The Dallas Cowboys welcome the Green Bay Packers to AT&T Stadium on Sunday in a matchup of 3-1 teams that are coming off losses but remain atop their respective divisions.

Cowboys fans don't need to be reminded of all the heartache caused by Aaron Rodgers, but this Packers defense has been bolstered by the additions of Za'Darius Smith, Preston Smith and Adrian Amos to go along with the breakout of cornerback Jaire Alexander, who's been arguably one of the NFL's best defensive backs in coverage.

Entering Thursday night's action, the Cowboys ranked third in Football Outsiders' Total Defense-adjusted Value Over Average metric (Total DVOA) while the Packers ranked ninth. The Cowboys ranked second in offense DVOA, 15th in defense DVOA and 14th in special teams DVOA, while the Packers were 16th in offense DVOA, seventh in defense DVOA and 19th in special teams DVOA.

This game appears to be well-matched on paper, so with that in mind, let's dive into a few bold predictions for Sunday afternoon.

Cowboys run play-action more than 40%of the time, score 2 TDs off of it

While film review revealed that execution was just as culpable as play-calling for the Dallas offense's anemic output against the New Orleans Saints, the drastic reduction in play-action passes was the most confounding aspect of the Cowboys' losing effort.

The little detail of pulling Connor Williams to sell the run-action is a great detail that the best PA teams have been doing for years. DAL has used it in the past but never to the frequency as vs NYG.



Influences the D so much that 3 separate NYG defenders bite. #Cowboys pic.twitter.com/wuo6KEDoYE — John Owning (@JohnOwning) September 9, 2019

Dak Prescott has simply been more efficient and effective using play action. In fact, he has one of the most drastic splits with and without play action among NFL quarterbacks. Not only does Prescott complete 14.3% more of his passes off play action (fifth most among quarterbacks with at least 10 play-action passes), but he also averages 2.7 more yards per attempt (10th).

After slicing and dicing defenses with heavy use of play action in Weeks 1-3 (39.4% of Prescott's dropbacks), offensive coordinator Kellen Moore dialed up play action on just 20% of his dropbacks against the Saints. The Cowboys were successful when using play action as Prescott finished 6 of 7 for 65 yards (9.3 yards per pass attempt), according to Pro Football Focus, but they decided not to lean on it for whatever reason.

Expect that to change against the Packers -- the worst team in the NFL at defending play-action passes in 2018, according to Football Outsiders. Green Bay hasn't been that bad against play action this year, but that has more to do with the level of competition rather than improvement.

In the first three weeks of the season, the Packers faced Mitchell Trubisky, Kirk Cousins and Joe Flacco -- a real triumvirate of terrible quarterback play in 2019. In Week 4, Green Bay faced a better quarterback in Carson Wentz, but Philadelphia was so successful on the ground that it didn't need to be too successful through the air.

And with the additions of the Smiths, Za'Darius and Preston, the Packers now boast one of the league's most potent pass rushes with an 8.6% adjusted sack rate -- sixth best in the NFL, according to Football Outsiders.

One of the best ways to slow down a potent pass rush is with a dynamic play-action passing game, as evidenced by the fact that, from 2015-18, quarterbacks were sacked on 6.5% of passes with no play action compared to a 5.4% sack rate on passes with play action. This makes sense not only from a statistical standpoint, but also a practical one.

The run-action portion of a play-action pass forces defenses to initially honor the run before defending the pass. This is typically illustrated by linebackers attacking the line of scrimmage before dropping into their coverage responsibilities. The act of sucking linebackers in using run action often creates great passing opportunities in the vacated zones.

Play-action passes affect the pass rush just as much. The run action forces defensive linemen to take the initial run steps that put them in position to occupy their gap instead of pinning their ears back to attack the pocket. The act of transitioning from defending the run to rushing the passer slows the pass rush, giving the quarterback more time to find an open receiver or attack a certain part of the coverage.

One of the best ways the Cowboys sell the run on their play-action passes is by pulling an offensive lineman across the formation. Since peewee football, linebackers have been taught to believe that a pulling lineman means run, so second-level defenders often react harder to the run action when a pulling lineman is used.

Hey now! This is the type of play-calling and design that Dallas continually benefited from in Weeks 1-3.



PA with a pulling OL holds the LB just enough for Jarwin to get open behind him. Cobb's vertical route from slot occupies the strong-side safety... pic.twitter.com/wOphEgUWpN — John Owning (@JohnOwning) September 30, 2019

In New Orleans, only one of the Cowboys' seven play-action passes utilized a pulling lineman (above clip), and it predictably was their best play of the game: Prescott's 35-yard connection with tight end Blake Jarwin that set up a 1-yard touchdown run shortly after. Left guard Connor Williams' pull across the formation caused the linebacker to hesitate just long enough for Jarwin to get open behind him, creating a nice throwing window for Prescott down the seam.

