Packers Defense Needs to Stack the Box Against the Dallas Cowboys

The Dallas Cowboys offense is a machine. Forcing defenses to pick their poison, they have four legitimate pass-catching threats, one of the best running backs in the league, a more than qualified passer and potentially the best offensive line in the NFL.

The Green Bay Packers offense is fairly similar to Dallas'. Packers fans know how potent their scoring potential is on a play-to-play basis. Rarely are teams able to slow down, let alone shut down, the offense led by MVP favorite Aaron Rodgers.

So, if the offenses are identical and no one can stop Green Bay, how is it supposed to stop the Cowboys on Sunday in Lambeau Field?

The key to today's NFL is being able to stall the run game while still in nickel defense. Most teams' offenses are based out of 11 personnel looks, meaning one running back and one tight end, giving them three wideouts.

Earlier in the NFL's time span, a base defense was either a 3-4 or a 4-3. This allowed for seven box defenders to cover the seven gaps from the outside shoulders of the weak-side tackle to the strong-side tight end.

Now that the NFL has ditched most two-back looks, teams are asked to cover those same seven gaps, but they're also assigned with covering an extra receiver.

This is one reason why scoring rates keep rising as years pass by.

When studying Dallas' most recent game, its 24-20 win over the Detroit Lions in the Wild Card Round, one thing becomes evident: You need to stack the box against the Cowboys.

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Dallas began exploiting Detroit when it was willingly giving the Cowboys a nickel advantage. They came out in an 11 personnel set but also dropped a receiver as an extra tight end, making him a potential blocker.

When looking at Detroit's 4-2 defense, the hole in the run game seemed obvious. It had no box defender assigned to the left C-gap—between Tyron Smith, one of the best left tackles in the league, and Jason Witten, a future Hall of Fame tight end.

The first player who had a shot to make a stop on run defense, at least on paper, should have been one of the safeties. Even then, DeMarco Murray, who broke the Cowboys' franchise record for rushing yards in a season this year, isn't the back you want to face with a downhill head of steam.

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The play called by Dallas worked to hit Detroit right where it would hurt, too. The inside zone run put two tandems of double-teams on the interior defensive linemen, the Lions' strength, then had one member of each tandem work to the second level to secure the linebackers.

On zone plays with a capable running back, vision should lead the back to any chink in the armor of a defensive front.

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Right before Murray gets the handoff, you see the double-teams take place. By the time he touches the ball, the line, absolutely in rhythm, will have the box sealed.

Unfortunately for Murray, the free gap (highlighted in red) might be compromised based on this look. The defensive back assigned over the receiver playing tight end took an inside angle to hit the hole, meaning the receiver would then have to back around Witten to make the block.

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The receiver got a piece of the defensive back—enough to get him off balance when making his tackling attempt on Murray, who blew threw his arms.

Even with a failed blocking assignment, the Lions were lined up poorly enough to let Murray rip off a big gain.

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Dropping a shoulder on the safety, the only man standing between he and a score, Murray was brought down for a 17-yard gain. Backed up against their own end zone, the Cowboys should have never been able to net a play like that. 

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This rep in the third quarter was a much better example of how Detroit went about stopping Dallas on the ground.

In the red zone, the Lions finally stacked the box against 11 personnel, accounting for every gap on the field. Unlike on the previous play, there is no weakness in this defensive front as long as everyone gets their assignments figured out.

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The play this time was an outside zone (stretch) run. The first opportunity to cut in came for Murray, and while there was a lane, there were also two Lions defenders with free outside shoulders waiting to attack him.

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Murray then continued outside, the right call, as those previous two defenders spilled in the running lane.

Outside, though, Murray didn't have much luck, either. Again, two blue jerseys with outside shoulders free were waiting for the back.

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In the end, he was dragged down by six Lions for a net run of zero yards.

That's how you draw up stopping Murray.

Now, stacking the box sounds easier said than done, but the Packers can get it done. With the addition of safety Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, the back end of the defense has looked much better than early in the season and in 2013.

With Clinton-Dix's ability to play single-high safety, Green Bay is now able to keep the top on the defense while also dropping strong safety Morgan Burnett, a playoff captain, into the box as a run defender.

If one wants to beat the 11 personnel craze, that's where the talent needs to be—both in the run and pass game.

Against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Burnett even got a sack after lining up at the line of scrimmage while Clinton-Dix covered the middle of the field. In 2013, that play isn't even brought up, as Burnett was by far more competent than M.D. Jennings in the secondary.

Really, Burnett had possibly his best game ever in Tampa Bay, flying all over the field while allowed to play in the box.

The bad news is the Cowboys can move the ball all over the majority of the NFL, and the Packers are slated to face them in the first game of their playoff run. The good news is Green Bay is built perfectly to play strength-on-strength football in that aspect.

The Packers shouldn't be scared to stack the box on Sunday. In fact, they should be encouraged to do it.