Dak Prescott is walking into one of the NFL’s toughest pass defenses Sunday night, and the Green Bay Packers are bringing a look Dallas hasn’t really seen much of this season.
That’s what makes the matchup at Lambeau Field so intriguing. The Cowboys offense was one of the most dangerous in football for much of the century’s opening stretch before a sluggish showing against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers last Thursday night. Now Prescott and company have to deal with a Green Bay defense that has made a habit of taking away the kind of explosive passing plays that can flip a game in a hurry.
The Packers have been elite at limiting those shots downfield. Green Bay’s passing defense is allowing explosive passes just 2.4% of the time, the best mark in the league and only a sliver ahead of the reigning Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks.
The recent numbers are strong too. Over the last two weeks, the Packers rank third in EPA per play allowed. Their overall season profile is a little messier because of a disastrous Week 3 against the Atlanta Falcons, but that game can also be viewed as a useful warning sign for what this Dallas offense can do if it gets rolling.
Prescott already lit up Green Bay in 2025 for 40 points, and that came without CeeDee Lamb in the lineup. But there are some important differences between that version of the matchup and what the Cowboys are about to face now. That earlier Packers defense, under Jeff Hafley, leaned much more heavily on single-high coverage than the current group does under Jonathan Gannon.
Gannon’s defense has also been feasting on some less threatening quarterback situations, including a five-turnover performance against the law firm of Bagent & Keenum last week. Still, the structure of the defense is built to make life hard on quarterbacks trying to attack deep.
Gannon uses far more two-high shells, aiming to erase explosive plays, and he has more flexibility because of the way Evan Williams and Javon Bullard have developed this season. Williams can stay in the middle of the field while Xavier McKinney works underneath as a lurk player. Bullard’s tip produced McKinney’s first interception against the Bears, and McKinney later used his instincts underneath to grab a second.
Between McKinney and Williams, the Packers appear to have the best safety room in the NFL. Through five weeks, both players have already built All-Pro cases, and Bullard’s leap has only strengthened that group.
In Other News...
Micah Parsons Just Gave Packers Fans Reason To Watch His Return Closely
Micah Parsons is still on the way back from the torn ACL that has kept him out for the Packers, but the latest update offered at least some encouragement for a team waiting to see when he might finally rejoin the field. He said his recovery is progressing enough that, if the Super Bowl were imminent, he believes he could suit up, a sign that he is getting closer even if Green Bay has not put any firm date on his return.
For now, Parsons is still being deliberate about the process, with the focus on making sure everything is right before he pushes ahead. The cautious approach makes sense for a player of his caliber, and it leaves Packers fans watching closely for the next hint that the final stages of recovery are nearing an end. [Read more 🡒]
Micah Parsons Is Still Sending A Message Packers Fans Will Notice
Micah Parsons is still talking like a player who expects Dallas to climb out of its early hole, and Packers fans have reason to pay attention to the tone. He said the Cowboys 2-3 record is more deceiving than people think, argued the film shows a team that is better than its place in the standings, and pointed to an offense that has piled up points while the season has yet to fully catch up to the talent.
The part that stands out for Green Bay is where Parsons places the pressure. He framed the defense as the area that has to sharpen up, stressing the need for more consistent effort, urgency and cleaner coverage details if Dallas is going to turn the season around. Parsons even went a step further and suggested the Cowboys can still finish atop the NFC East, which keeps this from sounding like simple optimism and more like a message he expects the rest of the league to hear. [Read more 🡒]
Josh Jacobs Tries To Keep Key Footage Sealed As Packers Wait
Josh Jacobs is trying to keep a piece of evidence from becoming public as a battery and criminal damage case around him continues to develop. The Packers running back has filed a lawsuit against the Hobart-Lawrence Police Department seeking to block the release of video footage from his garage, with the filing arguing that the material was recorded inside his private residence and should remain sealed under Wisconsin law.
The case has already created an unusual holding pattern for Green Bay, since Jacobs is on the NFLs commissioner exempt list and neither the league nor the Packers have seen the video in question. His lawsuit says disclosure would expose his home security setup and violate victim privacy rights, leaving the team waiting on a matter that sits well outside the normal football calendar. [Read more 🡒]