Ron Jaworski looks ahead to the challenge the Packers' defense will have going up against the Cowboys' offense. (1:16)

GREEN BAY, Wis. -- Aaron Rodgers didn't need to look at a minute of film to know what's on the Green Bay Packers' must-do list for this Sunday's NFC divisional playoff game against the Dallas Cowboys.

"We've got to start faster," Rodgers said shortly after the Packers advanced with a 38-13 wild-card win over the New York Giants at Lambeau Field.

The Packers' quarterback could have just as easily been talking about the Giants game, when his offense managed only seven yards in the first quarter and punted on its first five possessions.

But actually he was recalling the Packers' 30-16 loss to the Cowboys in Week 6 at Lambeau Field, in which the Packers scored their first -- and only -- touchdown with 6:53 left in the game. The Cowboys jumped out to an early lead and rode the running of rookie Ezekiel Elliott (157 yards) and three touchdown passes from rookie quarterback Dak Prescott.

The Packers' slow start was a recipe for a disastrous day.

"Dak and Zeke have been playing great all season," Rodgers said. "They are tremendous players; they're not playing like rookies. They're both in the MVP conversation. We can't let them run behind that big offensive line. We've got to start fast and make them as one-dimensional as possible."

The Packers managed seven yards in the first quarter, but "we finished with 400-plus," Aaron Rodgers said, "so that was obviously a good way to finish the game." Jeff Hanisch/USA TODAY Sports

Another start like the Packers experienced in Sunday's wild-card win over the Giants might leave them in a bigger hole against the Cowboys. They considered themselves fortunate to be down only 6-0 before Rodgers and the offense finally got rolling with his 5-yard touchdown pass to Davante Adams with 2:20 left in the second quarter to be followed, of course, by the 42-yard Hail Mary to Randall Cobb to end the first half.

"The key, I think, for the entire game was our defense got some stops in the red zone," Rodgers said. "If that's 14-0 and not 6-0, it's a different football game, so you've got to give those guys credit. That really helps the confidence of the football team and kind of the momentum of the flow when we're looking up at the big board and we've got seven yards of offense. We finished with 400-plus, so that was obviously a good way to finish the game."

When the Packers started the game with a three-and-out on offense, it was the first time that had happened to them since Nov. 20 at Washington, which was their last loss.

"We didn't get into a flow early," said coach Mike McCarthy, who took responsibility for the early struggles. "Obviously the passing game I need to do a better [job] getting Aaron some basic throws, and once we got going we were excellent."

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The Packers' defense also appears to be playing better now than it was the first time around against the Cowboys, who did not have receiver Dez Bryant on that October day. Second-year cornerback LaDarius Gunter, who helped hold Odell Beckham Jr. to only four catches for 28 yards on 11 targets in Sunday's win over the Giants, probably will get the call against Bryant.

"You want to improve throughout the season, and I think that's where we're at," said Packers outside linebacker Julius Peppers, who had one of two sacks of Eli Manning on Sunday and also sacked Prescott once during the regular season. "We had a little rough stretch there, at the midway point we had a rough stretch. But we still talked, we trusted the process, and I think now we're better because of it, especially on the back end."