WHAT’S UP WEDNESDAY: Cowboys Nuggets
Welcome to WHAT’S UP WEDNESDAY. The Cowboys earned the No. 2 seed and the NFC East title with a win over Washington, and their reward is a Super Wild Card matchup with the Green Bay Packers on Sunday afternoon at AT&T Stadium in Arlington. Here are some thoughts (2,200+ words worth) on facing the Packers, the health of Stephon Gilmore, the team’s playoff experience, this week’s opponent and more. Let’s get to it.
WHAT’S UP WITH FACING A FAMILIAR FOE?
The Cowboys are set to open the 2023 postseason against Green Bay, a place Dallas head coach Mike McCarthy spent 13 seasons, won 222 games and delivered the Packers faithful a win in Super Bowl XLV.
But this week, McCarthy didn’t want to walk down memory lane.
In fact, he said he doesn’t have time for it.
“It’s a players game, it always has been,” McCarthy said. “That is all it should be focused on. There’s 24 hours in a day and seven days to prepare, so if we’re not working on winning it’s a waste of time.”
That hasn’t always been the case.
The Cowboys head coach, now five years removed from his last moments with the Packers organization, made it a part of the lead up to last year’s game, the first for him against his old team.
“Last year I thought it was important for me to talk about Green Bay in the beginning of the week,” McCarthy said. “I did with the team, and I regretted it. I don’t even think that needs to come into our energy base. So, you live and learn. This game is about our commitment. It doesn’t matter who we’re playing, it really doesn’t. I had no stake. I didn’t watch one game prior to (Sunday’s) contest in preparation. So, it started (Sunday) night on the plane. That is where I am, and I think that is clearly where our team is. … There is just no time for that. I answered the questions honestly in here last year about my experience up there. It will not help us win. So, if it doesn’t help us win the game, I’m not interested in It, and I apologize.”
The Cowboys played well in Week 10 of 2022, but the Packers escaped with two touchdown passes in the fourth quarter, including a late one to Christian Watson to tie it.
The Packers would win it on a 28-yard Mason Crosby field goal with just over three minutes left in overtime.
It was eerily familiar to the last time the two franchises faced off in the playoffs. McCarthy was still in Green Bay and Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott was in his rookie season.
That day Aaron Rodgers (355 yards, 2 touchdowns) outdueled Prescott (302 yards, 3 touchdowns). After Prescott led the Cowboys on a game-tying drive, Rodgers one-upped him by connecting with Jared Cook for 35 yards on third and 20 from the Packers 32 with just 12 seconds to play. It set Crosby up for the 51-yard game winning field goal with no time left.
“It was a great game,” McCarthy said. “Dak and I have spoken about the particulars of that game time and time again. And, even more so when you go through different situations, and every situation in that game that came up. Now that we are in the same offense, he can see the similarities and why we do what we do and the history behind it.”
WHAT’S UP WITH STEPHON’S SHOULDER?
The Cowboys got some encouraging medical news on cornerback Stephon Gilmore to start the week.
“I saw Stephon before the team meeting,” McCarthy said. “He’s been here all day. He definitely feels good about the opportunity Sunday. We will see how (the rest of) the week goes, but it is better than we anticipated.”
The Cowboys were hit with some key injuries in the regular season finale, but none bigger than Gilmore.
His left shoulder popped out of socket on a fourth-quarter pass break up that helped the Cowboys maintain their lead over the Commanders.
Gilmore and the Cowboys medical staff popped the shoulder back in place, but he was replaced by Nahshon Wright and didn’t return.
However, he did say after the game he would be good for Sunday’s playoff opener.
“If there is a way, if there is a chance, he will find it,” Quinn said. “He’s been that type of competitor his whole life and there is no difference in that now. So, just have to see the strength of it to tackle and do all the things we do.”
If he is unable to go, the Cowboys will look to elevate Wright into the starting lineup, with possible call ups for Noah Igbinoghene (active for 4 games, 25 plays in coverage), Eric Scott Jr. (inactive all season), or both.
