Ice Bowl II? Seven Reasons Why the Cowboys and Packers Top the NFC

The 1967 NFL Championship between the Dallas Cowboys and Green Bay Packers was to be a christening for what would be, without equivocation, the best team in football. Both had obliterated the two teams in their path in the divisional round, and both had two of the greatest coaches to ever lead an NFL team in Tom Landry and Vince Lombardi. The Packers won the game 21-17, and won Super Bowl I two weeks later by defeating the Oakland Raiders. 

44 Super Bowls later, the NFC is stocked with elite teams. However, like in 1967, the Green Bay Packers and Dallas Cowboys stand out.

Click for the top 7 reasons why the Packers and Cowboys will meet in the NFC Title Game in 2010.

7. Dependable Rushing Attacks

While their rushing scenarios are quite different, both the Packers and Cowboys have reliable running backs that have proven they can get the job done.

Packers: Ryan Grant burst onto the scene for the Packers in Week 8 of the 2007 season. Despite not having any sort of role in the Green Bay offense that year until that week, he still accumulated over 900 rushing yards. In the past two years, he has gathered over 1,200 rushing yards both years as a modem of offensive consistency since Brett Favre's departure from the green and gold.

Cowboys: The Cowboys ave the best three-headed rushing monster in the league. Felix Jones is a threat to score from anywhere on the field, Tashard Choice is the most complete runner on the team, and if the Cowboys can start to use Marion Barber in a role he is better suited for, such as they did early in his career, he can really succeed as he did then.

6. Consistent Coaching

There was very little change in both the Packers' and Cowboys' coaching staffs this offseason, which means another year for each unit to stay comfortable in the systems that worked for the teams in 2009.

Cowboys: There was almost no turnover in the coaching staff after last season. Tony Romo excelled in his third season under offensive coordinator Jason Garrett last year, and another offseason and training camp definitely can't hurt that cause. Wade Phillips is once again running a defense that was dominant last year and now knows his tendencies for defensive play-calling.

Packers: There were some growing pains at the beginning of last year as the defense adjusted to Dom Capers' 3-4 scheme, however they emerged much stronger in the second half of 2009 and finished as the number two defense in the NFL. Green Bay will benefit will all their players having another year of experience in this system. Stability is important for a quarterback, and Aaron Rodgers has been in the same offensive system since he came into the league.

5. Smart Offseason Moves

Both Dallas and Green Bay made moves to sure up spots of weakness last year, both in the draft and in key signing and releases.

Packers: In the first part of last season, Aaron Rodgers took such a beating it appeared he would never last through the whole season. However, in the second half of the season, the offensive line improved drastically, and by drafting Brian Bulaga with their first-round pick, Green Bay has sured up their offensive line even more. Also in allowing aging and struggling outside linebacker Aaron Kampman to leave for Jacksonville, the Packers are able to develop a younger player who started out in Dom Capers system, like Brad Jones.

Cowboys: Dallas took some calculated risks in releasing mainstay left tackle Flozell Adams and underperforming free safety Ken Hamlin in the offseason. However, in doing so they have been able to develop two young players with lots of upside in Doug Free and Alan Ball. Also, a smart move was trading the NFL leader in most piles jumped on after the tackle has already been made (Bobby Carpenter) for an insurance policy at left tackle in Alex Barron. They also had a successful draft in snagging talented wideout Dez Bryant and underrated former Penn State inside linebacker Sean Lee.

4. Strong Recieving Corps

Both teams boast two dependable players and several young recievers with lots of potential.

Cowboys: Sure, Roy Williams has enormously underperformed his contract. However, the emergence of Miles Austin last season saved the Cowboys from making a big mistake in releasing Terrell Owens. Patrick Crayton is a reciever that has been extremely consistent for this team. Great things are being said by the coaching staff about what Dez Bryant showed in OTAs and in training camp before his ankle sprain. Also, watch for second-year man Kevin Ogletree to make an impact to this team similar to the one he made in the Saints game last year, key receptions when the team needs it most.

Packers: Greg Jennings is the number one reciever on this team, and he has fulfilled that role beautifully since emerging as a threat to score at any time and place on the field in 2007. Donald Driver recently signed a two-year extension to continue to be Ol' Reliable for Aaron Rodgers. Fourth-year man James Jones is a speedy downfield threat to watch for a break-out season if either Driver or Jennings goes down for an extended period of time. Jordy Nelson will remain the kick returner and could emerge as a dependable slot man for Aaron Rodgers.

3. Too Much Unknown for the Competition

Of course, the big uncertainty looming across the NFC is whether or not Brett Favre will return for his 20th NFL season. However, there are plenty of other teams with lots of questions. Will Matt Ryan play better than he did last year in Atlanta? Are the Saints going to be victims of the post-Super Bowl hangover? Will Alex Smith continue the good things he began at the end of last year or revert to the ways that garnered him the "bust" title he was given? While Kevin Kolb is talented, will he suffer a harsh first season such as the one Aaron Rodgers did when he took over for Brett Favre? Can Mike Martz fix Jay Cutler in Chicago? There are many more questions for many other teams, including the Cowboys and Packers, but Green Bay and Dallas both have the least question marks of any NFC teams.

2. Solid Defenses

The Cowboys and Packers are very similar defensively, and both were outstanding on that side of the ball in 2009, particularly at the end of the season.

Cowboys: You know they will get after the quarterback with All-Pro DeMarcus Ware and talented Anthony Spencer at the outside linebackers. They absolutely stuffed the run at the end of last year with probably the best front seven in all of football. They have a great tandem of corners in emerging star Mike Jenkins and Terence Newman. While there are questions at the safety postion, Gerald Sensabaugh was solid for most of last year and Alan Ball showed glimpses of brilliance in 2009.

Packers: They were the number two overall defense in the NFL in 2009, and first against the run. They, like Dallas, have a great front seven and star-in-the-making with second-year man Clay Matthews. They have possibly the best cornerback tandem in the league in 2009 NFL Defensive Player of the Year Charles Woodson and perennial Pro-Bowler Al Harris. They are, for the most part, set at safety with Nick Collins and Nintendo, sorry, Atari Bigby.

1. Stellar Quarterback Play

Both the Cowboys and Packers have two of the top five quarterbacks in the league in Aaron Rodgers and Tony Romo. Both were absolutely fantastic last year, with each throwing less than 10 interceptions and more than 26 touchdowns. Both Rodgers and Romo threw for over 4,400 yards in 2009 and are artists in making something out of nothing. Quarterback is widely regarded as the most important position in all of sports, and Green Bay and Dallas both have gems under center.

There's the top seven reasons why the Ice Bowl II is bound to happen next January. You have my opinion, but I know there's a lot of you out there that are sure to disagree with me. Post who you think will play in the NFC Title Game this year in the comments below.