Underdogs at Home: Can the Cowboys Defy the Odds vs. the Packers?

The Dallas Cowboys play the Green Bay Packers on Sunday in Arlington, Texas, in an NFC clash. Dallas hopes to keep their season alive with a win over the Packers without their star wideout CeeDee Lamb. The Packers look to bounce back following a crushing loss to the Cleveland Browns. Both teams need to prove to not just themselves but their fans that they have what it takes to make the playoffs. Micah Parsons comes back to Dallas wanting revenge after being traded away.

The Sunday Night banger between the teams will be nothing but electric, as two storied franchises clash under the primetime lights on Sunday Night Football. Dak Prescott and the Cowboys look to find their groove on offense without their star wide receiver, while Jordan Love and the Packers look to keep their winning record alive. The Cowboys' offense has looked great this season, while the Packers' defense has looked unblockable. This is setting the stage for a true battle of who can control the line of scrimmage. 

The Cowboys will have to rely heavily on their depth in this affair because they will be without their starting center, Cooper Beebe, starting guard, Tyler Booker, star wide receiver, CeeDee Lamb, and cornerback Trevon Diggs. Cornerback DaRon Bland is also questionable to play, along with other injuries. While their offense is a top unit in all categories this season, they are going to have to overcome adversity against a talented pass rush unit in the Green Bay Packers. With the Cowboys missing two of their starting offensive linemen, they are going to have to overcome challenges and figure out a way to block one of the most prolific pass rush units in the NFL, giving Prescott enough time to find his guys down the field. Their defense is going to have to find ways to get off the field and get stops on third down, which has been a challenge this entire season. In 2025, the Cowboys’ defense has allowed teams to convert 53 percent of their third downs this season, which is the worst in the NFL. With their two starting corners likely not going to play, they have to rely heavily on their younger and unproven guys in the secondary, which hasn’t worked out that well this season. Wide receiver George Pickens is also going to need to step up and give the Cowboys some juice if they want any shot of winning this game.

The Packers, on the other hand, look like the more complete team on both sides of the ball. Despite losing a trap game against Cleveland last week, they still look like a favorite to win the whole thing. Love and the Packers need to find their rhythm back on offense against a Dallas defense that arguably is the worst in the league. This will give Love the chance to connect with his receivers and find success marching down the field. Meanwhile, the Packers' defense has been strong, allowing 15 points per game this season, which ranks them as the number one defense in the league. This should give them the chance to apply pressure, control the tempo, and force turnovers against the Cowboys. If the Packers can control the line of scrimmage and prevent big plays from the Cowboys, we should see them dominate and secure a win, while looking like a Super Bowl contender. 

The Cowboys look to take care of business at home versus the Packers, but if they can’t block them, their chances become slim. The Packers are favored by 6.5 points, meaning that Vegas thinks the Packers are going to win by a touchdown. With some of the Cowboys' offensive line out and Parsons coming into the game wanting to prove something, this is very likely to happen. Unless the Cowboys can overcome adversity and protect the pocket from collapsing, the game could become out of reach before halftime.