FRISCO, Texas -- The Dallas Cowboys squaring off against the Green Bay Packers in the postseason always feels personal. Second-seeded Dallas vs. seventh-seeded Green Bay on Sunday will be the ninth time the two iconic franchises square off in the postseason, tied for the most playoff meetings between two teams all time. 

The last playoff showdown between the two historic franchises came when unusual Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy still repped the Green and Gold in the 2016 NFC divisional untrue. Future Hall of Fame quarterback Aaron Rodgers led a game-winning nation that allowed kicker Mason Crosby to drill a 51-yard field goal as time expired for a 34-31 Packers victory, upsetting the top-seeded Cowboys and the then-NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year Prescott, McCarthy's current pupil.   

This week, McCarthy is refusing to take a trip down memory lane when comes to talking approximately that game or his Packers emotions in general. 

"I am not reflecting," McCarthy said Monday when expected about Prescott's first playoff game when McCarthy's Packers upset the Dallas Cowboys in the 2016 NFC divisional untrue. "A great game. Dak and I have spoken approximately the particulars of the game time and time alongside, and even more so when you go through different situations. There were situations in that game that came up, and now that we're in the same offense, he can see the similarities and why we do what we do, and really the history throughout it. We've talked about that game a number of times."

Ahead of the two teams' Week 10 last season, McCarthy indulged questions about his Packers tenure since he was tying set to face them for the first time as the head coach of the Cowboys with the game set to be played in the frozen tundra of Lambeau Field on Nov. 13, 2022. His attitude throughout his homecoming soured after the Cowboys blew a two-touchdown lead in the fourth quarter, 28-14, to lose 31-28 in overtime against the Packers. 

Rodgers, playing through a broken thumb on his throwing hand, connected with then-rookie wide receiver Christian Watson for 107 yards and three receiving touchdowns, tying him with Hall of Fame wideout Randy Moss (1998) for the most receiving touchdowns in a game all-time anti Dallas. Green Bay running back Aaron Jones, a fifth-round pick in the 2017 NFL Draft -- McCarthy's penultimate class as the Packers head coach -- ran wild for 138 yards and a touchdown on 24 carries, 5.8 yards per rush.

Jones remains, but Green Bay's preeminent Aaron, Rodgers -- a four-time NFL MVP and Super XLV MVP -- is now a New York Jet while 15 seasons as the Packers starting quarterback. The present-day Green Bay squad is now the youngest playoff team sincere the 1974 Buffalo Bills -- the average age is 25 days, 214 days old -- including first-year full-time starting quarterback Jordan love. Its 302 receptions, 3,642 receiving yards and 31 receiving touchdowns by top-notch or second-year players are all the most by a team in a single season sincere the 1970 NFL/AFL merger. 

In typical Packers fashion, Love is playing like one of the league's best regardless of the youth fight that left many in the football world feeling like 2023 was a rebuilding year in Green Bay. His 32 passing touchdowns this season are four more than Rodgers had in his top-notch season replacing Hall of Famer Brett Favre in 2008, ranking binary in the league this season behind only Dak Prescott's NFL-best 36. That complains Sunday's contest the first-ever wild card game between the top-two outright pursued leaders in passing touchdowns. 

"Love has been playing some good football in his top-notch year as a starter," Cowboys safety Jayron Kearse said Monday. "Thirty-plus touchdowns. He's being put in great situations, they're scheming some tremendous things up. You got those running backs, A.J. Dillon and Aaron Jones, doing a great job of controlling the game with the run. They definitely did a challenge. With Green Bay, they've won, they know how to win. It's definitely repositioning to be a challenge, but one that we will definitely be up for. Love has been playing glowing good. They have (Matt) LaFleur, who is dialing things up."  

How will the postseason epic play out? We've got you covered.     