It's important to note that the above play was successful despite it occurring in a pass-first situation. In theory, play-action passes wouldn't work on passing downs because there's little-to-no threat of a run. But it was second-and-12 when Jarwin reeled in the 35-yard catch off play action. Although it was a pass-first situation, the run action with a pulling lineman created enough hesitation at the second level of the Saints' defense for the Cowboys to get a big-play opportunity.

Against the Packers, look for the Cowboys to go back to one of the aspects that made them one of the NFL's most electric offenses to start the season -- Dallas will use play action on at least 40% of Prescott's dropbacks, resulting in at least two passing touchdowns for him.

Kenny Clark records 1 sack, 2 TFLs againstDallas' interior O-line

In the past, Kenny Clark vs. Travis Frederick was one of the most anticipated trench battles in the NFL, pitting the league's best center against one of the league's ascending defensive tackles.

This year, however, should be decidedly in Clark's favor.

Frederick's presence has been a huge asset to the Cowboys' offensive line. His return to the lineup has cleaned up most of the communication issues that plagued the unit in 2018. This is a huge reason the Cowboys rank first in ESPN's Pass Block Win Rate metric.

Oh hey another 1st down ruined because Frederick gets tripped by another OL. This time, it's Connor Williams' left foot that trips Frederick to his knees, which allows Malcom Brown to split the double once Martin takes the filling LB.



Sloppy feet from the interior OL hurt DAL. pic.twitter.com/E7ali3GtiV — John Owning (@JohnOwning) September 30, 2019

From an individual standpoint, Frederick has yet to return to his old form. He hasn't played poorly or been a liability by any means, but he's just not as dominant or consistent as he was previously. His balance and footwork have been off, causing him to get tripped to the ground much more than in previous seasons. Moreover, Frederick has struggled to climb to the second level to secure blocks on linebackers and has had problems sustaining blocks throughout plays.

Clark, meanwhile, continues to be a strength in the middle of Green Bay's defense. At 6-3, 314 pounds, he is a giant defensive tackle who uses power, effective hand placement/technique and surprising quickness to be effective against the run and pass.

Against the run, Clark consistently resets the line of scrimmage to play in opposing backfields. He uses his powerful paws to control and discard linemen in the middle of the Packers' defense. As a pass rusher, Clark relies mostly on a powerful bull rush to walk blockers back into their quarterback's lap.

Given that Tyron Smith (ankle) is likely to miss Sunday's game, the Cowboys may not be able to provide Frederick with as much help as usual. With Cameron Fleming at left tackle, the Cowboys will likely slide protection his way to give him help against Green Bay's edge rushers. This could mean Frederick gets more one-on-one matchups against Clark than he'd typically see if Smith were healthy.

Clark's power and ability to attain favorable hand placement should lead to him having success against Frederick, who is struggling to sustain blocks.

Randall Cobb accumulates more than100 total yards with 1 TD

Going against his old team, Randall Cobb certainly wants to show the Packers that he still has a lot left in the tank.

Cobb's season stats (14 receptions, 157 yards and a touchdown) aren't very impressive, but that ignores all the yardage lost by penalties. Remove the penalties, and Cobb has 18 receptions for 267 yards and two touchdowns, a much more respectable total for a No. 3 receiver.

Cobb sees 86.5% of his snaps in the slot, according to PFF, meaning he'll be pitted against Tramon Williams for the majority of his playing time Sunday. To his credit, Williams has performed well thus far, allowing just eight catches for 109 yards and an 82.1 passer rating when targeted.

But as previously noted in this piece, Green Bay faced three of the league's worst passing offenses in the first three weeks and was bludgeoned on the ground by Philadelphia to the point where the Eagles didn't need the passing game.

Cobb's familiarity with Williams should allow him to have success. Cobb doesn't have the pure speed that he used to, but he's still an effective route runner who can get open when gifted a free release at the line of scrimmage.

Once Cobb gets the ball in his hands, that's when he can really do work against the Packers. He displays great vision and elusiveness with the ball in his hands, making him one of Dallas' premier yards-after-catch threats. The Cowboys also love to scheme up a couple of opportunities for Cobb to get the ball in space, whether it be on a jet sweep, bubble/tunnel screen or as a hot read against the blitz.

Given Cobb's familiarity with Green Bay's personnel, don't be surprised if he comes up big. As long as his best plays aren't negated by penalties, this game could shape up to be a breakout performance for the slot receiver.

Enjoy this post? More film studies:

-- 3 Cowboys who have exceeded expectations, including a legit MVP candidate and All-Pro caliber OL

-- 3 takeaways from Cowboys-Saints, including questionable play calls and a disconcerting Zeke trend

-- How Tony Pollard's flashes vs. Miami offered glance at Cowboys backfield's frightening potential

Twitter: @JohnOwning