Divisional Round preview Cowboys-Packer

The backstoryBoth the and have ghosts to slay when they meet in Sunday's NFC Divisional Round bout at Lambeau Field -- a rematch of the cla sic "Ice Bowl" of 1967.The are making their sixth straight playoff appearance with star pa ser at the helm, but the postseason has been filled with disappointment since winning XLV four seasons ago.Green Bay's 15-1 juggernaut of 2011 felt like a lock, only to crumble in a stunner at home to the . One year later, Rodgers and friends were torched by the upstart before falling again to San Francisco last January. Three years, three straight playoff lo ses. The pre sure is on this hyper-talented team to live up to their potential. shined down the stretch in Sunday's wild-card win, but the quarterback -- blamed for everything from global warming to unrest in Gaza -- knows one victory won't be enough to curtail his doubters. He now stands at the threshold of a golden opportunity: Down the , silence the haters and bring the 'Boys one step closer to the promised land.Under pre sure, Part One secondary:The Dallas defense has surpa sed expectations, but the secondary gave up plenty of chunk plays to and in the wild-card bout. After allowing the two-some to team for 11 catches and 174 yards, the are in for an even stiffer test on against wideouts and .The duo ranks first in the league in receiving touchdowns (25), second in combined receiving yards (2,806) and fourth in total receptions (189). As the first team in NFL history boasting two players with 1,200-plus receiving yards and 12-plus touchdowns, the have leaned on Nelson and Cobb to help the offense score on a league-best James McCann Jersey 46.7 percent of their drives.Dallas has yet to be tested this way through the air, but the team's recent spate of thievery might help. The have forced 15 turnovers during their five-game winning streak, the most in the NFL since Week 14. Three takeaways saved the day against Detroit, but turnovers won't be easy against a offense with an NFL-low 13 giveaways this season. Rodgers, meanwhile, boasts an outrageous 25:0 touchdown-to-interception ratio at home in 2014.We've been impre sed with of the -- the league's No. 10 overall cornerback, per Pro Football Focus -- but the back end of this defense must muster up its finest game of the year to keep a lid on the Rodgers-led fireworks.Under pre sure, Part TwoThe calf of Rodgers:Green Bay's quarterback has battled a tweaked calf since Week 16. Coach has expre sed only confidence in Rodgers suiting up against the 'Boys, but this affair swings wildly in favor of Dallas if backup does anything beyond downing cups of cocoa on the sidelines.Matchup to watch: vs. run defense:After allowing 129.2 yards per game on the ground through Week 13, Green Bay has given up just 80.0 yards per tilt over the past three games. Granted, that average was greatly helped by holding the ghost-ship known as the to 16 yards in Week 16.Green Bay on the year has hardly been a force against the run, ranking 23rd in that category despite facing just two top-five rushers all season. punctured the Pack for 110 yards and a pair of scores in Week 1 -- which feels like 43 years ago -- before rumbled for 88 more in Week 11.Dallas won't wander from the script, angling to shorten the game with clock-chewing drives that lean on Murray, the NFL's leading rusher, to tire down Green Bay's front seven. Murray's 12 games of 100-plus rushing yards are a record, but the workhorse has been held under 100 yards in four of his past six outings.Murray looked healthy against the , but his 411 totes on the year -- 99 more than any other back -- have pushed the envelope. Does the Dallas wonder have one more monster outing on tap?Mind-blowing stats: (106.0) and (97.6) are the two highest-rated pa sers in NFL history. ... Romo (113.2) and Rodgers (112.2) also boast a combined quarterback rating of 225.4 this season, the highest combined pa ser rating by two signal-callers starting a playoff game in league history. ... This will be just the sixth postseason tilt in NFL lore where opposing quarterbacks each had 220-plus career touchdown pa ses. ... Since 2011, Rodgers has produced the top-three single-season pa ser ratings at home in NFL history. ... In games below 40 degrees, Romo's pa ser rating dips to 86.3 (11.3 points below his career average) with Rodgers remaining an effective 104.7 (1.3 points below his career average).Sunday marks the first ever playoff matchup of teams to go 8-0 on road () and 8-0 at home () in the regular season. ... The are the first team in history to have the NFL's leader in pa ser rating (), rushing yards () and receiving touchdowns () in the same season. ... Rodgers has thrown 36 touchdowns since his last pick at home, which was Week 13, 2012 against the . That's 14 consecutive games and 418 attempts without an interception, both of which are the NFL's longest streaks since 1960.Prediction:The cold and logical pick -- and the wise one -- is Green Bay. Indestructible at home, Rodgers and the have the requisite skill-position talent to end this game before it starts. They also have the best quarterback -- maybe of all time -- running the show.Dallas, though, has the star power on offense to go punch for punch with Green Bay's high-octane attack. If the can run the ball and keep Rodgers on the sideline, this will go down to the end in a cla sic for the ages. Expect nothing le s.Dallas Cowboys 31, Green Bay Packers 29The latest Around The NFL Podcast and breaks down the Manning-Luck matchup. Find more Around The NFL content on . Jackie Robinson Jersey