Micah Parsons makes his ballyhooed return to Dallas as Packers visit Cowboys

Green Bay (2-1) at Dallas (1-2)

Sunday, 8:20 p.m. EDT, NBC

BetMGM line: Packers by 7.

Against the spread: Packers 2-1; Cowboys 1-2.

Series record: Packers lead 22-17.

Last meeting: Packers beat Cowboys 48-32 in a wild-card playoff game in Arlington, Texas, on Jan. 14, 2024.

Last week: Packers lost to Cleveland 13-10; Cowboys lost to Chicago 31-14.

Packers offense: overall (21), rush (20), pass (17), scoring (18)

Packers defense: overall (3), rush (3), pass (7), scoring (1)

Cowboys offense: overall (4), rush (11), pass (3), scoring (10)

Cowboys defense: overall (30), rush (17), pass (32), scoring (27)

Turnover differential: Packers plus-1, Cowboys minus-5.

Packers player to watch

After Micah Parsons developed into one of the NFL’s top pass rushers during his four seasons with the Cowboys, the two-time All-Pro returns to Dallas to face his former team. A contract stalemate led to the trade that sent two first-round picks and DT Kenny Clark to the Cowboys. Parsons had at least 12 sacks each of his four years in Dallas. He has 1 1/2 sacks with a Green Bay defense that is among the league’s best so far.

Cowboys player to watch

With all the attention on Parsons this week, it’s easy to forget Clark is also facing his former team for the first time. And he was with the Packers twice as long as Parsons was with the Cowboys. Clark made the Pro Bowl three times in his nine seasons with Green Bay after getting drafted late in the first round in 2016. If the Cowboys were going to trade Parsons, they wanted to improve a run defense that has struggled for years. They did that, but the pass defense has been awful through three weeks — the NFL’s worst, in fact.

Key matchup

Parsons vs. Dallas offensive line. Budding star left guard Tyler Smith was just a few lockers down from Parsons his first three years in the league. The 2022 first-round pick probably never imagined he would one day have to think about blocking Parsons in a regular-season game. The same goes for the rest of a unit missing two starters because of injuries. Brock Hoffman is at center in place of Cooper Beebe (foot), and T.J. Bass figures to start in place of rookie first-rounder Tyler Booker, who is in a walking boot with a high ankle sprain.

Key injuries

Packers: OT Zach Tom missed one game with an oblique injury, then returned Sunday at Cleveland but was on the field for just one play. Tom, Guard Aaron Banks (groin) and S Javon Bullard (concussion) didn’t practice Wednesday. … WR Jayden Reed is on injured reserve after undergoing surgeries on his shoulder and foot last week.

Cowboys: CB Trevon Diggs didn’t go through team drills to start the week, with his knee listed on the injury report after an offseason of rehab for his second major knee injury in as many years. He injured a shoulder against the Bears. … Booker, Beebe and WR CeeDee Lamb (ankle) are expected to miss multiple weeks. Beebe is already on injured reserve, and Booker and Lamb could join him this week.

Series notes

Green Bay is 5-0 at AT&T Stadium, the only team with at least four wins and no losses in the retractable roof venue that opened in 2009. It’s also the longest road winning streak for a Dallas opponent. … The Packers have won 10 of the past 11 meetings, including five in a row. The most recent was a gutting loss for the Cowboys, who fell 48-32 in a wild-card game when a victory would have kept them at home for the divisional round. … Green Bay has scored at least 34 points in all five visits to AT&T Stadium.

Stats and stuff

The Packers were penalized 14 times against Cleveland, their highest single-game total since 18 in a 20-17 loss to Chicago in 2010. … Green Bay hasn’t allowed a touchdown in the first three quarters of any game this season. … The Packers are 23-11 in prime-time games under coach Matt LaFleur. … The Packers have allowed fewer than 250 yards in all three games. The previous time they did that was 1967, the year Green Bay beat Dallas in the playoffs in the famous “Ice Bowl.” … Packers QB Jordan Love had thrown 249 consecutive regular-season passes without an interception before getting picked off in the fourth quarter at Cleveland. … Cleveland ended RB Josh Jacobs’ streak of 11 consecutive games with at least one rushing touchdown. The run included a playoff game. … DL Rashan Gary has an NFL-leading 4 1/2 sacks, including at least one in each game. … Cowboys QB Dak Prescott needs one victory to tie Tony Romo for third on the club’s career list at 78. Pro Football Hall of Famers Troy Aikman (94) and Roger Staubach (85) top the list. … TE Jake Ferguson had a career-high 13 catches against the Bears and is second in the NFL with 27 grabs. … K Brandon Aubrey leads the NFC with four field goals of at least 50 yards and is the club career record holder with 28.

Fantasy tip

Prescott has thrown multiple TD passes in all six games against the Packers, including two playoff games. It’s the longest such streak against a single opponent in franchise history. He won’t have Lamb, but it will be offseason trade acquisition George Pickens’ first full game as the No. 1 receiver. Pickens is coming consecutive games with a touchdown catch for the first time in his career.

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