Green Bay Packers-Dallas Cowboys: Rematch To Establish Early NFC Supremecy

When the Packers and Cowboys met last year in Texas Stadium, both teams were 10-1 and looking to put a lock on home field advantage throughout the NFC playoffs. This week, the Packers and Cowboys again will battle to help determine the pecking order in a very talented NFC.

Yet this time around, you won't see Brett Favre trying to out-sling Tony Romo. Favre was traded to the New York Jets this off-season.

Insert Aaron Rodgers, who through two games this season has the Packers 2-0, and has a quarterback rating of 117.8 with four touchdown passes. Rodgers had his first opportunity to show the Packers brass what he could do last year in this same game, when Favre went down in the second quarter with an arm injury.

He entered the game down 27-10, but rallied the Packers within a field goal before losing the game 37-27.

Rodgers will try to build on that momentum last year and what he has already built this season Sunday night at Lambeau Field. While the Cowboys will undoubtedly try to get pressure on Rodgers, pressure is something Rodgers has beaten in stride this season so far.

The season opener, a Monday night game against the rival Minnesota Vikings no less, was Rodgers' first professional start. Add that he was following a first ballot Hall of Famer and Green Bay icon in Favre, and you can only imagine the amount of pressure that was bearing down on Rodgers.

However, Rodgers calmly completed 18-of-22 passes for 178 yards and a touchdown, leading the Packers to a 24-19 win over their hated border rivals. Rodgers then followed up that performance by throwing for 328 yards and three touchdowns in his first road win against Detroit.

Apparently, pressure doesn't get to Aaron Rodgers.

The offense seems to be clicking on all cylinders, but the defense is the concern going into the game against 2-0 Dallas. The Cowboys have an explosive offense with quite possibly the most talented skill position players in the NFL.

Romo leads the Cowboys attack, but he gets plenty of help. Running back Marion Barber already has four touchdowns on the season, which ranks him second in the NFL. Wide receiver Terrell Owens has caught three of Romo's four touchdown passes.

Add to them reliable tight end Jason Witten (13 recs, 206 yards) and first round pick Felix Jones (two TD's), and you can see why the Cowboys are giving Packers defensive coordinator Bob Sanders nightmares.

Last year, the problems started up front for Sanders' defensive unit, as they were unable to get any pressure on Romo. The Packers did not register a sack, and Romo had several occasions when he had more then enough time to find open receivers.

While Sanders may be enticed to blitz the Cowboys, he should take note from what happened last week when the Philadelphia Eagles were routinely beaten with big plays when they blitzed Romo. The Packers best strategy to beat the Cowboys might be to simply keep their offense off the field.

The Packers will need long, sustained drives from Rodgers and company to ensure the defense is well-rested to stop the Cowboys. However, this could be hampered by Packers running back Ryan Grant's nagging hamstring injury. While he has played in both games, he has yet to finish out a game and looked far from polished last week against the Lions porous run defense (15 carries, 20 yards).

Replacing Grant in both games was second year back Brandon Jackson, and Jackson has looked like a new runner this year. Jackson was dubbed by Coach Mike McCarthy as a "breakout candidate" this year, and he has done nothing to prove his coach wrong. When he entered for Grant last week in the fourth quarter, Jackson ran for 61 yards including a 19 yard touchdown on fourth and one with the Packers trailing.

So if Grant struggles early with his hamstring, expect to see a heavy dose of Jackson. Jackson will have to help Rodgers convert on third down's to keep the Cowboys offense in the only place on the field they can't score—the sidelines.

While this game might not decide home field advantage like a year ago, it will be important for both teams' momentum. Beating an elite conference foe would do wonders for the confidence of either team, but especially the Packers'.

While they did beat the Vikings on the Monday night opener, the Vikings aren't the Cowboys. With a win Sunday night, Rodgers can firmly plant the Packers on the perch of the NFC elites, and continue to help Wisconsinites forget about that guy named Favre.

Notes: Green Bay beat Dallas 41-20 last time these two met at Lambeau in 2004, when Ahman Green ran for a 90 yard touchdown...Romo is from Burlington, Wisconsin, and grew up a Packer fan. This will be Romo's first start at Lambeau Field...This will mark the fourth meeting of these two teams at Lambeau since the 1967 "Ice Bowl." The Packers are 3-0 previously....

Injury Report

Green Bay

Probable --  C. Clifton (knee), K. Gbaja-Biamila (knee), R. Grant (hamstring), S. Wells (back), C. Woodson (toe)

Questionable -- K. Hall (knee), T. Humphrey (knee), R. Martin (finger), J. Sitton (knee)

Out -- A. Bigby (hamstring)

Dallas

Probable -- K. Kosier (foot), T. Newman (groin), M. Austin (knee), I. Stanbeck (shoulder), J. Witten (shoulder)

Questionable -- S. Hurd (ankle)

Out -- D. Anderson (knee), A. Spencer (knee), R. Williams (forearm)