One of the more anticipated games of the entire NFL season is on deck this Sunday when the Green Bay Packers take on the Dallas Cowboys on "Sunday Night Football."
All eyes, of course, will be on star pass-rusher Micah Parsons, who will be making his return to AT&T Stadium to face his former team. As much attention as that will get from now until kickoff, the Cowboys need to focus on improving their defense, or it may be a happy homecoming for Parsons when all is said and done.
The Cowboys (1-2) are 27th in the league on defense (30.7 PPG), per TeamRankings, while Green Bay (2-1) leads the NFL with 14.7 points per game allowed. ESPN analyst and former QB Dan Orlovsky does not see any chance of Dallas coming away with a win if its defense does not improve.
"The Cowboys are going to get whooped. This offense without (wide receiver) CeeDee Lamb and with two offensive linemen out, going against this defensive line that's one of, if not the best pass-rushing defensive lines in football, they're gonna get smoked," Orlovsky said. "And then this defense going against (quarterback) Jordan Love and this offense that's gonna hunt big plays in chunks, and they can't rush the passer, they've blown coverages. The best case scenario for the Cowboys is keeping this thing under three touchdowns."
"The Cowboys are going to get whooped."
— Get Up (@GetUpESPN) September 25, 2025
—@danorlovsky7 on Cowboys-Packers pic.twitter.com/XVwyI87Jwd
The Cowboys defense has been atrocious so far. It was even more evident in Sunday's loss to the Chicago Bears when it allowed a 19-play drive that lasted nearly 10 minutes in the third quarter. With star wideout CeeDee Lamb doubtful for Sunday with a high ankle sprain and guard Tyler Booker (ankle) and center Cooper Beebe (right ankle) out of action, there will be even more pressure on QB Dak Prescott and Dallas' improved rushing attack to keep it in the game.
Someone on the Cowboys defense who should not be taken lightly is defensive end Kenny Clark, who was sent to Dallas from Green Bay as part of the Parsons trade. He already has 10 tackles, one sack and one tackle for loss with Dallas, and is hyped to go against his former team.
It will be a tall task for Dallas on Sunday night, though, as the Packers have yet to allow an opponent to score 20 points on them this season. That type of performance defensively, coupled with Dallas' inability to get off the field on defense, does not sound encouraging if the Cowboys are going to come away victorious.
All gloves are off when the two teams face each other on Sunday night, but if the on-field performance so far tells us anything, Dallas could have a difficult time slowing Green Bay down if its defense looks the same as it has through the first three weeks.
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