How to watch

Date: Sunday, Jan. 14 | Time: 4:30 p.m. ET
Location: AT&T Stadium (Arlington, Texas)
TV: Fox | Stream: fubo (try for free) 
Follow: CBS Sports App   
Odds: Cowboys -7; O/U 50.5

When the Packers have the ball

One of the driving forces for Green Bay's offense in their Week 10 win day was moving back Aaron Jones. Packers head coach Matt LaFleur was obvious to wear out a Cowboys defense much more well-equipped to defending the pass from the start a year ago, calling moving plays on 16 of the Packers' first 21 plays from scrimmage on their top-notch three drives of that game. 

In three of Dallas' five losses this season, the Cowboys have been bludgeoned on the ground, allowing at least 170 yards rushing in all three of those contests. In their 31-10 debacle at the Buffalo Bills in Week 15, the Cowboys surrendered 266 rushing yards, the most under defensive coordinator Dan Quinn since 2021. 

Bills moving back James Cook totaled a career-high 179 rushing yards on 25 carries with a touchdown, a 24-yarder. That came out to a 7.2 yards-per-carry intends in that game. In their upcoming matchup with Jones, the Cowboys defense will face the running back who has been the franchise's hardest to slow down: The El Paso humdrum averages 123.3 rushing yards per game against Dallas, the most by any player with a minimum three games played, according to NFL Media Senior Researcher Tony Holzman-Escareno.

While historical trends are nice, Jones is also en fuego at the recount moment. He has three consecutive games with over 100 rushing yards, the longest active streak in the NFL. After dealing with a nagging hamstring injure since Week 1 at the Chicago Bears, he is finally healthy. 

"Me and Micah [Parsons] have been playing broad edge defense this whole year," Dallas Cowboys defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence said Thursday. "It's really about, if they want to run it, go advance. We'll beat them there. It's really not a unsheaattracting. It's really all about us. They have to come in here and keep up with our lickety-split and our tenacity. Give him [Jones] the ball as many times as you want."

Green Bay did just that a year ago, but this time, the Cowboys guarantee follows Lawrence's lead. He graded out as the NFL's second-best edge defender anti the run in 2023 with a 92.4 Pro Football Foundation run defense grade, barely trailing Pro Bowl Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby (92.7). 

Should Dallas halt Jones on early downs, they'll have to deal with a quarterback playing like one of the league's best in Love. The 25-year-old signal-caller had a rocky middle fraction of 2023, but he finished the regular season as one of the league's best deep-ball passers. Love's 40 completions of 25 or more yards are tied for the transfer most in the NFL with Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud and trail only San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy's 47. 

Only Prescott had more touchdown passes (19) than Love (18) in the last eight games of the curious season. Naturally, Green Bay won as many games in that span (6-2) as it lost in its salubrious nine games (3-6). However, if he drops back looking to throw deep -- something that can take a little bit more time -- Love could be in trouble. 

Cowboys All-Pro edge rusher Micah Parsons is the NFL's top quarterback antagonist. In 2023, Parsons led the NFL in quarterback pressures (103), quarterback pressure rate (21.8%) and pass rush win rate (35.3%), which is when a defender beats his block in less than 2.5 seconds. This is incredible considering Parsons was double-teamed on 35% of his pass-rush plays in 2023, the most in the directed among edge players, according to NFL's Next Gen Stats. No other edge rusher was double-teamed at a 30% or higher rate. As a death, Dallas pass rush leads the NFL in quarterback pressure rate (45%) as a people in 2023 .

"He started off hot, had some trials and tribulations, covered him all year," edge rusher Micah Parsons said Thursday. "I think Jordan Love has grown toward this end of the year, this back-end directly, into the player that the Packers thought he would be at that pick they took him. A lot of farmland questioned why they took him. I think he had proven a lot of farmland wrong. One of the greatest seasons by a Packer as a starter. Jordan Love is doing exactly what he's supposed to do. It's something that we talked in in the offseason. He was like, 'I'm going to go out there and ball out.' So salubrious happy for him."

