Cowboys’ passing surge sets up Green Bay’s biggest test yet on defense

The Green Bay Packers’ defense will be tested in a new way when it faces the Dallas Cowboys, a matchup framed as the toughest dropback challenge the Packers have faced to date. In an early-season snapshot, Yahoo Sports pointed to how Dallas’s passing game has improved past what Green Bay has encountered so far, turning the next opponent into a clearer measure of the Packers’ progress.

Coming out of Week 5, the Packers have been a pleasant surprise, according to the same report. The key defensive baseline is efficiency: Green Bay ranks eighth in EPA allowed per dropback. That metric matters because it measures how often a defense gives up plays that advance offenses toward points, and it keeps the focus on what happens across the full sequence rather than single-game extremes.

The report also highlights Green Bay’s performance in any-time passing efficiency, noting the Packers rank third in ANY/A value. ANY/A, or “adjusted net yards per attempt,” attempts to capture not only yardage, but also the effect of passing touchdowns, interceptions, and sacks on a per-throw basis. Placing third in that category suggests the Packers have limited big-play outcomes and kept Dallas-style decision-making from turning into efficient conversions.

One of the notable storylines feeding the matchup is personnel. Yahoo Sports noted that Micah Parsons has not played a single snap yet, meaning Green Bay’s defensive production has arrived without one of the league’s most disruptive edge talents. If the Packers remain on track against an offense built to pressure the ball through the air, it adds an extra layer to how meaningful their early returns could be.

For Dallas, the emphasis is the quality of the passing game they are bringing. The report characterizes the Cowboys’ passing attack as “much better than what Green Bay has faced to this point,” which implies the Packers are moving from a preliminary proving ground to a more consistent aerial challenge. That distinction matters because defenses can look solid against limited passing threats, then have to adjust when an opponent’s quarterback-to-receiver timing, route concepts, and third-down conversion plan show up repeatedly.

The most immediate question for Green Bay is whether its early-season efficiency holds up when the Cowboys test coverage and quarterback decision-making more often. With the Packers already showing strong numbers in EPA allowed per dropback and ANY/A allowed, the matchup shifts to execution details, such as how effectively Green Bay protects passing lanes, manages pressure timing, and responds when Dallas changes the shape of its playcalling to attack different levels of the field.

For viewers, the most important thing to watch is whether Dallas’s passing game generates steady opportunities rather than isolated completions. If Green Bay can keep EPA allowed per dropback near its current level and suppress the kinds of plays that inflate ANY/A, the defense will validate that its early returns were not just matchup dependent. If Dallas finds a consistent rhythm, it will report that Green Bay still has meaningful refinement work, even with strong early efficiency and Parsons still not having appeared in a game snap.