For the second time in the last three seasons, the Cowboys will face the Green Bay Packers in the divisional round of the NFC playoffs.
The Packers blew past the New York Giants, 38-13, on Sunday evening, setting up a divisional round matchup with the No. 1 seed Cowboys. However, unlike the Packers' 26-21 win against the Cowboys in the 2014 playoffs, this matchup will come at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
It'll also be a rematch from the 2016 regular season, as the Cowboys and Packers have gotten quite familiar in recent years. Dallas traveled to Lambeau Field on Oct. 16 and topped Green Bay, 30-16, in a dominant showing against what was then the NFL's top-ranked run defense.
The Cowboys rolled to 424 total yards on the way to just their second-ever win at Lambeau, as Ezekiel Elliott rushed for 157 yards and Dak Prescott threw for 247 yards and three touchdowns.
The casts have changed a bit since that matchup. That game was the last appearance of the season for Green Bay running back Eddie Lacy, who soon went to injured reserve with an ankle injury. Ty Montgomery, who has become the Packers' leading rusher in the second half of the season, took just his second carry of the season that weekend.
Meanwhile, the Cowboys were without Dez Bryant, who missed three games in the early going of the season with a small fracture in his knee.
Bryant will undoubtedly be a focal point during the buildup to this game. After all, the reversal of his famous 4th-and-2 catch in that playoff game was a flashpoint of the 2014 season – and one of the most iconic moments in recent NFL playoff history.
That game certainly appears to have sparked a bit of a rivalry between the two NFC clubs. The Packers downed a reeling Cowboys team, 28-7, last December at Lambeau Field. Green Bay was also out to a strong 3-1 start in October, when the Cowboys ground them down to the tune of 191 total rushing yards.
That game was also a highpoint for the Dallas defense, as the Cowboys allowed just one touchdown, recovered three fumbles and intercepted Aaron Rodgers. The Packers settled for three field goals, and they didn't find the end zone until there was just 6:53 remaining on the clock in a 30-9 game.
The win over the Giants improved the Packers' win streak to seven games, as they have not lost since a 42-24 beating at the hands of Washington way back on Nov. 20. After a slow start, Aaron Rodgers put together a fantastic game, dicing up the New York defense for 362 yards and four touchdowns on 25-of-40 passing.
Davante Adams and Randall Cobb both went over 100 yards receiving for the Packers, though Green Bay appeared to suffer multiple injuries during the course of the win. Pro Bowl wide out Jordy Nelson left the game before halftime after taking a helmet to the ribs. Montgomery exited in the second half after landing awkwardly during a tackle, but he did return toward the tail end of the game.
The Cowboys are hopeful to be at their healthiest in several months when they finally kick off this postseason. Tyron Smith and Justin Durant were the only players on the roster who did not participate in Friday's bye week practice, though Cowboys coach Jason Garrett said he's optimistic both players will be ready for next weekend.
The Dallas defense appears set to get some reinforcements in time for the game. DeMarcus Lawrence, Tyrone Crawford, Terrell McClain, Cedric Thornton and Morris Claiborne all took part in last week's practices, giving hope that the Cowboys might be at full strength when game time rolls around.
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