Dallas Cowboys vs. Green Bay Packers: What's the Game Plan for Green Bay?

The Green Bay Packers can stretch their NFC North lead on Sunday when the Dallas Cowboys visit Lambeau Field for a Week 14 battle of two teams desperate for wins ahead of the playoffs. 

The Packers (8-4) now sit a half-game atop the divisional standings after the rival Minnesota Vikings lost on Thursday night. Green Bay's win last week stopped a recent slump of four losses in five weeks—a stretch that followed a 6-0 start to the season. 

Meanwhile, the Cowboys (4-8) are somehow still in the thick of things in the NFC East after their Monday night victory over the Washington Redskins and are just a game back of the divisional lead. 

The all-time series between these two conference foes is knotted at 16-16, yet the Packers have won the last four meetings—including last year's divisional playoff game. Sunday's contest will be a reunion of sorts for Dallas wide receiver Dez Bryant, who returns to Lambeau for the first time since his controversial no-catch a year ago.

Let's first get into some game plans Green Bay could use on both the offensive and defensive side of the ball Sunday in its matchup with Dallas.

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Offensive Game Plan

Although its backfield has been in flux all season long, Green Bay would be smart to stick to the ground game against Dallas.  

For starters, the Cowboys pass defense has been one of the league's best this season. The unit has allowed the fifth-lowest passing yards per game (222.4) while opposing quarterbacks have attempted the third-fewest passes per game (32.3) against them.

These numbers may be skewed a bit, considering Dallas has trailed in nearly all of its games—resulting in teams running out the clock late. But it's not like the Cowboys struggle against the rush, either. They rank in the middle of the pack in that category, allowing the 18th-most rushing yards per contest (104.1).

Also, consider the weather forecast for Sunday's game. There is a 100 percent chance of rain in Green Bay around game time, according to The Weather Channel.

This clearly favors the run, as wet and slippery conditions make dropped passes and turnovers more likely—mistakes the Packers can't afford to make. They have six fumbles and two interceptions in their last two games to go along with four dropped passes two weeks ago in a Thanksgiving loss to Chicago on a similar rainy night at home. 

All signs are pointing toward a run-dominant attack for the Packers on offense this weekend. If anything, it could provide a chance to sort out their drama at running back with the playoffs nearing. 

The running game has long been a late-season strength for head coach Mike McCarthy, who is 14-6 over the final month of the season since 2010. 

"You have to run the football and you have to stop the run," McCarthy said earlier this week, via Rob Demovsky of ESPN. "You're not going to beat the good teams being one-dimensional. And to be two-dimensional, you've got to run it to set up the pass because with that you have the ability to be an action-pass team and a dropback. That's our focus each and every week, and it will be no different Sunday."

With four games remaining, though, there's no predicting which tailback McCarthy will lean on in the ground game. 

Eddie Lacy has struggled all year but was coming off his two best games of the season before a missed curfew ahead of last week's win over Detroit cost him major playing time. 

Here's Demovsky on where Lacy stands following his recent mistake:

"

...it appeared McCarthy was all-in with Lacy, giving him 39 total carries in the previous two games, and Lacy responded with 205 yards combined against the Vikings and Bears. Last season, Lacy played his best football late in the year, when he averaged nearly 105 yards per game over the final four regular-season games plus playoffs.

"

Then there's the combination of James Starks and rookie John Crockett—a duo that McCarthy relied on against the Lions. Starks has been a viable receiver out of the backfield all year, while the recently promoted Crockett added some fresh legs to the offense.  

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Defensive Game Plan

With Matt Cassel running the Dallas offense in place of the injured Tony Romo, it's no secret where the unit's weakness lies. 

The Cowboys passing game has struggled lately—even with star wideout Dez Bryant back healthy. As talented as he is, he still needs a competent quarterback to feed him the ball.

Obviously, Bryant presents a matchup problem for any secondary, but Green Bay's defense must instead focus on limiting tailback Darren McFadden in the running game. 

McFadden has struggled lately while losing carries to Robert Turbin over the past two games—yet that shouldn't take away from what he's done since becoming the featured back in Dallas in Week 7.

