The Green Bay Packers are set to play host to the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday Night Football, and over the past two weeks, everything has been going as we have foreseen.
The Packers have handled business against two teams with backup quarterbacks, but their Sunday night matchup against Dak Prescott and the Cowboys will be their biggest hurdle to clear during this critical stretch.
The Cowboys are coming off an ugly loss at home against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, so they're going to be motivated to come to Green Bay and pull off the upset. Though, with Green Bay set at just a 1.5-point home favorite, the oddsmakers clearly don't hate Dallas's chances.
If these three bold predictions come to fruition, a spread of 1.5 points is going to look silly.
Bold predictions for the Packers in their Sunday night matchup against Cowboys
1. Lukas Van Ness sacks Dak Prescott three times
Packers pass rusher Lukas Van Ness doesn't have a sack in the last three games combined, so he needs to make up for some lost time.
The Packers' pass rush really got after Tyson Bagent last week, notching four sacks and 10 QB hits. They're obviously not going up against Bagent again this week, and Dak Prescott is one of the best in the NFL at avoiding being sacked.
He's taken just six sacks so far this season on 192 pass attempts, and would be on pace for the lowest sack percentage (3.03 percent) of his NFL career so far.
But we're here to make bold predictions, so let's start with our best fastball.
This is a big year for Van Ness, obviously. The Packers already exercised his contract option for 2027, but he could be in line for a big extension if he can be a dominant pass rusher in games like this. The Packers won't have Micah Parsons back yet, so someone else has to continue to step up.
I'm anticipating a big game from Van Ness.
2. Tucker Kraft goes off for 100-plus receiving yards
Both Christian Watson and Matthew Golden had over 100 yards receiving for the Packers against the Chicago Bears, and both players averaged over 20 yards per reception.
The passing game was firing on all cylinders against Chicago, and now the Packers get to face off against one of the league's worst pass defenses. Jordan Love is undoubtedly already licking his chops, but so is tight end Tucker Kraft.
Kraft is coming off one of his best performances of the season statistically, with five receptions for 64 yards. After seeing his buddies at the receiver position get over 100 yards against Chicago, it's Kraft's turn for the spotlight against the Cowboys.
So far this season, the Cowboys have allowed the sixth-most yards per target against opposing tight ends. With Kraft heating up, the Cowboys won't be able to handle the steady dose of No. 85 they're about to get. Kraft is going to be the next to eclipse 100 receiving yards.
3. Packers run for 130-plus yards as a team
The highest rushing total the Packers have had in a game so far this season is 86 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers just two weeks ago.
Yikes.
The Packers need a get-right game for their running game, and you have to figure it's going to come at some point...right?
Here is a quick look at how the Cowboys rank against the run so far this season:
- First downs against: 43
- Rushing TDs against: 6 (22nd)
- Rushing yards against: 842 (32nd)
- Yards per carry against: 5.1 (29th)
If ever there were a chance for a get-right game from the Packers' running backs, it would have to be this one. This is a golden opportunity for Green Bay to try to get some type of bread and butter figured out in the running game with MarShawn Lloyd and Kaleb Johnson.
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