WHAT’S UP WITH PLAYOFF EXPERIENCE?
Despite having young players at several key positions, the Cowboys have the most postseason experience when they line up across from the Packers on Sunday at AT&T Stadium.
Players like Micah Parsons, CeeDee Lamb, Osa Odighizuwa, Tyler Smith, Terence Steele, KaVontae Turpin and Sam Williams, all have four seasons or less in the league, but multiple trips to the playoffs under their belts.
And nothing, at this time of year, beats experience.
“They are definitely hungrier,” McCarthy said. “I know that in my first year in the league, it was 1993 and we lost in the AFC championship game in Buffalo, and I thought man this is awesome. This is great. I made more in playoff bonuses than I did in my salary. So, you think you are going to go there every year, but that is not the reality of this league. I’ve been to a number of championship games, but only one Super Bowl and that’s in 30 years. … There is a playoff urgency that’s different. We all understand what’s at hand here. We’ve got this one opportunity and first things first – take care of the preparation.”
In total, the Cowboys only have 10 players with five or more games of playoff experience on the roster – Dante Fowler Jr. (8 with Jaguars, Rams, Cowboys), DeMarcus Lawrence (8 with Cowboys), Zack Martin (8 with Cowboys), Tyron Smith (8 with Cowboys), Stephon Gilmore (7 with Patriots), Brandin Cooks (6 with Patriots, Rams), Jayron Kearse (6 with Vikings, Cowboys), Dak Prescott (6 with Cowboys) and Bryan Anger (5 with Texans, Cowboys).
WHAT’S UP WITH THE KICKER?
Cowboys kicker Brandon Aubrey finally missed a field goal this season.
After setting an NFL record for the most made field goals to start a career with 35, breaking the record held by Travis Coons (18 in 2015), Aubrey looked as though he might break the record for most made kicks without a miss in a season in league history.
But a block halted both streaks at 35 made field goals to start the season without a miss.
“The block was unfortunate; we had a breakdown there in protection,” McCarthy said. “Then the second one hits the bar, so I think the only thing that comes out of it is that we all now realize that Brandon’s human. And the human thing to do was to give him another trip to the plate. So, I was glad we were able to get that opportunity for him.”
Aubrey followed that up with a kick that bounced off the left upright, before coming back and kicking a 50-yard field goal to finish the scoring in the Cowboys 38-10 win over Washington in the regular season finale.
“I thought you guys would criticize my play calling there at the end, but that really was to give Brandon an opportunity,” McCarthy said. “I wanted him to kick one more before we got out of there last night.”
That 50-yarder late in Washington, gave him 10 field goals made of 50-plus yards this season which is a franchise record.
“It was great to get that last kick, a 50 yarder, to kind of end on a make,” Cowboys special teams coordinator John Fassel said. “Not that he needed it, but it felt good to lineup one more time and see it go through. … Just another adventurous day on special teams.”
WHAT’S UP WITH THE PACKERS RUN GAME?
The Packers may be without Aaron Rodgers at quarterback, but they still have the duo of Aaron Jones and AJ Dillon at running back.
Behind an offensive line led by its right side – guard Jon Runyan and tackle Zach Tom, the running game amassed 1,905 yards, on 4.3 yards per carry and 10 touchdowns this season.
The pair leads the Packers ground attack this season, with Jones rushing for 656 yards in 11 games and Dillon going for 613 yards in 15 games.
“They have been a heck of a running team,” Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn said. “What I have seen over the last few weeks is that combination of run and play (action) passes that go together. That to me is when offenses are at their best, when they make a run look like a play pass. When the running linebackers and safeties step up and you rip one behind them, or they are playing off and you get to run it. So, at the front of it you see these two good backs and they have a good line that can move, but the ability for them to get the ball out on the perimeter, that’s been impressive to me.”
Despite the switch from Rodgers to Jordan Love at QB, the offense is still the same – strong inside run game, loaded with play-action passing and deep shots.
