This year the Packer defensive line fight the Cowboys big line and won more than they lost. When the Packers were on defense, I tried to watch the first 2 seconds of the play and draw a composite line of where Packers defenders and Cowboys offensive linemen were in relation to the line of scrimmage. More often than not the Packers were pushing the pocket in, not getting locked up and engulfed.
The cast wasn't much different except for the addition of BJ Raji and having the ball 8+ minutes longer than they did last year (36-28). They can thank Charles Woodson for that. Raji also seemed to help. "Their defense brought it to us today, pure and simple," receiver Patrick Crayton said in Monday's Dallas Morning News.
You had to enjoyed watching the Hawk / Barnett twists run at full speed. The blitz on the Woodson sack - "unreviewable play" was something to behold. It was as the refs added style points by awarding the Packers the ball at the 3 yard line.
The Cowboys were getting their bells rung, and were not prepared for a "playoff intensity" game. Romo and his OL looked cornered in the late third quarter. They kept trying for that BIG play that would get them off the field.
The fans in the media who were ready to run this gang out of town if they "laid another egg" with half-hearted play were given voice by fan favorite, Donald Driver. This was a good time & place for fans to draw the line in the sand.
In 2008 they were soft, giving up 218 yards on 34 carries to Barber / Jones. Yesterday it's 32 yards on just 8 carries. Talk about abandoning the run!
This is still a team that lost decisively twice to the division leading Vikings. All the Packers have to do to nullify this victory is lose one of the next two games. The Packers were as good against Dallas as they were bad against Tampa. Wild card chase team seems like an authentic identity for the 2009 Packers. Let's see if they can settle on that and enjoy the turn of fortune against the Cowboys for now.
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