News: BR: Cowboys Will Need a Defensive Miracle to Beat Green Bay

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The Dallas Cowboys have accomplished some very special feats this season. They became just the second team in three years to win in Seattle, they became just the sixth team in NFL history to go 8-0 on the road and their quarterback posted the sixth-highest single-season passer rating of all time.

But all of that would pale in comparison to a divisional playoff victory over the Green Bay Packers Sunday at Lambeau Field.

The reality is that this banged-up, over-achieving defense just doesn't have the talent to slow down Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers and the rest of that high-flying offense, especially in Green Bay and with the Packers having an extra week to rest.

Led by their magician/defensive coordinator Rod Marinelli, a unit that was supposed to be wretched this season after losing a trio of star-caliber front-seven defenders in the offseason has somehow held it together. They're giving up fewer splash plays and they led the NFC with 31 takeaways in the regular season before recording three more on Wild Card Weekend against the Detroit Lions.

But Dallas has yet to face an offense like this, or a quarterback like that.

Rodgers posted an unreal passer rating of 133.2 at home this season and has a touchdown-to-interception ratio of 33-to-0 at Lambeau since the start of 2012. It's been more than 25 months since he last threw a pick in Wisconsin, and he actually seems to get even better when the temperatures drop come winter.

In fact, dating back to 2010, Rodgers has won 14 consecutive games when the temperature has been below 35 degrees Fahrenheit.

The Atlanta Falcons, New England Patriots, Philadelphia Eagles and Carolina Panthers all had opportunistic defenses, just like Dallas. But that didn't do them any good in Green Bay this season. Those four teams averaged 1.8 takeaways per game against everyone else but had a combined zero takeaways at Lambeau.

And if the Cowboys can't take the ball away, they're in big trouble. They've had at least two takeaways each week during their current five-game winning streak and were a mere 3-4 this season when taking the ball away less than two times.

The Packers have turned it over more than once only one time in their last nine home games.

What's more, the Cowboys are becoming quite thin up front. They've already lost veteran defensive tackle Henry Melton for the remainder of the year, and now four front-seven cogs—linebacker Rolando McClain (concussion, amid other ailments), defensive end Jeremy Mincey (also a concussion), linebacker Anthony Hitchens (ankle) and defensive tackle Terrell McClain (also an ankle)—have spent the week trying to recover in time to suit up.

Even if all or most of those guys can indeed play in Green Bay, there's a good chance Hitchens and the two McClains will be less than 100 percent. That's not unusual in January, but you do have to wonder if all of those bumps and bruises will become too much for Dallas to overcome.

Based on grades from Pro Football Focus (subscription required), Rolando McClain and Melton were the second- and third-best defensive players on the roster this season. Mincey ranked fifth and led the team with six sacks (he also had a sack against Detroit) and the rookie Hitchens has emerged as one of the most reliable defenders on the team.

Marinelli has also been able to get stellar contributions out of guys like Bruce Carter (team-leading five interceptions), Tyrone Crawford, George Selvie, Anthony Spencer, DeMarcus Lawrence, Nick Hayden and Kyler Wilber, which is why this defense has been so surprisingly successful.

But now they're getting a skinny, and alas we're talking about a Packers team that averaged an insane 39.8 points per game at home during the regular season.

That's not all Rodgers, either. The Dallas pass rush has shown signs of life lately, but only two of 27 qualified quarterbacks were pressured less often than Rodgers this season. That's because PFF ranks that Green Bay offensive line second in football when it comes to pass-blocking efficiency.

And after averaging a so-so 4.0 yards per carry during the first 10 weeks of the regular season, Packers running back Eddie Lacy ranked fourth among qualified backs with a 5.2 average during the final seven weeks. That's more than a yard better than Dallas back DeMarco Murray, who led the NFL in rushing.

This D was bailed out against Detroit, and not just by the officials. They also gave way to a lot of open receivers who were often missed by Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford. If the same thing happens against Rodgers, they won't be so lucky.

So, yes, the Cowboys were superb on the road this year. And yes, quarterback Tony Romo had an MVP-caliber season. The Dallas offense has a chance to do some damage, as per usual. But assuming Rodgers is healthy enough to perform at a level that is even close to what we're used to seeing, the Cowboys defense is likely going to need its best performance yet in order to keep the underdog alive.



Brad Gagnon has covered the NFC East for Bleacher Report since 2012.

Follow @Brad_Gagnon

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