The table below shows McFadden's stats in 2015 so far, split into the three phases of his season as a ball-carrier for the Cowboys. 

Split	Carries	Rushing Yards	Yards/Rush
Weeks 1-5	37	129	3.5
Weeks 7-11	122	494	4.1
Weeks 12-13	24	64	2.7

During Weeks 1 to 5, McFadden split carries with Joseph Randle and saw 10 carries in a game just twice during the stretch while never rushing for more than 35 yards in any contest. 

When he took over as the lead back in Week 7, you can see how much McFadden's production increased over the next five games. He rushed for at least 100 yards three separate times—including a 29-carry, 152-yard performance against the New York Giants in his first game as the every-down back—and more than tripled his total yardage from the early portion of the year. 

The last two games have seen a reduced number of touches for McFadden, as the Cowboys begin to manage his workload and give his backup Turbin more playing time. 

Still, with wet and rainy conditions expected for Sunday's game, we could see McFadden back in his lead role for Dallas as the run game becomes even more essential. 

If the Packers can stop McFadden and the rushing attack early—while simultaneously building a lead—it will force the Cowboys to go to the air with Cassel leading the way. 

And if that's the case, the results are already in the Green Bay defense's favor.

Players and Matchups to Watch

WR Ty Montgomery

Montgomery is 50-50 for Sunday's game and was listed as questionable on the Packers' Friday injury report after practicing on a limited basis all week—the rookie wideout is recovering from a high ankle sprain that's kept him sidelined nearly two months. 

Matt Ludtke/Associated Press

If he plays, though, look for quarterback Aaron Rodgers to get the speedy playmaker involved early as a vote of confidence and to test his ankle out. 

The Green Bay offense is in desperate need of another option in the passing game opposite Randall Cobb. Veteran receiver James Jones has shown signs of life but has been inconsistent week-to-week. Davante Adams has played nicely, but some bad drops and route-running have cost the Packers a few wins lately. 

CB Sam Shields vs. Cowboys WR Dez Bryant

Sunday's game will pit a rematch between two players in the middle of controversy during last year's divisional playoff round. Cowboys wideout Dez Bryant and Packers corner Sam Shields will meet for the first time since the "No Catch" game. In their one-on-one meeting, Bryant caught just three passes for 38 yards—but it was Shields' "pass breakup" on a near-Bryant reception at the goal line in the fourth quarter that had everyone talking. 

This week, Shields will be tasked with covering Bryant yet again in a showdown of each team's No. 1 cornerback and wide receiver, respectively. 

Matt Ludtke/Associated Press

"My main thing is it's just one-on-one," Shields said of his matchup with Bryant, via Lori Nickel of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. "It's good against good. He's going to catch some, I'm going to make some plays. That's how it's going to go throughout the game. My main thing is being focused on my job each and every down and just playing one-on-one football."

Bryant has been limited for much of the season with separate foot and knee injuries, but that won't stop Shields from respecting the guy across from him on Sunday.

"He's the same dude," Shields said of Bryant, via Nickel. "He's been hurt but that's something you can't think about. You've got to play him like he's not hurt because you never know. Everybody can still play when they're hurt and he's one of them."

This should be a good battle all game long.

Game Prediction

The Packers are lucky they aren't facing the strongest Cowboys team possible. If Tony Romo is healthy, this game becomes a lot closer.

Still, Green Bay shouldn't expect its 4-8 opponent to be a pushover by any means. Dallas is hungry for wins right now, as it sits just a game back in the division with a chance at the playoffs still at large in such a dismal NFC East. 

Meanwhile, the Packers must rediscover their identity on offense during these final four games of the season. Their own half-game lead over Minnesota in the division isn't safe if they don't. 

Luckily, their defense has played strongly lately and allowed Aaron Rodgers and Co. to make some comebacks in recent games.

Last week against Detroit, the Packers barely survived another upset, as the offense found itself needing to score late after being down 17-0 at halftime. 

If they aren't careful, the Packers may have to come back against the Cowboys on Sunday, as well. And with the way the team's been playing, a win doesn't look all that easy to come by.

Final Prediction: Packers 23, Cowboys 20