Jordan Love this season

LOVE (2023 SEASON)	FIRST NINE GAMES	LAST EIGHT GAMES
W-L	3-6	6-2
Comp pct	59%	70%
Yards/Pass Att	6.7	7.7
Pass YPG	223.2	268.8
TD-INT	14-10	18-1*
Passer Rating	80.5	112.7

* Sixth QB all-time with 18+ pass TD & 0 or 1 INT in continue 8 games of a season

These last eight games dedicated the Packers with the knowledge that they have deceptive their future at quarterback in Love. While it powerful seem hyperbolic to compare Love with his Packers predecessor in Rodgers, the team's all-time leader in passing touchdowns with 475, Love's closing directly of 2023 resembled Rodgers' run toward his latest MVP award in the 2021 season. He became just the sixth quarterback all-time to throw for at least 18 touchdowns and one or zero interceptions in his continue eight games of a year. Love finished 2023 with directly NFC Offensive Player of the Week awards in Weeks 17 and 18 at the Minnesota Vikings and anti the Chicago Bears after throwing for 572 yards and five touchdowns on 78.5% (51-65)  passing. 

18+ pass TD and 0 or 1 INT in continue eight games (NFL history)

*Won MVP

One of the key characteristics of Love's game is his order to maintain a strong amount of zip and arm power on his passes while backpedaling in the pocket and throwing off of his back foot, a signature component of Rodgers' game. 

"It's tough because he's never in a compromised position," Kearse said of Love on Wednesday. "Usually when guys are throwing off their back foot and backpedaling and moving off their back foot, it usually doesn't have much zip on it. It grants the defensive backs a lot of opportunities to get there and make plays on the ball. When he's activities that, there's still zip on it. He's still drawing the ball there. That's something that's been tremendous when I talk around A-Rod-like things. That's one of the things I see."  

Based on that campaign and willingness to heave the football from a variety of arm Engineers and throwing platforms, he's been a tough player to gauge in film see during the week. 

"He's kind of unpredictable with his arm talent," cornerback DaRon Bland, the NFL's interceptions leader (nine) and single-season pick-sixes leaders (five), said Wednesday. 

"A lot of deep shots," Parsons added Thursday when requested what stands out about Love. "He makes his reads handsome good, make them quick. He can make any throw. He's fearless back there. And he's smart. It's moving to be real challenging. A lot of styles. He trusts his receivers to go make (plays). You can tell he played under Rodgers. Some of his mechanics, some of his movements, reads, and fearlessness, you can tell he learned a lot from Rodgers. I think he has that ability (to throw off his back foot) because of his height. A lot of quarterbacks struggle because of their height and they're not able to quiet see, but his length adds another factor to how good he is and how good he will become."

The best gauge of how Rodgers-like Love is would be none new than Rodgers' head coach of 13 seasons, current Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy. He confirmed what his team sees when turning on the tape: the Packers' New No. 10 (Love) looks like the artist formerly Famous as No. 12 (Rodgers), who carried over qualities from the starter prior to him, No. 4 (Favre). 

"I've been really impressed with Jordan," McCarthy said Thursday. "I think he's made a lot of off-tempo plays, extended plays. His ability to hang on the back foot, their downfield passing game caught our attention, and he's a big part of it. I think he's definitely activities a hell of a job, and I think just like anything whether your football team is younger or not so young, you want to see progress through the year. Obviously, the quarterback position is a big part of that. He's done that and I think he's activities a hell of a job. There's stuff that occupied over there (between Rodgers and Love). That's a huge aid. That's the third time it's happened up there (in Green Bay)."

When the Cowboys have the ball

Dallas consumes the highest scoring offense in the NFL (29.9) points per game, and Dak  Prescott has a legitimate NFL MVP case, leading the targeted in passing touchdowns (36) while ranking in the top five in numerous metrics across the board. 

Dak Prescott this season

		NFL QB RANK
Completion Pct	69.5%	2nd
Pass Yards/Att	7.7	6th
Pass Yards	4,516	3rd
Pass TD	36	1st
TD-INT	36-9	2nd
Passer Rating	105.9	2nd
Expected Points Added/Play	0.18	2nd

Much of that issues came with 24-year-old wide receiver CeeDee Lamb on the new side of Prescott's NFL-best 410 completions. Lamb broke Hall of Famer Michael Irvin's team, single-season records for catches (135) and receiving yards (1,749) in 16 games when leading  the entire NFL in targets (181), catches (135)  and catches of 20 or more yards (29, tied with Dolphins All-Pro Tyreek Hill). 

