FRISCO – The Dallas Cowboys take on the Packers in the first round of the playoffs on Sunday. The last two weeks of the regular season could not have gone better for Dallas as they rose to the No. 2 seed after an epic late-season collapse by division rival Philadelphia who suffered losses to the Cardinals and Giants.
That means the Cowboys won’t have to hit the road in the playoffs unless they make it farther than they have since the 1995 season – the NFC Championship game. That also means Dallas has a chance to extend its 16-game home winning streak at AT&T Stadium.
Micah Parsons and Jordan Love
Micah Parsons and Jordan Love
“On our end, it starts off with us taking care of this one,” Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott said. “We can talk about the opportunity, this and that, but the opportunity is right now with this game. I’d be getting ahead of myself if I didn’t say it’s today and the rest of these meetings and our approach.”
It’s the third season in a row that Dallas has gone 12-5 and reached the playoffs, and the second time in three seasons the Cowboys are NFC East champions. It marks the first time Dallas has had three consecutive playoff appearances since six in a row from 1991-1996 – a run that included three Super Bowl titles.
“Experience is everything,” said Dallas receiver CeeDee Lamb, who set club records with an NFL-best 135 catches for 1,749 yards. “I feel like we have a lot of guys that have also been on the team for quite some time and we all went through the same scars and we’re not trying to feel that again.”
The Cowboys elevated LBs Malik Jefferson and Buddy Johnson from the practice squad on Saturday.
Jefferson (illness) is questionable for the game. QB Cooper Rush (illness) remained a DNP for the Saturday practice and is still questionable for tomorrow’s game. … meaning Trey Lance must be ready to be the No. 2 QB.
The upstart Packers are making their 10th trip to the playoffs since a 31-25 Super Bowl XLV win over the Steelers at AT&T Stadium, but it’s the first with Jordan Love under center. Love replaced Aaron Rodgers who was traded to the Jets.
Love threw 18 touchdown passes and just one interception over Green Bay’s final eight games as the Packers went 6-2 to roll into the playoffs with the NFC’s final seed.
WHAT: Green Bay Packers (9-8, 4-5 Road) at Dallas Cowboys (12-5, 8-0 Home)
WHERE: AT&T Stadium, Arlington, TX (100,000)
WHEN: Sunday, Jan. 14, 2024, 3:30 p.m. CT
TELEVISION: FOX | FuboTV (try it free)
RADIO: KRLD-FM 105.3 The Fan
TICKETS:SI Tickets
BETTING: SI SportsBook
SPREAD: Cowboys -7.5
TOTAL: 50.5
MONEYLINE: Packers +265, Cowboys -333