“Different styles, no, because they say pretty consistent with the system” Quinn said. “So, we will have to do a really good job with our tackling and edge setting, for sure.”
The Cowboys defense should be ready for the Green Bay running game, knowing what to expect from both backs.
The pair rushed for 203 yards – Jones 138 yards on 24 carries, Dillon 65 yards on 13 carries, in the Packers 34-31 win over Dallas in Week 10 of last season.
WHAT’S UP WITH CEEDEE?
Cowboys wide receiver CeeDee Lamb finished the 2023 regular season leading all wide receivers in targets with 181, receptions with 135, yards after catch with 680, total yards from scrimmage with 1,862, overall touchdowns with 14 and 20-plus yard receptions with 29.
He ranked second the NFL in receiving yards with 1,749, just 50 yards behind leader Tyreek Hill.
Lamb caught 13 passes in back-to-back games to finish the regular season, joining Buffalo’s Stefon Diggs (2016) as the only two players in NFL history to post consecutive 13-catch games.
WHAT’S UP WITH THE TURNOVERS?
For the third consecutive season, the Cowboys finished with a +10 in turnover differential or better, coming up with 26 interceptions (17) and fumbles (9) and only giving away the football 16 times.
It is the first time in franchise history that the Cowboys finished with a turnover margin of +10 or better in three straight seasons and the first in the NFL to do so since Kansas City did it from 2015-17.
WHAT’S UP WITH THE HOME FIELD ADVANTAGE?
The Cowboys have won 16 straight games at home, including eight this season, but that is just the beginning of their domination at AT&T Stadium.
In addition to their undefeated record this season, Dallas is putting up historic numbers at home. The Cowboys scored at least 30 points in seven of its eight home games this season, becoming the first team in NFL history to score 30-plus points in seven games at home.
In those seven games, the Cowboys have a +171-point differential, they are followed by the 2021 Buccaneers, who did it six times with a +114-point differential, and the 2007 Patriots, who did it six times with a +141-point differential.
The Cowboys ended the seasons with a +172-point differential at AT&T Stadium in their eight games, with is a single season franchise record. It is also tied for the 10th-highest point differential at home in NFL history. The last team with a higher home point differential was the 2011 Saints, who finished with a +186-point differential.
NEXT OPPONENT: WHAT’S UP WITH THE PACKERS?
The Packers needed a win over the Bears in Week 18 to even get into the postseason, but they were able to pull it off with a big day from quarterback Jordan Love, 311 yards passing and two touchdowns, and running back Aaron Jones, 111 yards and a 5.0 yards per carry average. It was just Love’s second 300-yard passing game of the season, while Jones eclipsed 100 yards for the third straight game. Love got a full season as the starter under hit belt in 2023, starting all 17 games and completing 64.2-percent of his passes. He completed 372 of 579 passes for 4,159 yards – good enough for seventh best in the NFL this season, with 32 touchdowns and 14 interceptions. However, coming into the playoffs, two of his top four receivers – Christian Watson and Romeo Doubs, are questionable, while Jayden Reed, the team’s top wide out with 94 catches for 793 yards will be ready to go. To get that passing game going, the Packers will use a lot of play action, so they will need a big day from the run game, led by Aaron Jones and AJ Dillon. Jones and Dillon have combined for 1,269 yards and punished the Cowboys for 203 yards on the ground in Week 10 last season. They will test a Cowboys run defense that has been suspect for most of the season. Defensively, the Packers are led by linebackers Quay Walker and Isaiah McDuffie. The duo leads the team in tackles with 204 combined, but the run defense was still one of the worst in the league this season – 28th, allowing teams 128.3 yards per game. They were much better defending the pass, allowing just 206.8 and finishing ninth in the NFL. But they will need cornerbacks Jaire Alexander and Carrington Valentine to be at their very best defending CeeDee Lamb, Brandin Cooks and Michael Gallup.