Morning Buzz: End of the table?
Welcome to your game day Morning Buzz, rounding up news and views regarding the Green Bay Packers from around the web and here at PackersNews.com. Grab a cup of coffee (or brew some tea, if that’s your thing) and get caught up on everything you need to know before the Packers take on the Cowboys this afternoon in the divisional round of the NFC playoffs.
If it’s game day, we start with Bob McGinn’s game preview.
The Cowboys are the healthier team, the fresher team and the home team. They also whipped the Packers by 14 points in mid-October. None of the above matters when a team as confident and hot as Green Bay comes to call. Not only will the Packers beat the spread, I expect them to win.
Bob’s Sunday column is not to be missed as well, as he looks at the Packers players and coaches who need to step up in today’s game against the Cowboys.
The last time these two teams met, Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott ran all over what was then the number one run defense in the NFL. Pete Dougherty writes that the Packers need a new plan of attack for Elliot.
The Packers’ revived offense gives them a better chance to keep up in their divisional round matchup at Dallas on Sunday. But they face the same big problem: Elliott.
If he gashes them like in the first game, it’s hard to see the Packers winning. But if Capers has to sell out to stop the run, that could turn out just as badly. He doesn’t have the cornerbacks to cover one-on-one all day.
It’s the key matchup of this game, and Capers no doubt has been obsessing over it all week. He goes in with the weaker hand. We’ll see Sunday if he can squeeze out a winner.
As Tom Silverstein writes, both quarterbacks in today’s game take great care of the football.
Jordy Nelson was ruled Out for today’s game by the Packers on Friday morning. Michael Cohen has all the latest on that decision.
In other injury news, Damarious Randall was added to the injury report on Saturday with a foot injury, but signs seem to point to him playing today:
You can find our predictions for the game in the video below:
Elsewhere, the Around the NFL blog over at NFL.com takes a look at today’s matchup:
K.D. Drummond takes a look at the differences between the Packers and Cowboys for The Cowboys Wire:
Over at NJ.com, Matt Lombardo looks at 5 key matchups:
Packers fans in Brazil are ready for today’s game:
Tom Oates writes that if the Packers can’t slow down Elliott, their season will end today:
It’s 50 years to the day that the Packers played in Super Bowl I:
NFL Films has a short preview film for today’s game:
While that’s good, it doesn’t hold a candle to this hype clip from Packers fan Nial Nelson-Hopkins:
Frank Caliendo has some thoughts on Packers-Cowboys:
Packers fans invaded Dallas last night for a pep rally:
Leave it to the Packers to bring people together in Washington DC: