Week 6 is here, folks. Get your popcorn ready because the Green Bay Packers return to prime time to host the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday Night Football.
Green Bay is coming off its best performance of the season, a manhandling of the Chicago Bears 31-7, while Dallas looks to bounce back from an embarrassing 24-16 home loss to the previously winless Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Many are expecting a high-scoring affair. The Packers offense is starting to click now that Jordan Love has better pass protection. The Cowboys have a ton of offensive talent capable of putting up points. They’ve scored at least 30 points in three of five games.
Defensively, Green Bay has benefited from facing backup quarterbacks the past two weeks, and Dallas has been an utter disaster.
Here are three key matchups to watch:
Packers CBs Keisean Nixon and Brandon Cisse vs. Cowboys WRs CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens
The last time Nixon and Cisse faced a premier receiver, they shared responsibility in giving up 194 receiving yards to Drake London. This week, they have to cover two.
So far this season, Lamb and Pickens have combined for 66 catches, 862 yards, and five touchdowns. Green Bay’s wide receiver duo of Christian Watson and Matthew Golden is the only one that has been more productive.
Nixon has been the team’s best corner this season, but is battling a groin injury. Cisse has had stretches of solid play as a rookie, but he’s allowing a passer rating of 147.4 against his coverage, the fifth-worst among qualified corners, per Pro Football Focus. With Nixon potentially hobbled and Cisse a potential weak spot, the Packers have to find a way to slow down Lamb and Pickens.
Packers RB MarShawn Lloyd vs. Cowboys run defense
Lloyd is averaging just 2.8 yards per rushing attempt, but he’s still the team’s primary ball carrier. He reached the end zone twice during last week’s win over the Bears and was named the “Angry Runs” winner for the truck stick he had on cornerback Jaylon Johnson at the end of a 6-yard touchdown run.
While that doesn’t necessarily mean Lloyd has found his footing, there’s cause to believe he could be in store for a more efficient day against an atrocious Dallas run defense. They are dead last in rushing yards allowed per game (168.4 ypg) and are allowing over 5.0 yards per carry.
This feels like a potential get-right game for Lloyd and a Green Bay ground game that has been nonexistent.
Packers QB Jordan Love vs. Cowboys secondary
Much like his two predecessors, Love enjoys terrorizing Chicago. He’s coming off arguably the best game of his career, finishing with 25 completions on 31 attempts for 367 yards, two touchdowns, and zero interceptions for a career-high passer rating of 137.5.
On the heels of that impressive performance, Love will face a Dallas defense that has also been extremely susceptible through the air. According to PFF, they are dead last in the league in EPA per pass play allowed, pass success rate allowed, passer rating allowed, and interceptions. The Cowboys are also not very good at rushing the quarterback, which could allow Love to sit back and pick apart a struggling secondary.
Dallas expects to get Joey Porter Jr. back this week, but that may not be enough given how much confidence Love has in himself and his weapons at the moment.
This article originally appeared on Packers Wire: Packers vs. Cowboys: 3 key matchups to watch in Week 6