good close to the line however if he has to cover anyone he looks completely lost. Hamlin is pretty good in coverage though.

 

[tromadz]

I hope your guys are ready for the BIG 5

 

[Yared-Yam]

I hope your guys are ready for the BIG 5

I think the Big 5 might be the greatest thing ever.

There's nothing that can stop it. On Thursday when Favre was on his 20 completion streak it was almost sickening how easily they were moving the ball.

 

[FromIrving]

I hope your guys are ready for the BIG 5

I'm assuming you are talking about the offensive linemen? It should be a very good matchup. Dallas' front 7 are pretty massive themselves and very good at getting to the QB.

Dallas' o-line doesn't have a nickname (combined) but with a couple of guys having nicknames like Hotel (Flozell) and BIG (Leonard Davis) you know they have some size to them.

 

[Yared-Yam]

I'm assuming you are talking about the offensive linemen? It should be a very good matchup. Dallas' front 7 are pretty massive themselves and very good at getting to the QB.

Dallas' o-line doesn't have a nickname (combined) but with a couple of guys having nicknames like Hotel (Flozell) and BIG (Leonard Davis) you know they have some size to them.

The Big 5 is what our 5 WR set is called that we run. It's unstoppable.

 

[tromadz]

Yeah there's only 2 things that can stop it

1. Their front 4 beating our 5-olinemen
2. They have 5 better CBs than our 5 WRs

I don't see 2 happening, but if their Dline is on their game and our guys are sleepwalking, it could spell trouble, but I don't see MM going to the big 5 if he sees our Oline struggling. God I love that man. I love this team. I love...that's about it.

 

[FromIrving]

Yeah there's only 2 things that can stop it

1. Their front 4 beating our 5-olinemen
2. They have 5 better CBs than our 5 WRs

I don't see 2 happening, but if their Dline is on their game and our guys are sleepwalking, it could spell trouble, but I don't see MM going to the big 5 if he sees our Oline struggling. God I love that man. I love this team. I love...that's about it.

Yea, you definitely don't have to worry about our 5 corners being better than the top 5 WR's of the Packers. The problem Brett will have is will he have time to go through all his reads before Dallas' pass rush gets to him. Dallas comes from every angle imaginable. Wade doesn't even consider sending 5 guys a blitz. Favre is the best though, so that's why it is going to be so exciting.

 

[tromadz]

Yeah there's only 2 things that can stop it

1. Their front 4 beating our 5-olinemen
2. They have 5 better CBs than our 5 WRs

I don't see 2 happening, but if their Dline is on their game and our guys are sleepwalking, it could spell trouble, but I don't see MM going to the big 5 if he sees our Oline struggling. God I love that man. I love this team. I love...that's about it.

Yea, you definitely don't have to worry about our 5 corners being better than the top 5 WR's of the Packers. The problem Brett will have is will he have time to go through all his reads before Dallas' pass rush gets to him. Dallas comes from every angle imaginable.

then that angle is exposed for brett to hit someone on the slant. its sick how good it is. maybe dallas can stop it. maybe not. we'll see in a couple days.

 

[FromIrving]

Yeah there's only 2 things that can stop it

1. Their front 4 beating our 5-olinemen
2. They have 5 better CBs than our 5 WRs

I don't see 2 happening, but if their Dline is on their game and our guys are sleepwalking, it could spell trouble, but I don't see MM going to the big 5 if he sees our Oline struggling. God I love that man. I love this team. I love...that's about it.

Yea, you definitely don't have to worry about our 5 corners being better than the top 5 WR's of the Packers. The problem Brett will have is will he have time to go through all his reads before Dallas' pass rush gets to him. Dallas comes from every angle imaginable.

then that angle is exposed for brett to hit someone on the slant. its sick how good it is. maybe dallas can stop it. maybe not. we'll see in a couple days.

That's why he's the best of all time.

 

[Greg C.]

One of the nice things about Big 5 is that it allows Donald Driver to avoid double coverage. So the Cowboys will want to put their best DB on him.

For the most part, it's not a big play formation, because the QB has so little time to throw the ball. But it's a great way to pick up 5-10 yards.

The Packers have been shorthanded at TE lately, but if Bubba Franks comes back, I would expect less Big 5 and more two TE sets. McCarthy will continue to mix it up. He has amazed all of us this season with his willingness to introduce new wrinkles into the offense.

This game is full of great matchups.