Nick at Nite: What could go right? What could go wrong?

Nick at Nite: What could go wrong? What could be wrong? FRISCO, Texas – Another year and another playoff run for the Dallas Cowboys. Fortunately, that has become the norm under coach Mike McCarthy, but postseason success has yet to pay off. Heading into the playoffs this time, the setup couldn’t be better for the Cowboys to record their deepest postseason run since 1995. They are guaranteed at least two home playoff games in the wild card and divisional rounds, avoiding the San Francisco 49ers all the way to a potential NFC Championship Game and avoid the NFC’s hottest team in the Los Angeles Rams until the next round. Conference championship potential. The Cowboys’ goal is to not only compete for the NFC title, but also advance to the Super Bowl. However, some issues are still unresolved. Let’s look at the positive side. What could go wrong for the Cowboys and what can help them get to the Las Vegas game in a month? I think it’s the most reliable and consistent thing the Cowboys have had in a while, which is Dak Prescott and C.D. I think it starts with the Lamb connection.
Lamb’s multiple franchise records make him the best quarterback-receiver pairing in franchise history, and he has the potential to be a key part of the 2023 postseason. “We’re fourth and 88th, that’s enough hope for me,” Jayron Kearse said Monday. “This is the best quarterback-receiver duo in the league.”

Then things looked rough on the defensive side of the ball in the loss to Buffalo. Without Johnathan Hankins, the Cowboys defense gave up more rushing yards in that game than in any game since 2013 and left Orchard Park with a loss reminiscent of the loss they suffered at Santa Clara earlier in the season.
Now that Hankins is healthy again, the defense is coming out of nowhere, limiting opponents to just 88 rushing yards per game and 17 points per game through three games. The running game’s issues appear to have been resolved with the addition of Hankins under center, and the secondary remains solid.
The last point I will discuss regarding the Green Bay game is that there is a good chance the Cowboys can use something to their advantage to win this game. But this time, in fact, that is not the case. Play at AT&T Stadium. Winning possession battles has been instrumental in determining the outcome of games this season, with the Cowboys leading the team 8-2 in the stat. If they keep the ball for more than 35 minutes, it’s definitely 6-0. The Packers defense is good at preventing explosive passing plays. Ranked in the top 10 in passing plays of 20 yards or more allowed this season. This is the result of a zone mesh defense that holds everything down and allows opposing offenses to work. Passing game in the short to medium game. As fast as Dak Prescott is, this offense works great because he likes to run the ball. This will help it withstand long trips and will eventually remove the large parts from the watch.
Additionally, the Packers defense is one of the worst in the NFL, making explosive running plays possible. This means you can make quick gains of 10 meters or more. Tony Ledard and Rico-Wattle have been confident in recent weeks in recent weeks and can be exploded in recent weeks. .
Cowboy sure began as the first starter of Jordan and exceeded the seven and second shock at the end of the season. What about his gun? What about the Packers’ top six receivers? Are they all rookies or second year players? It’s amazing that Green Bay coach Matt LaFleur has been able to lead an offense with so little experience this season and the Packers are still alive in the second week of January.
One of the main takeaways for the Cowboys defense is securing Jordan Love. In 2023, with an average of 1.8 sacks allowed per game, the Packers ranked in the top three in the NFL in holding backs clean, which improved as the season progressed with just two sacks allowed in the last three games. .
However, this will be one of those rare instances where the Cowboys defense has more experience in these types of games and atmospheres than their opponents. On the downside, the team still has some crutches and still has weaknesses, some of which are kills and mid-range offense.
The Cowboys enter the playoffs as the second most sanctioned team in the entire NFL and the most among playoff teams. These violations came in the form of disciplinary infractions (offsides, false starts, passer/foot displacement, etc.) and physical plays (masking, holding, etc.). When it rains yellow, the Cowboys seem to pour yellow. But in the second half of the season, you can feel confident about what lies ahead (4.3 penalties per game in the last three games). The Cowboys finished the season as the second-most productive team in the second quarter (9.8 points per game), but those numbers were heavily hampered by the league’s fourth-lowest point total over the last three games. Dallas has struggled all season from halftime to the third quarter, ranking 22nd in three-frame scoring. Who was first in this category? This is Jordan Love’s couple. If the Cowboys dominated possession for at least 35 minutes in the first half and came out on fire at halftime, there’s no reason for them to come home. Starting Sunday, it’s Divisional Round Win Week.
But there’s no reason this team can’t play in the NFC Championship Game in two weeks. We have a lot of football ahead of us and I think this is very fitting for the Dallas Cowboys in January.