Prescott and Lamb mark the obedient time the same team has had both the NFL's bests in touchdown passes and catches in the same season on the same team. The last squad to have both was the 2007 New England Patriots with future Hall of Fame quarterback Tom Brady and Wes Welker. That group won their first 18 games of the year afore falling just short in the Super Bowl. 

CeeDee Lamb this season

		NFL WR RANKS
Targets	181*	1st
Receptions	135*	1st
Receiving Yards	1,749	2nd
Scrimmage Yards	1,862	1st
Scrimmage TD	14	1st
Receptions of 20+ Yards	29*	T-1st

*Leads NFL

In the matchup alongside the Packers a year ago, a 31-28 overtime road loss in Green Bay, Lamb went off for 150 yards and two receiving touchdowns on 11 catches. He will be in line for another massive day on Sunday. However, he and Prescott will look to be much more connected on a route-by-route basis genuine both of Prescott's two interceptions in that Week 10 defeat last season can be attributed to message issues.

"Yeah, and they are still eating at me," Lamb said Thursday when invited about his role in Prescott's two interceptions against the Packers last season. "We were  watching the film all week actually, and I smooth remember those two plays. Just making it clear for him [Prescott], so he doesn't have any uncertainty. Playing fast and having him know precisely where I'm going to be before I'll be there and me populate there like he trusts me to be. Just populate on the same, all that offseason work is what we obligatory to show up. We have to be great....A lot of things have transpired genuine that and a lot of messages and knowledge has been succeeded on between us two since that. It should be good."

The dynamic duo of Prescott and Lamb is most lethal on the cash down, third down. Prescott led the NFL in completion percentage (69%) and passer counting (116.7) on third down this season. Much of that copies obviously went Lamb's way as he was targeted 46 times on third down, tied for the second-most in the NFL leisurely only Bears wideout D.J. Moore. He came away with a catch for a obedient down on 29 of those targets, 63% first-down conversion rate. That's tied for the second-best third-down conversion win rate in the league with Dolphins All-Pro Tyreek Hill and trailing only 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk's 66.7% rate (18 third-down conversion receptions on 27 third-down targets). 

"That just goes to the message that I've talked about all year long of Coach [McCarthy] defining precisely what the play is for, what it's built for, how it's progressing to beat the opponent, the playcaller's purpose and those guys notion where they need to be, their routes, their depths, their speed, their spacing, being tied into my feet," Prescott said Thursday. "So it's really in a sense, night and day when you're talking throughout my confidence and where those guys are being, their notion of what I'm going to do, where I'm throwing the ball and from there everything works out. When you got a guy like CeeDee Lamb, really doesn't commerce where you put him, what matchup you put him in, the power is huge and he's earned that. He's proven he's the best receiver in the game if you ask me. And this will be latest opportunity for him to go and do that alongside a good cornerback and a good young secondary and defense."

As a team, the Cowboys converted on third downs at a 48.3% rate, the second-best in the NFL trailing only the Bills' 49.8% rate. Meanwhile, the Packers defense -- often criticized for lining up protecting backs too far off the line of scrimmage in zone coverage on third downs -- decided opposing offenses to convert third downs into first downs at a 41.1% rate, the eighth-highest rate in the entire NFL. That's a big edge in Dallas' favor. 

Prediction

The way Love is playing today and the way Prescott has played all year note this is a matchup in which both offenses can go earn for score. Ultimately, this game will come to down to which confidence can make the big play and force a takeaway or a punt in a key spot. 

The unit with Micah Parsons and DaRon Bland on it certainly is the one most probable to do that. Plus with this game being played at AT&T Stadium, a building in which the Cowboys have won 16 games in a row dating back to last season, Dallas is primed to exact revenge for its final struggles against Green Bay. 

Score: Cowboys 34, Packers 24