Green Bay’s Rushing Attack Helps Packers Handle Dallas Cowboys
Eddie Lacy and James Starks were a two-headed running monster and helped the Green Bay Packers rush for 230 total yards in their 28-7 win over the Dallas Cowboys Sunday at Lambeau Field.
It was the first time since Oct. 25, 2009 against Cleveland that Green Bay rushed for 200 yards.
The Packers dominated the Cowboys in the rain at home and won their second straight game. Green Bay moved to 9-4 and a game ahead of the Minnesota Vikings in the NFC North. Dallas dropped to 4-7 and two games behind the NFC East division lead. Washington and Philadelphia won Sunday and moved into the division lead. The New York Giants play Monday against the Miami Dolphins.
For Green Bay, Mike McCarthy took back the play calling from offensive coordinator Tom Clements and relied on the run game. Lacy ran hard, most notably on his long run that set up his touchdown to give the Packers a 28-7 lead. He rushed the ball 24 times for 124 yards and a touchdown. Lacy came back with a big performance after being benched last week for missing curfew. I guess he got a good night's sleep Saturday night. Starks was explosive, too. He scored twice in the game. Starks caught a 13-yard touchdown pass from Aaron Rodgers and ran for a 30-yard touchdown. All in all, he had 11 carries for 71 yards and four catches for 32 yards. Lacy is like the Packers' thunder, while Starks is lightning. A big reason for Lacy and Starks' success was Green Bay's offensive line as they opened up big holes for duo to run through.
The run game was big in a sloppy weather game and it helped the Packers dominate the time of possession by 15 minutes. Green Bay had 37 minutes and 48 seconds in time of possession while Dallas had 22:12. The Packers' rushing attack helped set up their passing game. Aaron Rodgers tossed two touchdowns, one to Starks and the other to Richard Rodgers. Aaron Rodgers was 22 of 35 for 218 yards and those two touchdowns.
Green Bay's defense played very well, too. The Packers sacked Matt Cassel twice and had one interception. They also limited Dez Bryant to one catch for nine yards. Dallas still rushed for 171 yards, but Cassel only threw for 114 yards. Darren McFadden had nine carries for 111 yards. Robert Turbin had the Cowboys' lone touchdown.
Another key statistic was Green Bay doubled up Dallas in total yards and in first downs. The Packers had 29 first downs while the Cowboys had 11. Green Bay racked up 435 total yards while Dallas had 270.
Green Bay plays at Oakland next Sunday, while the Cowboys host the New York Jets on Saturday.
Sam Tastad will have stories on the Packers all season with pre-and-post game previews. Follow him on Twitter @samtastad and email him at tastadsam@gmail.com.